User Reviews

Some movies you want to see just because you want to see how bad they are and that is the reason why I wanted to see "Loose Cannons". This movie was strange as a comedy because the jokes just weren't funny. Also as a cop-buddy movie it doesn't work due to the chemistry between it's lead actors. Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd play off each other like two actors who needed the money. The premise was oddly interesting which concerned a piece of Hitler memorabilia and Aykroyd as a schizo cop trying to come to grips with his demons (aka his other personalities).

What could have been an inspiring premise for something unique and twisted in the cop-buddy genre instead gets bogged down by generic action sequences, lame jokes and slapdash direction.

I consider this film a guilty pleasure. Yes, it's terrible, and my inner film critic tells me I should absolutely hate it, but hey, it's like one of those comedians such as George Carlin whose sole purposes are to offend and make you laugh. This movie did both for me. I absolutely hate stupid comedies without a brain, but actually, there seem to have been some brains behind this film. The prolific science fiction screenwriter and short story author Richard Matheson - one of my favorites - worked on the script with his author son, so there was obviously more behind this than all the other absolutely awful mainstream "comedies" of the '80s. I think I know what they were getting at - they had a bunch of really wild, unrelated ideas, and decided to put them all into one movie. What other movie can you think of with Neo-Nazis, a cop-buddy formula, Colombian drug dealer torture, Isreali agents, a long-lost porno film starring Adolf Hitler, S&M, and multiple-personality disorder all in one movie, and a comedy at that?! I give them credit for the balls they had in putting all that stuff together. Heck, they were probably making things up as they went along. A lot of it is actually quite funny. Also, believe it or not, director Bob Clark has a very good eye for detail. This is a movie all the critics were destined to love to hate, considering the pedigree of the cast, producer Aaron Spelling (The Love Boat, Charlie's Angels) and director Bob Clark ("A Christmas Story", "Porkies", and "Turk 182"). But if you approach this in the right mindset - as a trashy drive-in-type movie with a bigger budget that's both intentionally and unintentionally funny - you may enjoy it.

The only remarkable aspect of this threadbare, puerile movie is the talent level associated with it. Richard Matheson had a hand in the screenplay, and Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd both said yes to a film that, frankly, should never have been released in its presented form. Without knowing the history of the preproduction, the assumption would be that there had to be a major change to the script between initial conception and the final product. Otherwise, it is hard to see Hackman or Aykroyd accepting on the basic premise of making cheap laughs out of a psychiatric illness – bearing in mind this was long before the days of "Me, Myself and Irene." The darker elements of the plot certainly call for a much more serious approach, which could have worked with a better actor. In reality, it's hard to chuckle as Aykroyd goons about as Butch Cassidy, various Star Trek characters, and Road Runner, to name but a few.

These personalities manifest under severe duress, and such a plot device would be more believable if the character was a civilian caught up in the cops & robbers chase. Instead – incredibly - not only is Aykroyd a cop, he was never cut out for the rigors of police work and was given the job as a favor from his uncle, a senior police detective. Really, which career cops do that kind of thing? Worse still, Aykroyd is brought out of convalescence by the same uncle, who is apparently so desperate to crack a case that he will endanger the welfare of a family member with a very serious psychiatric illness, and risk the loss of his job for gross misconduct. Suspending disbelief even in the name of broad comedy can only go so far.

The movie sets the tone right at the beginning with a crass scene that introduces Hackman as a detective on a disturbance-of-the-peace call to an apartment building. Why a couple of detectives are sent out on a routine call is never adequately explained. Aykroyd's gooning is often plainly embarrassing – leaping around in the street during a car chase, doing a flying monkey/Wicked Witch skit from "The Wizard of Oz" comes painfully to mind. The bad guys might as well be made from cardboard, which would explain how such ruthless villains can just stand there holding their guns as Aykroyd-as-Road-Runner steamrolls over them. Beep-beep! It's all extremely low-grade stuff, and deserves to be avoided, even by fans of the main actors, especially as Hackman is only here to make up the numbers. There is an attempt at empathy for Aykroyd's character with some serious talk about his condition, but Aykroyd simply isn't a gifted-enough actor to pull this off. Dom DeLuise is along for the ride and he does what little is asked of him. In fact, his character is very easy for the audience to identify with, as he rolls his eyes and groans at Aykroyd's antics throughout the movie.

I remember saying to someone recently, "It seems Gene Hackman never makes a bad movie." I looked at my Guide tonight and saw that this would be on, and I was like, cool, I wonder if this is the movie where Aykroyd does all those voices! then it came on and I was like, YEAH, this is it! Because I remember, like, 8 years ago I thought it was real funny.

Halfway through the movie tonight though, and I was like, I actually liked this movie? someone please shut Aykroyd the hell up! Hackman has done a bad movie or two I guess.

I gave this movie, like, a 2

1988, the year Loose Cannons was made, is held by many to be that decade's best year for comedies. To name a few: The Naked Gun, A Fish Called Wanda, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Big, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beetlejuice. It's no wonder Loose Cannons wasn't released until 1990 just because of the competition - though in any year, it's hard to envision it having a chance at success.

Perhaps part of the problem was the screenwriting by the Mathesons. Both capable of great writing, but really not known for comedy. Then there's the matter of Ackroyd's character. A genius detective with a crippling fear of violence and multiple personality disorder isn't necessarily a terrible idea (though an idea with a high risk for being terrible). However, when the "personalities" are expressed just as very brief mimicry of TV and movie characters, it makes him seem more like an impressionist most of the time than someone with a psychiatric disorder. At one point, Ackroyd's character runs through many voices in no time at all (including multiple SNL characters like the "Mr. Bill" narrator, and the Church Lady), serving no purpose whatsoever.

I found the movie at a dollar store included on a double feature DVD, so it only cost me about fifty cents. I feel sorry for those who paid full matinee price back in 1990! People would be better off spending their time on rewatching better films by the leads.

It was a torture to stay until the end, but I did it so that I could be objective. This film is unbelievably idiot, pointless, cliche and un-funny. Two great actors, Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd spoil in 2 hours what they had built in all their career. There is nothing in this movie worth mentioning, except the fact that it is so awful. The worst parts are by far where this bomb tries to be funny. A total failure. Reaching the so bad it's good category, but it doesn't make it, so I guess not even the MST3K guys would like this one.

Sigh....

Well, I had forgotten I had already seen this movie once, but I had forgotten how terrible it was.

The bad: this movie (labeled as a "comedy") simply is NOT funny whatsoever. And I mean I did not laugh once. Nor did I smile. Nor was there the tinniest smirk on my face.

Why did this movie fail so terribly. Well, it isnt a slapstick movie and it isnt an action movie either. So it is trying to mix two movie genres and ending up being neither.

Not any good then? The camera work is allright. It doesnt look like it was a movie that was rushed or was battered with financial difficulties. They really tried to make a decent comedy, but they failed. Full stop.

I'm 15. I first remember seeing this film along time ago when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Now after renting from the video store I had a chance to view it again.

Gene Hackman plays Mac, a cop who is reluctantly partnered with Ellis (Dan Aykroyd) to solve a series of grisly murders. Ellis also happens to have Multiple Personality Disorder and when faced with violence he begins to go into these alternate personalities, mostly characters from popular television shows. Back to the story, the killer behind the murders is a German named Von Metz (Robert Prosky) who has employed a group of bloodthirsty hitmen to kill anyone who has viewed a snuff film that contains the death of Hitler at the hands of Von Metz. Now Von Metz, if he can get the film off the black market, will almost certainly be elected as chancellor of West Germany.

Now a lot of people have dissed this movie for numerous reasons; I only agree with a few of them. Yes, I think Dan Aykroyd's character could have been pulled off by somebody better, like Robin Williams. This movie isn't really all that violent, yes people get shot a lot, but that is about it, even though many people say it is. Also many people say this movie isn't really that funny, I found myself laughing quite a few times.

I give it a 6/10

It's a shame that "Loose Cannons" doesn't really work. There is a good movie in there somewhere. The cast is good, especially Gene Hackman. The movie also looks good with very nice location photography. It's just the overall package doesn't come together very well. It needed a better script and probably a different director. That said, I did enjoy "Loose Cannons" tonight more than I usually do. Honorable mention: a forever dreamy Nancy Travis.

I usually find Dan Aykroyd to be good in comedies, and I'm rarely disappointed by Gene Hackman, whatever the movie. So, when I hear about them in a movie together, I naturally want to check it out. Even if it's rated low here on IMDb. Well, this is one of the times where I wish I hadn't been so curious... or at least that I took the advice of one of the many reviewers on this site, and didn't watch it. Fortunately, I had been prepared that it wasn't going to be particularly good, so I didn't pay that much attention to it. Whenever I did look at the screen or even listen to the audio, I felt sorry. Sorry for Aykroyd, sorry for Hackman, sorry for anyone else who has even a tiny bit of talent and yet worked on this movie(one person I'm not feeling sorry for is director Bob Clark, who doesn't seem to have crapped out one single half-decent semi-quality film in his entire career, despite how lengthy it is). The plot is ridiculous. The pacing is poor. The acting isn't even slightly impressive. The characters are clichés and stereotypes. The humor is all crude innuendos and people swearing. How is that funny? Oh, and of course there's Aykroyd's characters multiple personality disorder. Ah yes. Lets laugh at a terrible mental disorder. And what's with how serious the film tries to be, at times? It might have been slightly entertaining, if it didn't take itself so seriously. All in all, just a terrible failure on every conceivable level. I recommend this only to hardcore fans of Hackman and Aykroyd. Everyone else should do themselves a huge favor and skip this. There are plenty of other films with the two actors, and most of them are far better. 1/10

Both my son Jack and I very much enjoy this film. The critics have given this film a bad review but we don't care. Gene Hackman's presence as always lifts the film and Dan Aykroyd makes a good foil; a sort of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Not over violent with some good jokes. Ronny Cox, always watchable. Paul Koslo makes a good heavy. Come on critics, lighten up!!

Loose Cannons is a horrible combination of detective thriller and black comedy. Hackman and Aykroyd are wasted (and probably eternally incompatible) talents in a movie that should never have been made. A detective doing cartoon character impersonations join Mossad agents in a chase after a Nazi porn film showing Hitler committing suicide. The plot has all the makings of an Austin Powers spoof - a possibility that is sadly never explored in a film taking itself much, much too seriously.

Abrasive D.C. Vice Detective, MacArthur "Mac" Stern (Gene Hackman) is disliked by pretty much every detective in his department. Mac is paired up with quiet introverted oddball Ellis Fielding (Dan Akyroyd) who he soon discovers has psychological scarring that makes him adopt multiple personalities when under pressure or strain, but through a series of contrivances still works with him. The two investigate murders related to the sale of a pornographic film allegedly featuring Adolf Hitler, but as the investigation proceeds the two discover the film may have darker implications.

Released in 1990 to bad reviews and box office failure, Loose Cannons was another entry in a glut of 80s bubby cop action comedies that flooded cineplexes during the decade. The movie not only has a workman like approach to its well worn formula, but it's also a tonally confused mess that doesn't deliver on laughs or action.

The humor in this movie is just bizarre to put it generously. Much of the humor is based around broad gags that are more confusing and head scratching than funny. Beginning with the opening scene where person of interest Harry "The Hippo" Gutterman (Dom Deluise) is in speedboat with three other people dressed like characters from Alice in Wonderland (for reasons too stupid to explain) the movie fills itself with other confusing gags of a similar ilk that have no context, setup, or payoff and just leave the viewer wondering "why?". Early in the movie Mac is seen having pride in his restored Woodie wagon, which within a few scenes is seen filled with his pet cat, and various possessions because his apartment caught fire(which we never see). Ellis's Multiple Personality Disorder is less a case of Ellis adopting personalities and more just regurgitating the previous 50 years of American pop culture as he at various points believes himself to be TV characters, movie characters, and even cartoon character like Popeye, Tweety Bird and Woody Woodpecker. Akyroyd is a very funny comedian and he's done well in this type of movie before (Spies Like Us, Dragnet) but here Akyroyd feels confused and like he's not given proper direction except to do random impressions. Hackman isn't as bad as Akyroyd in the movie (by virtue of not having to do much "comedy") but Hackman's Mac basically smugs and smirks his way through the movie with very little investment or chemistry with Akyroyd.

The movie's screenplay is just a mess. The credited writers are Bob Clark as well as Richard Matheson and Matheson's son Richard Christian Matheson and their credits are perplexing as Matheson himself is known for horror and sci-fi stories while his son is most prominent as a writer and story editor on The A-Team. Their presence here makes me wonder if the movie was not originally inteded to be a comedy, especially since there's some rather dark villains with neo nazi Grimmer whose sinister presence doesn't mesh with the mugging antics that Akyroyd is shoehorned into. Even the whole thing about an Adolf Hitler sex tape is just a bunch of nonsense as the ultimate reveal of the film is a character helping Hitler commit suicide. The movie never finds the right footing for itself and feels like a standard buddy cop action thriller with out of place lowbrow humor crudely stapled onto it.

Loose Cannons is a bad movie. The action sequences are workman like and unexciting, the characters are virtually non existent and lacking in chemistry, the humor that's present is either confusing or juvenile, and it has a fundamental miscalculation in handling its tone. Akyroyd has two other movies like this, Dragnet and Spies Like Us, so stick with those and pretend this doesn't exist.

I recently revisited Loose Cannons (1990) on Tubi. The plot centers around a police officer with interpersonal struggles who is assigned a new partner. The new partner, brilliant but high-maintenance with a split personality, adds complexity to their first case. Can they collaborate effectively to solve their assignment?

Directed by Bob Clark (A Christmas Story), the film features Gene Hackman (French Connection), Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Dom DeLuise (The Cannonball Run), Ronny Cox (RoboCop), David Alan Grier (In Living Color), and Robert Prosky (Mrs. Doubtfire).

The movie leans more towards fun than being outright funny or exceptional. Hackman and Aykroyd deliver stellar performances, complementing each other perfectly. Aykroyd's classic SNL-style comedy is enjoyable, but it's a genre where Jim Carrey excels, making one ponder how it might have fared with him in the lead. The humor is entertaining, with random and unpredictable lines and actions, keeping the viewer guessing. While some scenes may be overdone, they still keep you smiling.

In summary, Loose Cannons is a fun addition to the comedic genre, worth a watch, but it doesn't quite reach classic status. I'd give it a 5.5-6/10 and recommend viewing it at least once.

I had the opportunity to appear in a few "background" scenes during the filming in DC. As an active duty police detective at that time, I was somewhat critical of how Hackman and company were portrayed. A modern version of the Keystone Cops is not what I had expected. Spending my weekend off with the production/film crew was albeit a worthwhile experience. You are afforded first hand "up close and personal" contact with the actors and the effort it takes to put the entire project together. I watched as Dom Deluise entertained some tourists/passersby when his scene was over and had an occasion to chat with Ronny Cox. Sadly,this was not really a good movie. The actors worked well with what they had, but they had little to work with. Fortunately most of them have moved on to far better scripts to enhance their careers.

Its pretty clear that this is yet another buddy cop/odd couple movie, but that this one has definitely been inspired by the Lethal Weapon franchise. With Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd starring and Dom DeLuise as the comic relief, you would think you were onto a winner?

So how come nobody remembers this movie? Its probably because its done badly through word of mouth or that its simply not a very memorable script, it has Nazis, Mossad and S&M clubs. All a bit much for what appears to be a PG rated movie. Well it certainly feels like a PG movie aimed at kids but its actually R rated?

The reason I say this is like a kids movie and its like Lethal Weapon is that Gene plays the straight guy cop and Dan, well plays the crazy sidekick (Lethal Weapon?) who has Multiple Personalities Disorder. Which is played for laughs. While MPD is supposed to suggest a person has a bunch of different personalities, in this movie the MP's are actually kid cartoon characters. So you see why this is like a kids movie? Its also one of the reasons its aged badly, not a term I like but its treatment of mental health for laughs does make it an odd watch in 2024. Not that MPD has much evidence it exists, but still. It is entertaining enough but hardly engrossing or different, its a pretty by the numbers movie which may be worth seeking out just for the novelty of this odd pairing of actors in a cop buddy role.

Director Bob Clark (PORKY'S) is not just known for his handfuls of weird horror movies in the 70s, but for comedies that are offending and tasteless. You'd believe that Dan Aykroyd would pair himself well with Gene Hackman in helping LOOSE CANNONS out as a farce of espionage and spy thrillers. As a first-rate comedy star, why not? His imitations of movie references and cliches are very annoying to make this generally unfunny along with the sexist dialogue that is rendered useless. It's confusing and sloppy for a movie like this to carry multiple personalities of its own compared to, again, Aykroyd. At one point it is slapstick and stupid, only to be followed by some intense (surprisingly graphic) violence and sheer boredom. The cycle repeats itself again to make this very uneven in the comfort of it all. Dom DeLuise wasn't a big delight like he has always been; he also gets into the act by speaking of porno movies and other offensive things. This movie tries its darndest to make it succeed, but it ends up firing loose blanks long before it's all over.

Terrible film that puts old detective (Gene Hackman) with a crazed detective (Dan Aykroyd) to solve a complicated case. The odd partnership is made stranger due to the fact that Aykroyd has a type of split-personality disorder which causes him to imitate television show characters at seemingly all times. A really poor movie that wastes the immense talents of Hackman. A really rotten goose egg. 2 stars out of 5.