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Part of me did want to see the first 'Police Academy' film for a while now, but the bad reputations of the sequels and that the style of humour 'Police Academy' has has been done really badly elsewhere that it did admittedly put me off.
Seeing all the films recently, for curiosity and giving the benefit of the doubt, while the sequels are really not good on the most part the original 'Police Academy' is and is rightly considered the best of the series. 'Police Academy' is never going to be one of my favourite films, and won't be in my list of favourite comedies any time soon, but, taking it for what it is and what it set out to do, it entertained for most of the just over an hour and a half running time.
It is a bit hit and miss in places, not all the jokes work (most do though), due to going a little too heavily on the childish and cheap low-brow factors. That said, nothing is distasteful at least, nothing makes you want to gag or make you go to the bathroom and throw up copiously (which is more than can be said for stuff like 'Freddy Got Fingered' and the worst of Adam Sandler).
'Police Academy's' story is rather thin, with less eventful parts leaving some rather draggy stretches, and gets a bit silly. Kim Catrall does a good job being sexy and sassy but she is given little to do and the film didn't seem to know what to do with her.
However, 'Police Academy' is competently made visually, not stunning but hardly cheap. The setting looks good too and is well utilised. The soundtrack is catchy and infectious, fitting the tone perfectly.
While it has been said that not everything in the humour works, most of it does, the crudeness is mostly not overdone and the silliness is mostly endearing. Much of the dialogue is hilarious and there are set pieces that raise at least a couple of big belly laughs, the highlights being the speech scene (absolutely hilarious and to me the single best and funniest scene of the whole 'Police Academy' series) and the scenes with Copeland and Blankes.
Steve Guttenberg seems to be really enjoying himself, and is a fun and amiable presence. Easy to see why his role here made him a star at the time, even if somewhat briefly. George Gaynes is a hoot and GW Bailey is suitably hard nosed, which provides some entertaining conflict. Everyone else is fine too.
Overall, good fun film that never tries to be more than it is and knows what it wants to be. Hit and miss perhaps, but when it hits man isn't it entertaining. 7/10 Bethany Cox
7/10
