Rating: Summary: Admit it, YOU LOVED IT! Review: 7 movies, a cartoon series, a comic book, a revival TV series, and now...20 years later...THEY'RE BAAACK! Those wacky cops we've all grown to know and love (admit it!) are back in an all new 20th Anniversary DVD! It's Police Academy like you've never seen it before! Digitally re-mastered and available for the first time in WIDESCREEN! This all new Edition will feature the followingCommentary by Steve Guttenberg, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, G.W. Bailey, director Hugh Wilson and producer Paul Maslansky Behind Academy Doors: Secret Files Revealed - all-new reunion documentary and the original Theatrical trailer At the same time of the release, the Police Academy sequels will be available to own FOR THE FIRST TIME ON DVD! 2,3,6,and 7 will be available in Widescreen with 4 and 5 in Full Frame and each DVD will have a newly created Featurette and their original theatrical trailers! So warn all your friends and family because the guys (and gals!) in blue are coming back! "MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT!"
Rating: Summary: how the series got started Review: A film by Hugh Wilson
Those who are disgusted with the entire "Police Academy" series have to look no further than this first movie to find the root cause of their misery. Grossing 81 million dollars in 1984, "Police Academy" set the template for the future movies. The style of the series was set with this first one, though the next six movies never quite hit the level of quality (such as it is) that this first film did.
The new Mayor has relaxed the standards for new recruits to enter the Police Academy. Now, anyone can sign up, and people who would have never considered joining the police force are now attempting to do just that. Included in this group is Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg). Mahoney cannot seem to stay out of trouble with the law (petty stuff, really, nothing malicious), and he is given the choice to either join the Police Academy or go to jail. He is told that he cannot quit, but can be thrown out (little does he know that part of the deal is that the Academy cannot throw him out, either). Mahoney, the prankster that he is, does his best to get thrown out of the Academy.
Along with Mahoney, the Police Academy has several other zany new recruits, among them is the gun loving Tackleberry (David Graf), the soft voiced Hooks (Marion Ramsey), a man with a talent for imitating nearly any sound effect in Jones (Michael Winslow), and also Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall) who appears as Mahoney's love interest. Calling the cadets "screwball recruits" would be perfectly appropriate, and Lt Harris (G.W. Bailey), an instructor at the Academy, wants them all out and sets them up to fail.
"Police Academy" has something of a slapstick comedy. It is very lighthearted, and the characters (the good guys, anyway) are very likeable. I don't think I would want these recruits in an Academy near me, but it was always fun watching this movie. And that is what "Police Academy" is all about: fun. It seems like everyone in the movie is having fun making it, and it works. Granted, the movie is not nearly as funny as I originally found it ten years ago when I was 15, but I can still manage smiles of nostalgia while watching "Police Academy". The characters which the movie focuses on are those, with a couple of exceptions, who will return for sequel after sequel and they are fun characters to get to spend an hour and a half with.
"Police Academy" is the only one in the series to get an "R" rating, which is for female nudity and language. After this one, the series starts to get sanitized, which also seemed to tame the comedy as well. This first film sets up many of the running jokes that continue throughout the series, and perhaps for this reason it is the best of the bunch because it is the most original of the bunch. Still, it is an enjoyable movie.
-Joe Sherry
Rating: Summary: THE MOVIE THAT STARTED THE WHOLE SERIES Review: A MALCONTENT [STEVE GUTTENBERG] GETS FORCED TO ENLIST IN THE POLICE ACADEMY. VERY FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING ON ALL LEVELS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS FILM IS MICHAEL WINSLOW, THE MAN WHO PLAYS LARVELL JONES, WHOSE A HUMAN SOUND EFFECTS MACHINE. A CULT CALSSIC BY ALL MEANS. OF COURSE, THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE SCRIPT OR ITS STORY, BUT IT'S JUST FUNNY. A MUST FOR ANYONE THAT LIKES TO LAUGH THEIR A.. OFF. FOLLOWED BY SIX SEQUELS, AN ANIMATED TV SERIES, AND INSPIRED A LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES.
Rating: Summary: Police Academy Review: A new mayor, forces the local police academy to open its doors to all. Naturally a variety of people show up, for training. There's Mahoney, a guy given the option of jail or the police academy, Jones the human sound effects machine, Barbara, the film developer, Hightower, a florist, etc. The Commisioner has Capt Harris, try to force the undeserable people out of the academy. Typical 80's comedy, is enjoyable and funny, and holds up after many viewings. The DVD version of the movie, looks good and sounds good, but there aren't to many extras.
Rating: Summary: one of the best comedies of the eighties Review: Although it was made to poke fun at cops, this movie does more than that. It pokes fun at all of us and makes ou8r lives a little less drab. Thanks for the memories. By the way, six more films was a little (lot) too much.
Rating: Summary: ak Review: best comedy eve
Rating: Summary: Some of the most humourous police work ever performed! Review: First there was TV's Barney Miller,then the short-lived Police Squad,and now the first of seven POLICE ACADEMY films. Steve Guttenberg,who appeared in DINER two years before this film,is Carey Mahoney,a parking lot attendant who is arrested following termination from his job. At the police station where he's booked he meets Larvell Jones(Michael Winslow) who himself has been arrested for disturbing the peace. Winslow is famous for vocal impersonations of objects in action. So Carey and Larvell join the Metropolitan Police Academy as an alternative to jail. Also joining are Eugene Tackleberry(the late David Graf) who's a gun-lover,Karen Thompson(Kim Cattrall) who becomes Carey's girlfriend,Moses Hightower(football great Bubba Smith) who's a florist,George Martin(Andrew Rubin) who pretends to be Latin to score with women,Doug Fackler(Bruce Mahler) who joins against his wife's wishes(she joins 2 sequels later against HIS wishes!),Kyle Blankes,a mean-spirited fella and his buddy Chad Copeland,also mean-spirited. Carey misbehaves as much as he can to get evicted,because he initially didn't want to join the PA. He later changes his mind. George Gaynes is Commandant Eric Lassard and George R. Robertson is Commissioner Henry Hurst. G.W. Bailey of TV's M*A*S*H,is lieutenant Thaddeus Harris,who with the help of Kyle and Chad,rids the academy of undesirables("scumbuckets" as Lt. Harris calls them). Memorable scenes include Carey teaching Schwarzenegger-ish Hightower how to drive in Chad's car! The car is damaged and Chad and Kyle put the blame on Carey who dare him to "throw the first punch",since Carey was initially scheming to be evicted. Also part of the cast is Marion Ramsey as Laverne Hooks,a short,soft-spoken African-American woman. Take note of how in another scene,she gets loud and nasty towards a criminal("DON'T MOVE,DIRTBAG!"). That quote would be used in the sequels as well. Leslie Easterbrook of TV's Laverne & Shirley is Seargent Callahan who along with Lt. Harris,trains the cadets. Another memorable scene is where a concealed hooker performs oral sex on Commandant Lassard while he stands behind a podium. Carey was co-concealed inside the podium,the hooker emerged,Carey remained,and Lassard thought Carey performed the sexual act! Also,Martin,in drag,sneaks into the girls' dormitory and is finally caught by Callahan,who removes his wig,brassiere and dress. This popular film was directed by Hugh Wilson,who'd subsequently direct THE FIRST WIVES CLUB. Guttenberg stuck around for PA2,3 and 4.
Rating: Summary: A GOOD TIME!!!! Review: I LOVE POLICE ACADEMY I LOVE THIS MOVIE . THIS MOVIE IS SO FUNNY. IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMEDIES OF THE 80'S. I LOVED MAHONEY (STEVE GUTTENBERG) HE IS VERY FUNNY. I LIKE THIS WHOLE MOVIE THE WHOLE MOVIE IS FUNNY. IT IS FUNNY FROM BEGINNING TO END ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TIME WHEN THE RIOT HAD BROKE OUT. I LOVE THIS MOVIE I LAUGH THROUGH THIS WHOLE MOVIE IF YOU LIKE COMEDY THEN YOU WOULD LIKE THIS MOVIE
Rating: Summary: series that never fails Review: i love the police academy movies. michael winslow wasnt in mission to moiscow though. where was he. i love his style of comedy. its all sound effects. steve guttenberg , kim catrall , and the guy who played tackleberry are my faves though.
Rating: Summary: I still don't own it. Review: I still want this movie, but I don't got it yet. I know it's funny because I saw it in theatres back in 1984. I almost died laughing. Same with my dad. Yes you heard me right, my dad who let me see any movie brought me into this movie when I was 9. My mom didn't like my dad taking me to any movie out there. Soon or later I will get this movie and maybe get the box set that was just realesed.
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