Genre – Comedy
Movie Total Runtime – 1 Hour 27 Minute
Spoilers – Yes
So, I hid a few rules about how the films are selected. For shorter series I decided that it made more sense to do them in order. The Police Academy movies were one such set. The picker didn’t roll the original film first, but any hit on the series I recorded as the next one in. Given my less than enthused response to the first movie, I’m trying to give this installment a fair shake. Perhaps the elements I disliked were toned down.
We open to a shopkeeper in a lighting store turning off the lights, padlocking the door and setting a bear trap. I’m guessing crime has been a bit of an issue. He then padlocks the inner door and begins setting a bunch of alarms and decoys with ever bigger padlocks over each door and gate. The gates and electrified concertina wire probably costs more than his whole inventory. For all his efforts, he is mugged by Bobcat Goldthwait at the ATM. Bobcat has a whole gang with him, so it’s less comical than it seems. We are introduced to the cops with people throwing stones at the 16th precinct and egging the chief as he heads inside. Apparently, the precinct budget has been cut, and the staff reduced.
Lieutenant Mauser angles for the Captain’s job as the Chief is storming out. The Chief promises him the captaincy should the current captain fail. Precinct Captain is apparently the brother of the Academy Commandant and makes a call to try to get some more people. We are reintroduced to some of our misfits, starting with Unfit to Handle Weapons, who deploys a gas grenade as a response to truancy. Walking Sound Effects Machine is still a nuisance. Designated Protagonist is on some form of beach patrol and doesn’t appear to have matured. Also returning but without reintroduction are Miss Whisper, Mr. Accident Prone, and Hightower. I suppose they realized the Miss Whisper and Comedy Fat Guy filled the same character niche and she got called back.
Lieutenant tries to recruit a lackey, but his lackey is dumber than a box of rocks. Even Mauser realizes it in the first conversation. He soldiers on with the plan to undermine the Captain anyway. We get a bunch of short cuts and gags to advance the plot. Designated Protagonist gets partnered with Comedy Slob who is exaggeratedly disgusting. Miss Whisper gets desk duty. Bobcat’s gang robs the lamp seller from the opening. Lieutenant orders Designated Protagonist and Comedy Slob in without backup, but Accident Prone arrives on the scene, sparking wild gunplay involving zero gang members, drawing in the unsafe weapons handling duo for more destruction. Oh, I forgot to mention, Unsafe Handling was partnered with a woman just as unfit to be armed as he is. The misfits continue to demonstrate sheer bumbling incompetence as more of them stumble on to the scene and contribute to the utter destruction of the shop.
The villain doesn’t need to do a darn thing, these people are going to fail all on their own.
They are rightly reprimanded as zero arrests are made and seventy-six-some-odd thousand dollars of damage in 1985 dollars is done to the building and inventory. The Captain apparently wants to fail as he backs the bumblers.
Bobcat’s gang terrorizes a grocery store unopposed, further tormenting the lamp store owner who had been shopping. Is he going to snap by the end of the movie? We get more scenes of the misfits being bad at their jobs, along with mutual antagonism between Designated Protagonist and Lieutenant Mauser. Designated Protagonist plays the unfunny prank of replacing Mauser’s shampoo with epoxy resin. This is magical epoxy which sets up in seconds. Results can be inferred.
Captain decides to confront a solitary member of Bobcat’s gang, which ends poorly as they get reinforcements, and the Captain returns to the precinct graffitied. Cue series of crime fighting scenes where incompetence is weaponized against the criminals. Poor lamp seller ends up at the Blue Oyster, having been chased by Bobcat’s gang. A brawl breaks out between the patrons and the gang. Only the gang gets arrested, leaving an awkward moment with Hightower surrounded by the patrons. The arrests are thrown out on procedural grounds at the insistence of the Lieutenant. Now the supposed retaliation for this against the Lieutenant is setting him up for a body cavity search – except we see Designated Protagonist trick the Captain into signing the authorization before the charges get tossed. Ignoring the fact that such a search needs a Judge’s signature, not a Captain’s, the timing means Designated Protagonist was planning to do this before the use of force and improper procedures were challenged by the Lieutenant.
Are we sure the Lieutenant is actually a villain? Sure he’s an asshole looking to take the Captaincy, but the methods he’s deployed are all legal and less extreme than what the misfits are doing.
The unsafe handling duo goes on a date and there’s a negligent discharge as a joke at the end.
At the suggestion of the Academy Commandant, the Captain holds a street fair for PR and fundraising purposes. Bobcat’s gang crashes the fair with their usual comedy criminal mayhem. This drives the Captain to depart, leaving Mauser acting captain. Designated Protagonist and Comedy Slob are suspended for their acts. The old Captain and Comedy Slob come up with the absurd plan of having Designated Protagonist infiltrate the gang unofficially. For whatever reason, they go with this plan. How in the world did Bobcat become the leader of a gang?
Anyway, wearing a comically oversized wire, Designated Protagonist gets himself taken to the gang’s lair at an abandoned zoo. Credit where it’s due, I did laugh at some of the dialog from Comedy Slob during this sequence. Designated Protagonist’s wire is discovered and everyone converges on the site. So while Bobcat and Designated Protagonist brawl, the cops try to get inside. Naturally everything goes to chaos. But, bottled up, the gang is captured.
The movie wraps up as the unsafe handling duo get married.
To be honest, I liked this installment better than the first for a couple of reasons – Designated protagonist was less of an insufferable asshole despite still being the worse choice. The plot was better streamlined, and the structure of the film flowed more smoothly. Though I can see why it would be less iconic and more forgettable at the same time.
So…is there any chance this movie series will (or has) become a generation’s Three Stooges, i.e. admittedly not cinematic excellence by any stretch, but a sentimental favorite, looked back upon years later with fondness?
Oof – which generation? You would think mine since I am a child of that era but they’re terrible.
I loved all of them as a kid. I was at just the right age when they came about.
“comedy”
Lackeys are a necessity, if you want to be a leader or an evil villain. Flunkies work in a pinch.
Zed. Had to look it up. The name of Bobcats character.
In every movie, Bobcat plays Bobcat.
PROCTOR!!!!!!!
If I’m gonna rob a place, a lamp store is way down on the list. Maybe cuz it’s just easier? Ya know they have cash or a particularly valuable lamp (you know you can fence)?
I imagine “Humor” was the implied reasoning. I’d guess the most valuable non-famous, person-owned lamp would be maybe Titanic or something ancient.
“The most expensive lamp ever sold is a rare Frank Lloyd Wright Double-Pedestal Lamp, which fetched $7.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction in May 2025.” Such silly creatures, people. It looks nice? Laundering is the best explanation.
Yeah, There was no way he was moving lamps in the neighborhood his store was located in.
To be fair, that lamp is amazing but I am a fan so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I also love the lamp! I’ll be generous. Send me $7M and I’ll First Class it to ya.
I have very expensive tastes, and I love sharing them.
The lamp thief wasn’t too bright — he got caught because he left a trail of illuminating evidence!
/brought to you by perplexity AI
I’m embarrassed to type this. But satiation, they name is Applebee’s.
I had a brisket burrito from Sheetz on the way back from the range. It wasn’t bad.
😬
Real Genius was supposed to be one of these teenage-boy jiggle fests, but while the director kept the jokes in, she reworked everything so that that was just a quirky little bit of fun. Real Genius still works. Weird Science does not.
I actually never saw Real Genius until a few years ago but yeah, it’s great. And I’ve watched it a couple times since.
Weird Science is probably the nadir of the JohnHughes-i-verse.
Weird Science never worked…terrible then and still terrible now.
Lots of shooting today – ~500 rounds of 9mm and ~300 rounds of 5.56mm NATO converted to smoke and noise (and holes an cardboard.)
DOPE Drill, Doubles, Confirmation drills, Rhythm drills, transitions, Changing Gears drills, and few runs through a short 2gun stage with some 50-yard carbine headshot targets and 30-yard pistol steel.
I’m tired now. Time for a cocktail or three and an early night…
Did you practice car window entry using the muzzle?
Nah. That’s cop shit and I’m not a cop.
Funny aside – I took a rifle class years ago where the instructor demonstrated muzzle punching a car window, and cut himself on the glass badly enough that he had to go to the ER and get some stitches later that evening. He said later that that was the single dumbest thing he’d ever done during a class.
I always liked this one better than the first too. I think I was in middle school when it came out.
I remember laughing my ass off when I saw this movie in the theater, but in my defense I was about 15 and had smoked a bunch of weed with my cousins in the parking lot beforehand. I don’t think I’ve seen it since then.
I’m at my regular hangout and some kids* are sitting next to me talking about their buddies who are getting married and how stupid it is that Human’s are the only mammals that mate for life and I got to quote the Orca tagline that I use in all my Glibcrostrics and crosswords and it was glorious.
*they were late twenties/early thirties
“Human’s are the only mammals that mate for life”
Only about 1/2 are for life, statistically
They also brought up Penguins and I got to use one of my favorite Looney Tunes quotes. That I managed to keep a straight face though all of this while they thought I was completely serious is one of the best accomplishments of my life.
lol Ain’t I a stinkuh?
Did you introduce yourself as the most insufferable man in the world?
lol I can’t even with the irony.
I wanna party with you.
Huh. Apparently this IS real. I was dubious when I heard MTG bitching about it.
Donald is a delusional, unserious idiot. This was presented a voting bill. Not socon horseshit that has no business being there and is proof positive that he does not actually want any of this to pass.
“I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed”
Best news I’ve heard in years. I can only hope so much.
It actually seems odd to me that after 250 years the government still needs more laws. Damn, Man, can’t you get things right?
lol rite?
I like the ‘force Congress to act’ role-forcing, with hopes of lawsuits being pushed through to fight the laws. The courts are obviously (a) vanguard against Trump, but I thought it rather clever.
Frequently, I’m also an idiot, but creating standing for the suits brings out private actors, private money to fight laws, judgements, without the Executive getting directly involved. Laser-pointer judicial fight-starting, but in a ‘good’ way.
Family and SiL, being shown vacay pictures, mentioned and lamented Alligator Alcatraz and the Gulf of America. Only thing I did say, was joking that at least the former was “Succinct!.” Turn it around on ’em. Make ’em have to defend all their shit in court. The revelations would be humorous, and in no way beneficial to ’em.
Donald has turned into a retarded person. Maybe senility’s starting to creep in.
We’re getting the GOP version of Biden.
Which is all the Deep State wants.
“mutilization”
JFC.
There’s a problem with his plan. Even if he doesn’t sign it, it still goes into law after 10 days (as long as Congress is in session) the same as if he’d signed it.
Congress is never going to pass that grab-bag in a million years.
*Maybe* if it was focused on voting as promised. Not this shit.
/kicks pebble waiting for someone to put abolition of the Department of Education into the grab-bag.
‘Comedies to Remember’ from my generation? Huh. Born ’87 but bro in ’81 so I got a bit of older stuff. Tommy Boy, Dumb and Dumber for sure. Wayne’s World if ya wanna go back a bit. Super Troopers was very popular and I hated it back then. (Perhaps before my cocoon burst? Folk here, IIRC, like it.) Jackass! is a legit nominee. At IU from ’05 to ’09 and first search reveals The Hangover (2009), Wedding Crashers (2005), and Superbad (2007). Superbad is pretty damn good and clever, from what I remember. Never seen the first two, but also good reps.
(Looking at IMDb list) Pineapple Express is great. Meet the Parents is a fun, legit good flick. Shaun of the Dead is great, but I absolutely FLUUUURVE Tropic Thunder. Masterpiece in so many ways. *shrug*
LOL all of that is way after my time and not my bag. Including “Shaun of the Dead” but that one is actually very good so I’ll give you that.
Tropic Thunder is just fantastic. Highly recommended.
I think Tommy Boy and Dumb and Dumber are already generational flicks, certainly already in pop culture.
Or am I so wrong? (No. It’s the children who are wrong.) …oh.
To be fair, I am not a good judge of these things. I have gigantic gaps in what I’ve seen and massive biases towards things I like, mostly syfy genre shit and offbeat else-stuff.
A droll summation as usual. I have only saw bits and pieces of the Police Academy movies, and they did not particularly appeal to me. I guess I don’t like asshole characters, they make me want to tell them to STFU or two-by-four them.
Movies, at least most of them, are made with the intention of making money. The broadest appeal to the broadest cross section of humanity. International viewing and being able to be understood makes more money.
If you like stupid humor that’s done well you, uh, won’t like them. They’re not very good. The two cops getting tricked into going to The Blue Oyster still makes me chuckle though.
One of my favorite comedies is Noises Off! The Michael Caine, Carol Burnette, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Denholm Eliot and more. (Damn. Damn Damn.) Apparently, others don’t like it. I think here, but bad reviews in general, IIRC. I find that baffling. Tremendously clever and hilarious, many in-family references do we make. (“Sardines!! Sardines…”)
We saw the play Off-Broadway in ’03, only time I’ve been to NYC. One of the leads was the father of the bride in Meet the Parents, and several Law & Order eps. *shrug* They did a really good job.
Literally never heard of that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I know, right?! *stares at world*
That cast alone is worthy of a LOT of attention. And yet, no. It’s a film of a play of a play. Act I is the dress rehearsal, showing how the Play’s Act I should go. Reveals character. Act II is the play, but 90% seen from the actors backstage, and their personal, not character, motivations and angers stiffles the cast, but the play on stage goes pretty OK. Act III is the culmination of their stress etc, and the play fucking up ON stage.
Remarkably clever. Beautifully done. And very few care. Again, the cast alone should draw in so many eyes.
*frumps* The world should like what I like.
That synopisis reminds me of “Living in Oblivion” which is a behind the scenes of indie films and one of my all-time favorites.
I had a friend who loved it, but, no, never really thought it was that good.
Noises Off is good, so is Enter, Laughing
I have a birthday in August
https://www.uranusgeneralstore.com/uranus-apparel/make-uranus-great-again-hat-navy/
Ill ask if they can do it in a Fez
MUGA?
Here I am, at 12:52 a.m. My Circadian rhythm does not accept this as reality.
Mine is even more messed up. But then I lose track of time doing research.
I hate changing the clock. I left it in the fall, and now it’s showing the correct time again.
Good morning, all you wonderful peoples.
🌤️😉☕️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsbLvx4zuKA
🎶🎶
What about the rest of us?
😜
Have a shitty morning where the store is out of your preferred caffeine, and your commute gets delayed?
Good morning to you to, Teds
Letting some cool air in to prepare for the warm day.
Good morning, Sean, U, Ted’S., and Roat!
Morning.
How goes?
Pretty good. My “atomic” alarm clock hasn’t yet connected to the “mothership” in Colorado to get its time reset to DST, so I had to use the alarm on my phone. It worked, but I’d still rather use the clock. It has nice big blue numbers I can read without my glasses on. I have the clock sitting in front of a window in hopes of getting a better connection.
How are you?
Ignoring minor inconveniences, I suppose I’m all right.
I’m less of a fat bastard than I have been. Got back down to 295, still working on getting that lower. Despite people making fun of my breakfast salads, it’s been the little habits that make the difference.
That’s great! 😃👍
Now, I just have to keep going.
That’s the hard part. Temptation lives around every corner.
I sympathize. A little while back, a gal transferred into our office at the CU, and she seems to consider it her life’s calling to shower her coworkers with candy and other sweet treats on every imaginable occasion.
Mornin’ all!
UCS — 2 things that helped me shed 80# :
Weigh/measure everything (literally) you eat.
Relentlessly track your eating. I use ‘mySymptoms’, which is overkill, but excellent freeware.
Good morning, Beau! Well done on the weight loss!
suh’ fam
fuck DST
Good morning, homey!
sup’ pimp
Or not.
LOL
Do they use the word “agitators” for the “pro-Palestinian” rent-a-mobs?
Mornin’
Morning. 7:00 CST meeting this morning means it is actually at 6:00 CST pre-time change. Only asshats do things like this.
Yeah; the meetings should be scheduled in UTC.
No, Ted.
*spritzes with spray bottle*
Bad.
UCS obviously wants the meeting scheduled in terms of Unix epoch seconds.
Mornin’, All Y’all,
The clock shift didn’t bother me, since I get up whenever I want/need/wake up.
First cup o’joe has disappeared.
Last night, as I was readying for bed something outside caught my eye. At first I thought it was dog but it was low to the ground and sort of rambling around the yard. Looked big, like a coyote, came up on the patio and tried to get into the can of bird feed, Then climbed the pole with the yard light on, up about 6 feet or so. By then I’d recognized it as a big raccoon. So, they are out of hibernation, winter’s over.