Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

Police Academy were an almost constant feature growing up - the number of sequels watched, and in what order, was something of a badge pride in those days! For my part, my scorecard was completely out of synch - Parts 2 and 6 on VHS, the original on terrestrial, etc. Anyway, I have a bit of affection for Part 4 (for all its shortcomings) as the only chapter I ever saw in a cinema, one summer holiday in 1987, St Andrews, Fife. The story is daft, the acting variable (GW Bailey makes a welcome return, while George Gaynes aces it as usual), the jokes are hit and miss, and the series has quite clearly ran the course....but I'll always associate this one with warm summer evenings and pristine white sands. To be enjoyed as a bit of nonsensical and undemanding fun.

Ok, I the first three Police Academy movies were all quite good. I had a vague memory that part 4 is still somehwat good. But when watching it again, I was surprised that most that happens in the movie had been forgotten completely. I mean, the previous films felt very familiar with all the legendary jokes that seem unforgettable. This movie had also some good jokes but...I think it is more forgettable. It starts promising, introducing new interesting characters. But towards the end the plot (if there was much of it in the first place) disappears and the movie becomes quite random.

Pros: Harris from the first film is back. He's a great opposing force, better than Mauser from parts 2-3. This is also the first time Harris and Proctor work together. Harris shouting "Proctor!" is classic. Also nice to see more of Zed. The best new character is Mrs. Feldman, the old lady who has Tackleberry's attitude.

Overall it's not a very solid movie but it does have some good comedy moments. Recommended only for fans of the earlier films.

So what's happened so far? A gaggle of society's goofiest citizens have taken advantage of a new policy to loosen hiring standards at the police force and actually made it through despite efforts from all directions to get them thrown out. They embark on their first assignment, which is to turn around Commandant Lassard's beloved precinct 16, which has been dubbed the worst precinct in the city and given 30 days to turn around or suffer some major employee turnover, a fate which is relentlessly helped along by the eternally butt- kissing Captain Mauser. They display a spectacular feat of water-borne police work, saving the academy and then return in the next movie to beat the city's other police academy when it turns out that the governor decides it's not worth the money to keep them both open.

Oh, and of course you all realize who is in this thing, right? None less than Sharon Stone, David Spade in his first film, and Tony Hawk in an early stunt-skateboarding role! You gotta see this!

This time, Commandant Lassard has come up with a scheme he calls Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P. Get it? Get it?), in which he elaborates slightly on the plot of the original movie. You see, the police force has been stretched a little too thin and the public has developed a negative opinion of them due to the fact that they can't be everywhere at all times to stop every single crime in the city. So the natural solution, of course, is to train the public as deputy police officers and basically have briefly trained undercover cops all over the city.

In fact, so close is the resemblance to the first movie that we are even treated to a couple characters who are forced to join the police academy or face jail time – an idea suggested, of course, by Mahoney himself.

This is the best part of the movie, by the way. There is a hilarious gang of skateboarding punks who are disturbing the peace left and right, headed by none other than David Spade, who is a hardened urban predator if I've ever seen one. Thug life, baby!!

Sharon Stone also has a relatively small role in the film, although probably one of the ons that she would like to forget about, and Lieutenant Harris is back after being gone for the last two movies. All of the other relevant cast members return, with the addition of a new group of misfits, like the token fat black guy, David Spade and his idiot skateboarder friend, and Tackleberry's FATHER-in-law. Remember that guy? Who is always gleefully punching out his son? I can't wait until the grandparents start joining!

But don't worry, until then we have Mrs. Feldman to hold us over. Here's this sweet old lady living in a nursing home/military barracks and who has more of a love of all things camouflaged than Tackleberry himself. In fact, I was waiting the whole movie for her to tell her that she's his long lost mother, but no such luck. Something went wrong with the screen writing in there somewhere, but ultimately she turns out to be one of the most consistently funny characters in the movie. She's played with a good-natured smile by Billie Bird, who clearly enjoyed herself while making the movie. You can always tell when the actors are having a good time, and it always makes the movie better, which is good because this movie needs a lot of help!

Of course, it's not much different than the last three movies as far as being worth watching. Bud and his father are still trading punches and it's still more groan-inducing than laugh- inducing, people are still accidentally wandering into the Blue Oyster Club, which hasn't been funny for three movies by now (Proctor inadvertently wandering in naked was the high point of this gag, but also the point where it becomes the most clear that the joke has lost its steam), and Jones is still doing that Bruce Lee impersonation which was funny in the first movie when I was a kid, but as an adult not so much… But, Callahan has a great wet t-shirt scene that makes the whole movie worthwhile!

Oh, and was Mahoney's mischievous grin ever amusing? That poor guy, man. His reputation has for some reason become so tarnished that he is seen by most of the public as even more of a washed up has-been than, umm, well no one else really comes to mind. Bill Paxton? Nah, he's cool, I think. I never needed to forgive him for Weird Science, but Guttenburg unfortunately has a whole string of bad sequels to make up for, and Cocoon and Short Circuit are just not gonna cut it! At any rate, super-gluing the loudspeaker to Harris' face was funny, but why they missed out on the opportunity to have Harris screaming through it at high volume at the doctors in the hospital I just can't understand. The screenwriters are not scoring many points in this one!

But still, this is one of the better Police Academies so far. This one and part 3 are the best ones in the series that I've seen so far, despite the hilarious 1980s badness (there's a boot- legging crime lord, for example, who operates his illegal warehouse standing around with a fistful of cash and a hula hoop around his shoulders), but there definitely are some fun gags. Harris macing his armpits is one is one of the more memorable gags in the whole series, along with Mauser getting his hands glued to his hair, and I have to admit that I enjoyed some of the scenes of the original recruits trying to recruit the public for the new C.O.P. program. It's not a good movie, but it's a good Police Academy movie!

The misfit Police Academy (1984) is now graduated and Commandant Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) comes up with a bold idea: to recruit eager civilians to lend a hand in crushing crime, in the COP program , creating a special but bumbling team to accomplish the most dangerous assignments . As our police officer friends (Steve Guttenberg : Mahoney, Bubba Smith : Hightower , Michael Winslow : Jones , David Graf : Tackleberry , Tim Kazurinsky : Sweetchuck, Leslie Easterbrook : Callahan, Marion Ramsey : Hooks , Lance Kinsey : Proctor, Bobcat Goldthwait : Zed ) are assigned to train a group of civilian volunteers to fight crime once again plaguing the streets. While Captain Thaddeus Harris (G. W. Bailey) , is bent on sabotaging the operation, having ulterior motives . So Captain Harris wants to take over Lassard's job, and the reason for Harris is determined to see the COP program fail. But it's Harris and his right hand man Proctor who mess up by unintentionally allowing every inmate at the precinct 19 jail to geataway . Take off with the original cast... and some new civilian recruits as they take to the streets and the skies to fight crime . On land, on sea, or in the air, no place is safe from them! Captain Harris is about to lose his trousers and his mind again! Assignment: new recruits . Objective: Laughs. Hold everything! The cadets are training for an all new adventure !

Amusing , funny and very cheerful film filled with action-packed , thrills , hilarious set-pieces, tongue-in-cheek and lots of humor .The premise is simple and plain , as a misfit , botcher squadron from the known police force are called to train another more and more bumbling team and subsequently to undertake hard and risked missions . In this entry a group of botcher citizens are assembled to carry out risked missions and to find some escaped prisoners . Director delivers a professional work but with no much interest , his knack of getting the most out of characters and situations without ever going over the top making for some very big laughs . This production pays tribute to previous films , taking parts here and there , and repeating former sketches. The jokes and frolics come as thick and fast , hit and miss as usual and it is done in good spirit if not always in good taste . Nice picture with accent on sight gags , and humour that stems from the diverting roles established in other movies . The sympathetic cast formed by the motley band of misfits gives fun interpretation creating confusion , laughs and mayhem. Appearing habitual actors in the popular series, such as Seve Guttenberg as Mahoney, Bubba Smith as Hightower , Michael Winslow , David Graf , Tim Kazurinsky and adding a newcomer : Sharon Stone. It contains an attractive and thrilling score by Robert Folk , series' regular , including the classic leitmotif . As well as atmospheric and appropriate cinematography by Robert Saad . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Jim Drake.

The series based on the chracters written by Neal Israel and Pat Proft are the following ones : Police Academy 1984 by Hugh Wilson . Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 1985 by Jerry Paris , James Signorelli . Police Academy 3: Back in Training 1987 by Jerry Paris . Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 1987 by Jim Drake . Police Academy : Assignment Miami Beach 1988 by Alan Myerson. Police Academy 6: City Under Siege 1989 by Peter Bornerz . Police Academy: Mission to Moscow 1994 by Alan Metter . And Police Academy the series 1997/1998 , 26 episodes by Neal Israel, Paul Maslansky, Pat Proft .

That is the Citizens on Patrol (Program) ... which sounds a bit like what they were doing in part 3 ... but calling it something else. So Part 1, 3 and now 4 has giving people (viewers) new students and their "adventures" in making it through the ranks ... well actually just throwing them some bones to have something to laugh throughout the movie.

Talking about this: the joke from movie number one with the podium .. it still gets ... referenced (milked) ... and why not? It is the most memorable of the jokes of the whole series. I feel a bit bad for the Proctor character ... he is the butt of many of the jokes and has to walk quite the fine line. Him and his boss ... well they do not have the easiest job, but they make it look easy. There is a feeling of decline ... and of course there is - because overall what new jokes are there to tell? You even get the family back that likes to hit each other (I suppose that is meant to be funny ... maybe it is for some I reckon) ... Anyway, let's not fret and while this has overstayed its welcome at least there are so many of the original cast leftover that you may not mind ... also you have appearances from Sharon Stone (clothed - a lot!) and David Spade as skater ... which is quite insane in and of itself ... but also a short cameo by none other than Tony Hawk himself. It kinda feels like the first appearance from either of those ... or at least one of the first ones they did, I might be wrong ... do we care? It's just fun to see them I guess.