Review of Police Academy (1984) by Stephan L — 29 Jan 2010

Just a couple of things I want to add here. I kind of stumbled onto this site & was 1st surprised to hear so many people posting saying this movie wasn't funny. Well, if you were around in 1984 when it was first released people would have thought you were strange if you said you it wasn't funny as it was a big hit. Yeah, today it seems hoaky but then it was original in a lot of ways. Just the sound effects by Michael Winslow were incredible & I don't believe anyone had done anything really big in the 'human sound effects' arena since 'Spike Jones' back in our grandparents time! The 2nd thing I was surprised NOT to hear was any comments on how sad it was when David Graf -the actor who played 'Eugene Tackelberry' died of a heart attack at the age of 51! If I remember correctly it was mentioned his father & his grandfather had also died at the age of 51 due to a heart attack! I found it kind of strange no one mentioned it here as he was a wonderful actor as evidenced by the many movies etc., he played after doing the police academy movies. Later parts showed him to be a versatile actor in his own right. He'11 be missed.

As my kids say 'back in the day' (which I can't stand since I'm only 48 & back in the day I still feel describes my grandparents day when they had iceboxes which needed ice every day & which my son actually asked me to tell him what it was like back then!?!! He was serious when he asked too!)!

Whatever day it was it was at a time when people still enjoyed a lighthearted little movie which was just plain fun to watch! I can say this with pretty much certainty because even then you wouldn't have a movie come out in 1984 & then pop-up with sequels the way Police Academy did.

In 1984 it was 'Police Academy', 1985 Police Academy II Their First Assignment', 1986 'Police Academy III Back In Training', 1987 'Police Academy IV Citizens on Patrol', 1987 'Police Academy V Assignment Miami Beach', 1988 'Police Academy VI, 'Police Academy City Under Siege' & finally, in 1994, 'Police Academy VII Mission to Moscow'. Steve Gutenberg & Bobcat Goldthwait both stopped after doing Police Academy iV Citizens on Patrol' but most of the regulars were in all of them & just about all went on with wonderful careers & when asked about the movies they've all said in one way or another 'they had fun'. One a year for six years & then a 7th a full five years after the last movie is not a film a lot of people didn't like so I can only assume the 66% who said they didn't like the movies saw them when they rented them from the video store & didn't see them when they were seen in their time. Ok, putting my soap-box back in the closet & wiping the nostalgia from my eyes (just allergies I assure you!) & thank all you kind people for allowing a slightly crazy Irish gal to vent a little for the simpler days gone buy............like our parents and grandparents telling us how they had to walk a mile to school in 3 feet of snow, uphill.......both ways & how glad they were to do it because they were getting an education & were thankful for it!!!

Slainte',.

Maegi.