Raunchy R-Rated 90s Crime Comedy Is Far Better Than Its Reputation Suggests

By Robert Scucci
| Updated 31 seconds ago

I’m thoroughly convinced that film critics in the ’90s simply didn’t know how to have fun, because why else would National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (there is no sequel) only have a 21 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes? I know I’m extremely immature for my age and entertainment choices, but Loaded Weapon 1 is such a fun movie because it so reliably and effortlessly parodies every single buddy cop movie of its time. Throw in an incredibly talented cast willing to play everything straight while navigating the most ridiculous conspiracy involving smuggling copious amounts of drugs through a Wilderness Girl troop, and you’re going to have a great time.

If you watch a lot of these movies that fall into the Naked Gun, Fatal Instinct, and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka wheelhouse, you’ll notice they all have one thing in common: they only care about shtick. That’s all to say you definitely have to be in a silly, non-critical mood to enjoy movies like Loaded Weapon 1. If you’re looking for something thought-provoking and mind-bending, you won’t find it here. If you are, however, looking for as many jokes per minute as humanly possible in the form of puns, sight gags, miscommunications, and sometimes all of the above happening at the same time, then there’s still hope for you.

A Grand Wilderness Girl Conspiracy

In Loaded Weapon 1, every obvious murder is ruled a suicide until more evidence falls into place. This is what happens to Billie York (Whoopi Goldberg), a woman who was shot several times by Mr. Jigsaw (Tim Curry dressed as a Wilderness Girl), who’s searching for a microfilm containing a recipe that can turn cocaine into cookies. Mr. Jigsaw works with the evil General Curtis Mortars (William Shatner wearing a fake mustache) and Mike McCracken (Denis Leary), who have the Wilderness Girls, run by Miss Destiny Demeanor (portrayed by Kathy Ireland and Allyce Beasley, depending on the scene), unknowingly trafficking drugs under their watch.

This setup brings Sgt. Wes Luger (Samuel L. Jackson), a by-the-books officer on the verge of retirement who used to be partners with Billie York, together with the trigger-happy Sgt. Jack Colt (Emilio Estevez), who lives in what appears to be a trailer on the beach even though the interior shots of his home are clearly from the inside of a mansion. Going through the usual buddy cop getting-to-know-each-other sequences as they become acclimated to each other’s policing styles, Wes and Jack find themselves caught in the middle of a grand conspiracy involving a hapless and seemingly invincible informant, Rick Becker (Jon Lovitz), a drug trafficking ring masquerading as a Grand Wilderness Girl Troop, and Jack’s lost dog, Claire.

While Wes is hellbent on avenging his partner by following strict police protocol, Jack prefers to play things fast and loose, more often than not shooting first and asking questions later. A budding romance takes the forefront as well when Jack becomes quite smitten with Miss Destiny Demeanor, who’s portrayed by Allyce Beasley when her hair’s up and she’s dressed modestly, and Kathy Ireland when her hair’s down and she’s dressed like a total bombshell.

Do You Like Buddy Cop Movies? Good!

The one glaring issue I can think of with Loaded Weapon 1 is that it does one thing other buddy crime flicks don’t necessarily lean into: it’s making fun of a genre that’s already meant to be kind of funny, so the jokes had better be good. The Die Hard (speaking of which, Bruce Willis makes a brief, uncredited appearance as John McClane) and Lethal Weapon films are already comedy adjacent, with most of their laughs coming from charismatic leads chewing the scenery in an action thriller context. The Rush Hour franchise, which kicked off a few years later, leaned fully into comedy, with audiences expecting exactly what they got.

Loaded Weapon 1 falls into the unique trap of trying to make light of a genre that already knows how to make light of itself. The only way to stay one step ahead is to crank everything to absurd levels. Of course the explosions are over the top, and the fight sequences are choreographed with getting a good laugh in mind. Chalk outlines don’t always line up with body placement, Jack drinks a tall glass filled to the brim with hard liquor with just a splash of chocolate syrup to take the edge off, and Wes’ tragic story about that one fateful day working as a crossing guard absolutely lands. 

As an added bonus, William Shatner, who’s having far too much fun as a literal mustache-twirling villain, turns every interaction into unhinged crime lord comedy gold. At one point, he jams his entire face into a fish tank, resurfaces with a menacing look in his eyes, and has a fish flapping between his lips.

My assessment is that Loaded Weapon 1 works on all fronts. It knows it has the impossible task of making light of a genre that’s already well known for its levity, so it goes disproportionately hard with the shtick as if to remind us that we’re not supposed to be taking any of this seriously. And you’re not supposed to take everything seriously all the time, or you’ll end up missing out on everything cool and dying angry.

As of this writing, you can stream National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 for free on Tubi. If you need a good laugh, or a reminder that not all crime movies need deeper meaning or layers upon layers of subtext, this should be your next watch.

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S LOADED WEAPON 1 SCORE