Review of Kindergarten Cop (1990) by Kelsey K — 13 Jul 2012

Schwarzenegger's comedic movies are always regarded as something of a joke, and for a good reason. They're usually completely over the top, stupidly inconsistent and usually the only good thing about them is the main actor himself, because, well... it's Arnold Schwarzenegger. How could you not love that hulking giant of badass entertainment. The man has a heart of gold and yet is still one of the biggest badasses out there.

Nevertheless, I think that this singular film might be the only comedy from him that's actually decent as a standalone film and not just because he's in it. Is it a great comedy? Well, not really, it's about average, but it has some great lines of dialogue and the premise itself is pretty cool. I mean, who wouldn't want Schwarzenegger as his or her kindergarten teacher. And the movie recognizes this fact, giving him plenty of scenes where he just interacts with the kids and completely charms them with his sheer presence. And it's actually kind of surprising just how well the man can act. Usually his acting is kind of one-dimensional, which for his action movies is more than enough, but in this film he has some real depth and variety. The man is no Marlon Brando or Humphrey Bogart, but he is capable of giving a solid performance, apparently.

And the rest of the film isn't bad either. The supporting characters are entertaining in their own ways, the villain is decent and the plot, while not that original, allows for some very nice scenes and plot devices.

So yeah, as a whole this movie is average, nothing less, nothing more, but it has some really great one-liners and characters. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of either Schwarzenegger or lighthearted comedy.