Police Academy Collection

Comedy

Crime

Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

Warner Bros. Pictures

United States of America

English

Steve Guttenberg

Bubba Smith

Michael Winslow

David Graf

Tim Kazurinsky

Sharon Stone

Leslie Easterbrook

Marion Ramsey

Lance Kinsey

G.W. Bailey

Bobcat Goldthwait

George Gaynes

Derek McGrath

Scott Thomson

Billie Bird

George R. Robertson

Brian Tochi

Brian Backer

David Spade

Tab Thacker

Corinne Bohrer

Randall "Tex" Cobb

Michael McManus

Colleen Camp

Andrew Paris

Arthur Batanides

Jackie Joseph

Arnie Hardt

Frank Canino

Bob Lem

François Klanfer

Denis De Laviolette

Joey Pomanti

Harvey Chao

Michelle Duquet

Jack Creley

Ted Simonett

Kay Hawtrey

Sid Gould

Megan Smith-Harris

Don Ritchie

Rummy Bishop

Carolyn Scott

Marc Leger

Larry Schwartz

James Carroll

Brent Myers

Michael Rhoades

Diane Fabian

Glenn Preston

Steve Caballero

Tommy Guerrero

Tony Hawk

Mike McGill

Chris Miller

Lance Mountain

Wayne Charbrol

Jean Frenette

Ed Hsing

Marc Kubota

Wilson Khoa

Harold Kojima

Glenn Kwann

Brian Sakamoto

Jim Wong

Juliette Cummins

Michèle Duquet

Jim Drake

Robert Saad

Paul Maslansky

Robert Folk

David Rawlins

Scott Wilder

Pamela Basker

Wink Roberts

Rhiley Fuller

Fern Champion

Steve Shewchuk

Trevor Williams

Neal Israel

Pat Proft

Donald L. West

Ben Williams

Bill Bannerman

Aleida MacDonald

Gene Quintano

Cory Siddall

Gary Griffin

Michael Jiron

Kim W. Chow

Ken Brooke

Michael Zenon

Michael Mulconery

Don Davis

Suzanne Lore

Thomas Whiting

Stephan Fanfara

Rebekah Williams

Ron Clark

Ingrid Cusiel

Anne Tait

Wendie Siford

Allan Gelbart

Douglas M. Lackey

Allen L. Stone

Albert Paradis

Paula McKee

David Chackler

Elaine Yarish

Dick Weaver

Sue Swan

Jean Christopher

M. James Arnett

Stacy Peralta

Michael DeLuna

Gene Grigg

Tom Davies

Toni Blay

Douglas Thane Stewart

Manfred Guthe

Alison Reid

Dan Harville

Drew Struzan

James Bryan

Filipe Manuel Neto

**An honorable sequence where the script sounds better, although some comic material seems a little worn out.**

This is the fourth film in the prolific “Police Academy” franchise, which visibly marked the 80s and 90s, and which still brings good memories to many people today. I can say that it was one of the comic franchises that I enjoyed during my childhood and adolescence, and that I still see it from time to time.

In this fourth film, I felt that the production learned from the flaws of the previous films, especially when it comes to script writing. If the older films had in their weak scripts the biggest problem to overcome, this film responds with a more careful writing and the creation of a more logical story, capable of sustaining all sorts of jokes and comic situations created later. As a result, the film feels more like a cohesive work of cinema. However, it is undeniable that the comic material presented begins to show wear and tear and is not enough to make us laugh, even if it manages to do it several times.

For the last time, the film brings together all the main names of the cast and crew from the previous films, and the replacement of Jerry Parris by Jim Drake in the director's chair is barely perceptible: the new director has really managed to capture the spirit of the franchise and give it an honorable following. Steve Guttenberg says goodbye to his character, Mahoney, who will live for the last time, walking out the big door with a job well done. Michael Winslow and Bob Goldthwait were also in excellent shape and seem to have a lot of fun with their characters, along with the excellent Tim Kazurinsky. Sharon Stone was a surprising addition, but it works well thanks to the actress' physical beauty.

Technically, the film is very much on par with its predecessors, and the final aerial sequence really deserves a round of applause for the execution and the way it was done. Good sets, the costumes we already know, the soundtrack without major demerits or surprises and a decent cinematography make up the scenario of a film that, if it is not capable of enchanting, manages to convince most fans of the franchise.

<em>'Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'</em> is a lousy fourth entry to this franchise. I've not truly liked any of these flicks admittedly, but the last two did do some things well enough that I could see the potential. This one is more akin to the original, it feels aimless.

I guess that is to be expected this deep into the series, hopefully it's not a sign of things to come for me across the next three releases. Any 'pluses' that I do have for this is anything I've 'praised' across the prior flicks, which is pretty much just the pleasantly returning cast. Sharon Stone and (a debuting) David Spade make for interesting newcomers.

The plot isn't anything close to being fresh, it's basically the last three movies rolled into one; those ones are hardly anything memorable themselves, so that's an obvious problem. I will say that the ending here is at least visually interesting, if still not the real McCoy.

Lastly, I know I keep saying it but I seriously don't know how I'm not finding Bobcat Goldthwait's Zed overtly annoying yet. Sure he is a little so, especially as he gets a needless extension of screen time on this occasion, though the character continues to bring a mini smirk or two. Beats me!

Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987) - Trailer

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Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

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Cast

Steve Guttenberg

Bubba Smith

Michael Winslow

David Graf

Tim Kazurinsky

Sharon Stone

Leslie Easterbrook

Marion Ramsey

Lance Kinsey

G.W. Bailey

Box office

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