Police Academy (1984)

Police Academy (1984)

Directed by Hugh Wilson

Starring Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, and G.W. Bailey

What and Institution!








Police Academy is a franchise I remember watching a lot growing up.  The first four are the ones I remember mostly, and I think that is due to my grandpa having them recorded (probably off of HBO).  I finally got around to picking up the series on DVD (thanks to WB releasing two 4-movie sets), and I decided to revisit the franchise to see how it holds up.

I will say that I was not disappointed in Police Academy, as it has held up and I laughed a lot.  A lot of that has to do with the great ensemble cast that it has.  I won't even begin to list each character, but each one is unique and has their own voice (even if it is meek, like Hooks), and that is part of the charm of the series.

The basic plot is simple: a new mayor has removed the criteria of joining the police academy, so everyone and anyone can join now.  We watch as the worst of the new recruits are put with Lt. Harris (Bailey) and Sgt. Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook) for their 14 weeks at the Academy.  Mahoney (Guttenberg) is our protagonist, at the academy as an alternative for jail time.  He can get thrown out, but can't quit.

Like a said, a broad cast of characters make up our group of misfits, each with their own unique characterization.  Jones is a human sound effects machine, Hooks has a meek voice, Tackleberry (a personal favorite) is gun-ho at a moments notice, and Commandant Lassard is a dim-witted commander.  At least in the first film, no one really outshines the rest, and they all work very well together.

It has probably been 15+ years, if not longer, since I had seen a film of the franchise.  But when I popped in the DVD and heard the theme playing, a rush came over me and a smile came to my face.  For that alone, I was happy.  I laughed a lot in my revisitation of the movie, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.  I don't expect the caliber of the first one, but with the memories I have, I do expect to at least find them enjoyable.  This is easily a title I can throw on as background noise, or if I need a mood lightened up.