Police Academy 6: City Under Seige

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

The police must investigate a series of robberies along a strip of land in the city. The Mayor (Kenneth Mars) assigns Captain Harris (G.W. Bailey) and Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey) to the case, but while on stakeout the Wilson gang manages to slip through their fingers. The Mayor wants Harris and Proctor to work with Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) on apprehending the gang. Lassard assembles a seven-man team consisting of Hightower (Bubba Smith), Tackleberry (David Graf), Jones (Michael Winslow), Hooks (Marion Ramsey), Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook), Fackler (Bruce Mahler), and Lassard’s nephew, Nick (Matt McCoy). After distributing flyers as to the information of the Wilson gang and getting nowhere, Nick stumbles upon a paper heading of an antique diamond heading to a museum, and gets an idea to use it as bait: however the robbers nab the diamond anyway by cutting a hole in the truck and escaping through the sewer system. McCoy then decides to go undercover to get information regarding a possible hideout, but Harris decides to go undercover to get a confession. It turns out that Harris goes undercover as a window washer at a tall building, for which he has a fear of height, and gets a confession of himself on tape after Proctor accidentally knocks him over the balcony. The robberies are committed by a group of three dimwitted criminals who do not seem to be able to do this on their own, and it is revealed they are being guided by a literally shadow figure known as the “Mastermind”, who speaks to the three behind a wall of glass and uses a voice distortion device. He devises a plan to get the cops out of the way. Commandant Lassard and his men are later suspended after drugs are planted in Lassard’s locker, pending an investigation. The gang decides to clear his name by nabbing the gang and the ringleader. Accessing data files from a computer, Nick deduces that the robberies are occurring along a bus route, thus intentionally lower property values in that part of the city. They also learn that someone must be ‘leaking’ information to the bad guys, which is why they are always one step ahead of the Police Academy. The Police Academy force finds and does battle with the Wilson gang, while Nick chases the leader. A pursuit follows, which leads to Commissioner Hearst’s (George Robertson) office. It is revealed that the Mayor is the “Mastermind” and that Captain Harris has been unwittingly leaking information during his daily meetings with the Mayor. Hearst apologizes and reinstates the force, and a plaque is given to honor the officers’ bravery the next day. As the movie closes, Harris is sitting in a chair when a string tying the balloon float is cut, lifting his chair and floating him up into the air as he shouts Proctor’s name.

REVIEW:

Well, here we are on the 6th entry into the Police Academy franchise. I wish I could say that they’ve gotten progressively better, but that just isn’t the case. If anything, they’ve gotten worse.

I’m not going to even waste time on writing a lengthy review of this one, because, for the most part the plot is the same. The only difference is that there is no academy to be seen in this film, and the primary villain is an evil mastermind who isn’t seen (if you were a fan of Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s, you may recognize his voice).

Everything else is the same. The film opens with Harris and Proctor doing something make Lassard look bad, but it backfires. We meet the criminals. Then we find out what the major plot point of the film is. Then we get some hijinks from the officers, mostly directed towards Harris. Of course, we have to have a scene with Tacklberry and his triggerhappiness, Jones and his sounds, Hightower being intimidating, Hooks being the shy little violet she is, Fackler being the complete klutz he is, and of course one (2 in this one actually) where Callahan is making men faun all over her. Finally, we spend the last 30 minutes or so chasing after the villains, only to conclude with some sort of awards ceremony that is culminated with more hijinks directed at Harris.

So, as you see, the formula hasn’t changed. I’m not really one to mess with something if it works, but there comes a point when you need to change something.

This may actually be the strongest plot of the series, but that plus is negated by all the above mentioned repetition.

Needless to say, this is not may favorite entry into the franchise. Having said that, I think it was stronger than its predecessor. There just is too much recycled material. You know what they say, “You can’t beat a dead horse”. Well, they’re definitely beating the hell out of this horse. I’m tempted to not even bother with the last entry in the franchise and just say stop after #3, because that’s about where they jumped the shark, but then my OCD would get the better of me. That’s neither here not there, just know that this is not a horrible film, but everything has been done before, and better, in previous entires. The villains are the high point, especially Mastermind, so if you musty see it, there’s the selling point.

2 out of 5 stars

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Captain Harris finally finds the goods he needs to push Commandant Eric Lassard out at the Police Academy: he is one year late for mandatory retirement. But before he retires, Lassard is chosen as “Police Officer of the Decade”, and brings his favorite graduates—Sgts. Hightower, Jones, Tackleberry and Hooks, Lt. Callahan, and new graduate Officer Thomas “House” Conklin—to the National Police Chiefs Convention in Miami Beach to celebrate with him. While there, they meet his nephew, Sgt. Nick Lassard of the Miami Police Department. The fun is complicated when he unwittingly takes a bag belonging to jewel thieves containing stolen merchandise.

As the jewel thieves try to get the bag back, and Captain Harris tries to prove to Commissioner Hurst that he’s the right man to replace Commandant Lassard, the usual hijinks ensue, including Lassard trying to guess the annual procedural demonstration. When the jewel thieves kidnap Commandant Lassard, he goes willingly, thinking it is indeed the procedural demonstration. It launches a negotiation, which Captain Harris botches, getting himself captured as well. A chase across the Everglades ensues to rescue the oblivious Commandant. At a ceremony at the end of the film, Commisioner Hurst announces that Commadant Lassard will be allowed to continue his duites as Commadant until he sees fit to retire himself, much to Harris’ chagrin.

REVIEW:

You know that old saying “jumping the shark”? Well, this would be that moment for the Police Academy franchise, as well as the true downturn for it, as well.

So, this is the fifth film in the series, and I swear they are getting more formulaic and worse.

This one involves Cmdt. Lassard being honored for his work at the Police Academy by receiving an award down in Miami. Of course, Cpt. Harris has his own scheme and brings the matter of Lassard’s age to the attention of the Commissioner.

Once arriving in Miami, Lassard manages to switch bags with some criminals who had just stolen some rare jewels from the museum and were going to sell them to a foreign party.

From here, you can pretty much guess the plot. Hijinks and pranks involving Harris and Proctor, touching moment somewhere in there, and of course, they all go after the crooks. Nothing has changed.

Well, I say that, bt Steve Guttenberg is nowhere to be seen thanks to his scheduling conflicts with Three Men and a Baby. It is debatable as to whether this hurt this picture or helped the other. I think it was a matter of both. I mean, think about it…Mahoney on Miami Beach? Can you just imagine the possibilities?!?

As far his “replacement”, Matt McCoy just doesn’t stack up. The guy appears to be trying, but comes off as wooden, especially in comparison.

The rest of the cast does pretty much the same thing they’ve been doing for 5 films now. The only exception is that Callahan, played by Leslie Easterbrook, has a little bit of an expanded role here. Of course, with that body and the setting of Miami, are you surprised?

The bumbling villains, led by Renee Aberjonois, are the perfect foils for these bumbling officers, but make you wonder what would happen if they came across an actual serious villain.

In the end, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach is walking that fine line of subpar-ness that many upper-numbered sequels tend to do. Some new blood is definitely needed for this franchise, otherwise they will all be like this one or worse. I only recommend this for two things: a) Callahan in Miami, as well as many other bikini clad beauties and b) if you’re watching the entire series, then you can’t very well skip over this one. Otherwise, there really is no point in wasting your time.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

After a random attack the night before by a local gang known as “The Scullions” and their infantile leader Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait) (he steals $8 from Mr. Sweetchuck), Chief Henry Hurst (George G. Robertson) arrives at the 16th precinct and notifies its captain, Pete Lassard (Howard Hesseman) that the precinct is the worst in the city. Nevertheless, Hurst gives him 30 days or else Lassard is out. Before he leaves, Mauser (Art Metrano) schemes his way into talking to Hurst. Hurst promises him the rank of captain should Lassard fail. Pete calls his brother Eric (George Gaynes) and asks him for six new recruits, as was promised by Hurst. Throughout the movie, Mauser is seen scheming with his dim-witted partner Sgt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey) as he attempts to take control of the precinct.

Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), Eugene Tackleberry (David Graf), Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey), and Douglas Fackler (Bruce Mahler) join the 16th precinct, and some are assigned a veteran officer partner since they are rookies: Fackler has Dooley (Ed Herihly), Mahoney has Vinnie Schtulman (Peter van Norden), and Tackleberry has Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland (Colleen Camp). At first, Tackleberry disapproves that his partner, Kirkland, carries stigmatized faults because of the fact she’s a woman, but they later hit it off when they compare their preference of gun choices. Tackleberry later confides to Mahoney that he may have fallen in love with her.

Mahoney and Schtulman spot a robbery at a merchant’s place (“Schewchuk’s Lighting” a chandelier store owned by Mr. Sweetchuck - Tim Kazurinsky), but the robbers escape through a back door before Mahoney and Schtulman even enter the shop. Eventually Fackler, Tackleberry and Kirkland arrived, each one contributing in his own characteristic way to the destruction of the store.

Mauser is ready to suspend them, but Mahoney makes a passionate plea that convinces Lassard to give them another chance. While all this is going on, Zed and his gang go shopping in a supermarket. They cause havoc as they go, leaving the store with wagon-loads without paying and Mr. Sweetchuck is already at hand in the supermarket to be further tormented this time by Zed & co.

Mauser gives Mahoney a new assignment; patrolling a tunnel, covering him and his partner with soot in the process. He gets revenge on Mauser by switching his shampoo with Tackleberry’s epoxy resin solution, which glues his hands to his hair. He ends up embarrassing himself in front of the station, and has to wear a wig through the remainder of the film. On his morning drive to the station the next day, Pete Lassard spots some of Zed’s men and tries to deal with them, but is eventually over-powered and spray-painted. After his rousing speech to finish what they started, the whole gang is riled up. Progress is made and most of the gang is captured (leading to 42 arrests), but Mauser informs the captain that most of the charges were dropped. Mahoney sees that Mauser did this deliberately on purpose, so as revenge has a full body cavity search done on him (the search was supposed to go to one of the arrested gangmembers).

Tackleberry goes on a date with Kirkland, where they stay out late dancing. They profess their love for each other and have sex (but removing their concealed weapons first before clothes). Pete goes to see his brother Eric at a Japanese steakhouse, and Eric comes out with an idea to hold a fair. At the night of the fair though, Zed’s men trash the place. Lassard is out of a job the next day, while Mauser is promoted Captain. His first act is to remove Mahoney and Schtulman, who is quick to object to Mahoney’s dismissal.

Mahoney, Schtulman, and Lassard get together in an last-ditch attempt to stop the gang. They send in Mahoney undercover to find the leader of the gang. (Everybody at this point does not know Zed’s name or that he is the gang leader.) Lassard and Schtulman wire him, using duct tape and a radio microphone. Under the guise of “Jughead,” he is able to infiltrate the gang and find out both their hiding spot and the name of their leader. His cover is blown however due to the radio microphone cutting into a baseball game, which leads to Lassard calling every man to the location. Mauser intervenes, but takes Fackler through the air duct. However, Fackler accidentally bumps him and pushes him inside. The police arrive and arrest every gangmember there. Zed escapes with Mahoney, but Lassard arrives and prepares to shoot Zed with a loaded pistol. Mahoney punches him down a flight of stairs, while Hooks arrests him. It is then revealed that Lassard’s gun wasn’t loaded, as he “never carried live ammo since ’73″.

The movie ends with the officers attending Tackleberry and Kirkland’s wedding. They drive off the Police Academy lot in a monster truck.

REVIEW:

I apologize for he brifness of his review.

Those lovable misfits from Police Academy have returned for a second go-round. This time, they are full-fledged members of the police force. As rookies, they have to be partnered up with veteran police officers.

After some scenes showing how the new officers react with their new partners, we get to the meat of the plot, which involves Sgt. Mauser and his scheme to become captain. Along the way to scheming his way to the top, Mauser is the butt of many practical jokes.

A climactic plot element is the confrontation between the police and the Scjullions, a gang that existed sheerly to bring a criminal element to the film.

I won’t pretend to say that this is as good as its predecessor, but itis worth a viewing, so check out if you get the chance. You won’t be disappointed.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars