K-9 (1989)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Rod Daniel

Writers (WGA):

Steven Siegel (written by) &
Scott Myers (written by)

Release Date:

28 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Meet the two toughest cops in town.

Plot:

To stop an elusive criminal, a maverick detective enlists the aid of a police dog who's an unusually intelligent smart alec.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Partner | Friend | Police Dog | Police

Cast

James Belushi	...	Dooley
Mel Harris	...	Tracy
Kevin Tighe	...	Lyman
Ed O'Neill	...	Brannigan
Koton	...	Jerry Lee (as Jerry Lee)
James Handy	...	Byers
Daniel Davis	...	Halstead
Cotter Smith	...	Gilliam
John Snyder	...	Freddie
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Benny the Mule
Sherman Howard	...	Dillon
Jeff Allin	...	Chad
David Haskell	...	Doctor
Alan Blumenfeld	...	Rental Salesman
William Sadler	...	Salesman Don (as Bill Sadler)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:12 | Germany:12 (re-rating) (uncut) | West Germany:12 (video rating) (cut) | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-14

Filming Locations:

Coronado Beach, Coronado, California, USA

Company:

Gordon Company

Trivia:

Koton (Jerry Lee) was an actual Kansas City, Missouri, police dog. On 18 November 1991, he was shot and killed apprehending a suspect in the attempted murder of a police officer. Ten days before his death, Koton found ten kilos of cocaine worth more than 1.2 million dollars.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Jerry Lee comes out of the car wash, he is approached by a man with one blue and one pink towel. However, when the camera switches to a closer view the man now has two pink towels

Quotes:

Dooley: Alright, let's get one thing straight: The woman is mine! Now we're both members of the animal kingdom. You know that and I know that. And we both know that this thing is really primal. So if you think you're such a badass you just try that one more time and you're gonna end up in a pet cemetary! You remember the movie Old Yeller? You remember when they shot him in the end? I didn't cry! Now come on!

Movie Connections:

References Old Yeller (1957)

Soundtrack:

CAR WASH

An great buddy flick about an man and his new found friend... a dog.

Narcotics Cop Thomas Dooley(James Belushi) is an unusual off-beat person... who loves to work alone. One day, his boss (Cotther Smith) wants Dooley find an new partner. He decides to use an K-9 named Jerry Lee (Koton), who has the best nose for the drug-busting business. At first, Dooley and Jerry Lee don't get along until they share a few things in common. At the same time, Dooley does his best with his love life (Mel Harris) and trying to bust a prominent socialite (Kevin Tighe). Thomas and his new partner are in for a wild ride.

Directed by Rod Daniel (Beethoven's 2nd, Like Father Like Son, Teen Wolf) made an enjoyable if silly cop between an relationship with a man and a dog. Belushi and especially Koton are good in the film. There's some hilarious moments, which this movie is aimed at kids but there's some violent scenes as well.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Surround 2.0 Sound. DVD features are basically like the original theatrical trailer and cast & filmmakers' bios. "K-9" was an surprise box office hit. But the relationship between a man and a dog came out months earlier in 1989, which it has some of the same premise titled "Turner & Hooch". But i feel that "K-9" is the better film than the other one. But that's up to the viewer to decide. There's some familiar faces in "K-9" in bit parts like Ed O'Neill, Alan Blumenfeld, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Dan Castellaneta (Best Known as the voice of Homer Simpson on "The Simpsons") and William Salder. "K-9" was so popular on video, there was two Direct to Video movies produced... starring James Belushi. "K-9" is a good cop comedy with some genuine laughs. Worth seeing. (****/*****).