NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOADED WEAPON 1
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
1:28, PG-13, Comedy, 1993 Director: Gene Quintano Cast: Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Lovitz, Tim Curry, Kathy Ireland, William Shatner, Whoopi Goldberg, Lance Kinsey, Phil Hartman, Charlie Sheen, Frank McRae, James Doohan, F. Murray Abraham, Corey Feldman, Paul Gleason, Richard Moll, Bruce Willis
"By-the-book" cop Samuel L. Jackson and "loose cannon" cop Emilio Estevez are investigating the death of Jackson's old partner Whoopi Goldberg. They run across criminal William Shatner and Estevez's love interest Kathy Ireland.
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOADED WEAPON 1 is a great film from the people who brought us ANIMAL HOUSE, CLASS REUNION, CLASS OF '86, VACATION, EUROPEAN VACATION, and CHRISTMAS VACATION. LOADED WEAPON 1 is a slapstick comedy film like the recent films HOT SHOTS! and NAKED GUN 2 1/2. I feel that LOADED WEAPON 1 is as good as HOT SHOTS! but not up to the level of NAKED GUN 2 1/2. I recommend this film to fans of slapstick comedy. On a scale of zero to five, I give NATIONAL LAMPOON'S LOADED WEAPON 1 a five. LOADED WEAPON 1 is rated PG-13 for explicit language, adult situations, adult humor, and violence.
LOADED WEAPON 1 lampoons many recent films, the most obvious being the LETHAL WEAPON series. The most excellent I of these parodies I feel were WAYNE'S WORLD and BASIC INSTINCT.
For the most part the cast isn't overly memorable, but are great fun to watch during the film. The leads Samuel L. Jackson (AMOS & ANDREW), Emilio Estevez (MEN AT WORK, FREEJACK), and Jon Lovitz (MOM AND DAD SAVE THE WORLD, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN) do a great job impersonating the people from the LETHAL WEAPON series. Kathy Ireland (DANGER ISLAND, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, MR. DESTINY) is beautiful and has an amusing character. Tim Curry (CLUE, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW) makes a wonderful Wilderness Girl.
Like the recent film THE PLAYER, LOADED WEAPON 1 has many big name stars in cameo roles. The best cameo role I think was Richard Moll as a jailer. Charlie Sheen (HOTSHOTS!, CADENCE), Emilio Estevez's brother, has a great cameo. Lance Kinsey (the POLICE ACADEMY series) makes a great moron cop. Whoopi Goldberg (MADE IN AMERICA, THE PLAYER) does a wonderful stiff.
On the other hand, Phil Hartman ("Saturday Night Live," HOW I GOT INTO COLLEGE) has the worst cameo in this film. I didn't think that his character was at all funny. Corey Feldman (MEATBALLS 4, EDGE OF HONOR) was wasted in this film because he can do a good job when given material, but he wasn't given anything to do.
LOADED WEAPON 1 is excellently written. It kept me laughing throughout the film. If one joke misses you then another will come along and catch you. This film is also filled with hilarious sight gags.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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