Belushi plays bad-tempered San Diego police detective Michael Dooley, who has been tagged for execution by a major international drug dealer named Ken Lyman (played by Kevin Tighe). To help, K-9 Sergeant Brannigan (played by Ed O'Neill) gives Dooley an unorthodox drug-sniffing police dog called "Jerry Lee" (named after rock-and-roll singer Jerry Lee Lewis).[3] The duo attempt to put Lyman behind bars but Dooley quickly learns Jerry Lee is a mischievous smart aleck who works only when and how he wants to. Many of the film's gags revolve around Jerry Lee's playfully destructive episodes.
The film was followed by a K-9 film series, including two direct-to-video sequels, K-911 (1999) and K-9: P.I. (2002); as well as a television spin-off film titled K-9000, that was intended to be the pilot episode to a TV series that was not ordered.
Plot
San Diego Police Detective Michael Dooley leaves his unmarked police car during a nightly stakeout to contact his girlfriend, Tracy, when a helicopter suddenly attacks and destroys the car. At the police station, Dooley confides with his lieutenant, Byers, the attack was likely ordered by Ken Lyman, the drug lord Dooley has been after for two years, but Dooley still insists in working alone, in spite of Byers’ attempts to get him a partner.
Following a tip regarding an informant, Freddie, he spends the night in his personal car. The next morning, Dooley coerces Freddie into revealing that Lyman did order the attack and giving a tip about a warehouse where Lyman’s drugs are, but its large size makes it impossible to find it. After helping out in a tricky drugs bust, Dooley asks his colleague Brannigan to loan him a K-9 to track down the drugs. Brannigan gets Dooley a grouchy veteran German Shepherd named Jerry Lee, capable of tracking down any drugs in a minute.
Dooley and Jerry Lee head to the warehouse where the search is unsuccessful - Jerry Lee initially ignores Dooley's orders, prompting mockery out of the workers, and only a marijuana joint is found when commanded. However, at a pub where Dooley stakes out an intermediary, Benny the Mule, Jerry Lee saves Dooley when his cover is blown. With the dog's help, Dooley subdues Benny and learns the location of Lyman's next shipment, estimated in 50 million dollars. Meanwhile, Lyman kills Freddie and demands his henchman Dillon kill Dooley before the shipment arrives.
At Dooley's apartment, Jerry Lee steals the spotlight after Tracy accepts Dooley's story that he rescued the dog from the streets. The next day, Dooley and Jerry Lee bond when they eat together and spy on Lyman. The two are nearly killed when someone shoots at them, and the two chase the assailant to an empty building. Jerry Lee leads Dooley to the man, who falls to his death after a fistfight with Dooley. In the man's car, Dooley finds a clue that leads him to an auto-dealer shop. There, Jerry Lee identifies a red Mercedes with drugs in it, and Dooley learns that Halstead, the owner of the dealership, works for Lyman. Later, Jerry Lee falls in love with a poodle to the disapproval of its owner.
When Dooley returns home, he discovers Lyman has kidnapped Tracy. Infuriated, Dooley crashes a party at Lyman's mansion prompting him to be arrested his own department, but Dooley informs Byers this was intentional to fool Lyman into rushing the shipment. Byers, however, refuses to play along and takes Dooley in. Using Jerry Lee's flatulence to an advantage, Dooley escapes with the dog. As Dooley tells Jerry Lee how he met Tracy, he spots a truck driven by Halstead that is pulling a trailer with the red Mercedes. Dooley and Jerry Lee chase the truck and arrest Halstead.
Dooley takes the truck to a stranded desert where Lyman, with Tracy hostage in his limo, is waiting. Using his videogame as a fake detonator, Dooley goads Lyman to surrender Tracy or risk the truck exploding and earning the ire of the main buyer, Gilliam. The game blows Dooley’s cover, however, and a shootout ensues where Dooley kills Dillon as Jerry Lee chases Lyman, running for Gilliam’s helicopter. Unable to outrun the dog, Lyman shoots Jerry Lee. Enraged, Dooley shoots at Lyman but Lyman is instead shot and killed by Gilliam’s henchmen. Dooley and Tracy rush Jerry Lee to a hospital, where the reluctant surgeon operates. In the recovery room, Dooley delivers a eulogy to Jerry Lee, unaware he is alive. When the surgeon tells him he is going to be fine, Dooley responds in anger, thinking he was speaking to a dead dog. Jerry Lee licks Dooley's face out of love, making him give in.
Taking a break from police work, Dooley, Tracy, Jerry Lee, and a poodle spend a vacation together in Las Vegas.
The role of "Jerry Lee", though credited in the movie credits as being played by Jerry Lee, was actually played by more than one dog, including backups and stand-ins.[4][5]
Production
Filming
K-9 was filmed in and around the San Diego and San Fernando Valley areas of California from August to October 1988. Locations included the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, and the Golden Hill Cafe in the Golden Hill neighborhood.[6][7]
Written by Barbara Ann Hawkins (as Hawkins), Joe Jones (as Jones), Rosa Lee Hawkins (as Hawkins), Marilyn Jones (as Johnson), Sharon Jones (as Jones) and Jessie Thomas (as Thomas) of The Dixie Cups / Performed by Amy Holland
K-9 was released to home video in early 1990, followed by a DVD release 16 years later, on October 24, 2006. It was re-released along with its sequels in a collection as "K-9: The Patrol Pack" on January 17, 2010.
It was initially released on Blu-ray disc in the U.K. in 2017 by Fabulous Films and then in the United States on May 15, 2018.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates both contemporary and modern reviews, the film has an approval rating of 30% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 4.3/10.[8] On Metacritic it has a score of 44% based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[9] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A− on scale of A to F.[10]
Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised the actors but not the routine plot. Thomas wrote, "It's enjoyable, thanks not only to its charismatic duo, but also to the skilled comedy direction of Rod Daniel."[3]Stephen Holden of The New York Times stated it has "no shred of credibility", yet contains "cutesy, surefire dog tricks" and a "breezy pacing".[11]Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film "2 stars".[12] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post complimented Jerry Lee's performance.[13]
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