Just when we thought the Cold War was over, leave it to these guys to heat it up again.|Jun. 09, 1994|United States|83 Min.|PG
Genre: Comedy;Crime
Description: The Police Academy series is a collection of American comedy films, with the first six released in the 1980s and the seventh, “Mission to Moscow,” in 1994. The franchise began with the 1984 film “Police Academy,” which introduced a plot where a new mayor mandated that the police department accept all willing recruits. The story centered around a group of unconventional recruits who, despite their quirks, managed to prove themselves as capable police officers. Carey Mahoney, portrayed by Steve Guttenberg, was the main character in the first four films, playing a repeat offender forced to join the academy as punishment. The final installment, “Mission to Moscow,” marked the end of the series, although Guttenberg hinted in 2018 that a new film might be in development.
The movies and related TV shows relied heavily on slapstick humor, characterized by simple personalities and physical comedy. The overarching theme revolved around underdogs overcoming obstacles while opposing authority figures. While the sequels were not critically acclaimed, they achieved significant commercial success. The first film alone earned $149.8 million globally, with the entire series grossing $387 million. The series has often been compared to the British “Carry On” films due to their shared use of a consistent cast, low-brow humor, and comedic style, though the “Carry On” series did not maintain a fixed group of actors. Notably, George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, and David Graf were the only actors to appear in all seven Police Academy films.
Cast director: Alan Metter
Cast actor: George Gaynes, G. W. Bailey, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Winslow, David Graf, Ron Perlman, Charlie Schlatter, Christopher Lee, Claire Forlani, Andrey Annenskiy
Original name: Police Academy: Mission to Moscow