Traffic School - Die Blech- und Dachschaden-Kompanie

Too much fun! Even though this film would seem way too cheesy and juvenile on the surface, there are just too many laughs for it not to be an entertaining experience. From the makers of Police Academy and Bachelor Party, Moving Violations has enough one-liners and sight gags to more than make up for its lack of plot. Though some of the gags make Dumb and Dumber seem like an episode of Frazier, I guarantee you'll be laughing at it in spite of yourself.

The story concerns a group of perennial bad drivers who are sentenced to a strict traffic school in which they have to pass the course or forfeit their cars to the county. The class is run by two bad-ass motorcycle cops played by James Keach and Lisa Hart Carroll. They have their characters down so well, they'll even frighten you. Keach has a scheme going with the judge that sentenced the bad drivers to the course. Their plan is to make the class impossible and somehow split the profits from the impounded vehicles themselves. To detail this plot any further would be a dis-service to not only this review, but the film itself.

John Murray plays the ringleader of the traffic school bunch. He is certainly no Bill Murray, but he's very charismatic and funny. Most of the other students are made up of typically wacky characters you might expect to find in a movie like this. Most of them are thankfully more funny than annoying. The cast is made up of many familiar faces; some of which went on to better things, and some of them just disappeared. Look closely and you'll spot Don Cheadle working at a fast food drive up window for about five seconds! Since there is so little plot, the film must count on sight gags involving cars being destroyed, old people with diminished facilities, bondage, puppet stages rolling down hills and into funeral homes, you name it. Toward the end, there is as one might expect, a climatic chase scene involving parade floats, a group of marathon runners, and about a thousand cops chasing after our heroes while they're on their way to police headquarters to expose the scheme to sell their cars. By this point, you'll be either rolling with laughter or you will have shut the movie off long before then.

Maybe it's not quite a classic, but I'd say it's a cut above Police Academy and somewhere just below Airplane or Top Secret. The odds are you'll find more than a few things to laugh at.

7 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

Very hilarious! It's the only film I've ever known to have my mom laughing every 2 minutes [or less] while she watched. She was laughing so much, I had to stop what I was doing and go and see what was all the hubbub about. Even though it didn't receive great reviews, it's really entertaining. I like Dana's line after the car/bigrig collision -- "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going in their pants." Thanks :).

I'll go on paper or on-line and say that Moving Violations is one of the most underrated comedies of all time. I don't think it is shown enough for one thing. I can name about 14 friends I have shown this to who have never heard of it, but were needing stitches from laughing afterwards.The movie focuses on a bunch of misfits who have to go to traffic school to get their licenses back. The leader of the group is Dana Cannon played by John Murray (Bill's brother) who displayed a fine comedic talent in his first film. His deadpan deliveries such as Woopsie,You kids have fun, Hey its not an ashtray,and when the tough get going the tough get going in their pants. Cannon and his friends give Halek, the teacher, hell throughout the course. Halek holds a personal grudge to Cannon because he's responsible for screwing up his promotion as a cop. There's even some love interest in the film. The puppeteer, the dieter, the horror movie-maniac, the "doc", the blind old lady all fill their parts very well. This movie has been criticized for being too much like Police Academy,but trust me its as funny. The one-liners are memorable and the gags are plenty. It took me forever to find this film to purchase, hopefully it won't take you as long to rent.

If you would like to wow your friends with a 1980s comedy that they probably have never heard of, then look no further than "Moving Violations". This movie has a cast of pedigreed comedians, including Fred Willard, Jennifer Tilly, and Sally Kerrerman. The lead goes to John Murray, brother of Bill Murray. His performance is far from unique, as it clearly mimics Bill Murray and John Belushi. In fact "Moving Violations" has certain scenes that seem to have been influenced by "Animal House, and "The Blues Brothers". Overlook these minor annoyances and be mesmerized by the rapid fire gags which make time fly by with maximum laughs. If you admire any of the above films or actors, this is a must see. - MERK

This movie is cheesy, but come on it's hysterical. Bill Murray's brother is a hoot, Keach is funny too as the over the top officer. The scene that tears me up every time I see it is when Murray gets Keach so upset in class he reaches for his gun, only to be stopped by his partner. That had me rollin! Take it for what it is, and lightin up!