Police Academy 5 : Débarquement à Miami Beach

Miami Vice is an obvious influence here ... and it is nice that we do not get another "let's recruit" new cops and train them movie ... even though this is called Police Academy and that is what that would mean now isn't it? Don't mind that ... but as you could already tell from the previous one, spewing those out with such a frantic pace you could tell, new ideas where sparse.

Where to go and what to do? Maybe that was the reason one of the main guys who got famous with the series got out and did not include himself in this part: Steve Guttenberg. He might have been shooting another movie too, not sure what the reasons where. We get people from previous movies though ... many of them. Especially our favorite guys to hate ... who have a tough job as I already said in the previous movies review.

The scenes on the Miami beach are just plain ridiculous and really seem like sketch comedy with no real value ... other than to fill the run time of the movie and add a gag per minute "score". Even in the previous one where they went to a gay bar (again) for example, you may wonder something that is being asked here: why do I keep falling for these? Because it is a comedy would be the right answer I reckon ... anyway, maybe you care, maybe you don't ... but for a completist, I had to watch them ... and I will revisit the other remaining two movies too ... someday soon.

I'm glad that they finally realised that a criminal to battle against is better than just the in house arguing with Harris and Proctor with a crime chucked in at the end, although you've got to feel sorry for Proctor. If only he'd made friends with Mahoney instead of Harris, he's a sweetheart really.

This film is definitely better than the last. It may be due to the fact that there are less characters this time. It may even be the best of the Police Academy's overall.

We get to see Lassard causing real chaos hear instead of just his two minutes at the beginning and the end as normal.

The boat chase was a bit too similar to the 3rd film and the air chase in number 4, but it works better here as it has more of a context.

I like Tackleberry being so child like and the chance to see more of everyone else's character, but despite the fact I used to fancy Matt McCoy as Nick, he seems slimey now for me.

I'm hoping for a similar format for the next two.

616.85/1000.

Stars the cynical and boastful Captain Harris (G. W. Bailey) and his silly , dim-witted lacky Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey). As Harris eventually encounters the goods he needs to push Commandant Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) out at the Police Academy: he is one year late for mandatory retirement. But before he abandons, Lassard is chosen as "Police Officer of the Decade", and brings his favorite graduates : Sgts. Hightower, Jones, Tackleberry and Hooks, Lt. Callahan, to the National Police Chiefs Convention in Miami Beach to celebrate with him. As our police officer friends : Bubba Smith : Hightower , David Graf : Tackleberry, Michael Winslow : Jones , Leslie Easterbrook : Callahan , Marion Ramsey : Hooks, Lance Kinsey : Proctor , along with Janet Jones and Matt McCoy undertake an adventurous journey in the sunny Miami . Captain Harris is about to lose his trousers and his mind in Miami! : Miami Beach. Objective: Laughs. Hold everything! The cadets are dropping in on Miami Beach for an all new adventure !

This funny but inferior entry deals with Police Academy's commandant will be honored at a police convention in Miami Beach , subsequently at the airport he picks a wrong bag with stolen diamonds and some nasty owners want them back. Amusing , fun and cheerful film filled with action-packed , thrills , hilarious set-pieces, tongue-in-cheek and lots of humor . More predictable idiocy from the cop shop and no real story to speak of , just more high jinks in this mindless follow-up. The premise is simple and plain , as the misfit , botcher team from the known police force are called to accompany to Commandant Lassard in Miami and there they get in trouble with some valuable robbed diamonds . Director Myerson delivers a mediocre professional work but with no much interest, with knack enough of getting the most out of characters and situations without ever going over the top making for some laughs . This production pays tribute to previous films , but this time the motley, bumbling group goes Miami and repeating former sketches, taking parts here and there . The jokes and frolics come as thick and fast , hit and miss as usual and it is done in good spirit if not always in good taste . Regular picture with accent on sight gags , and humour that stems from the diverting roles established in other movies . The sympathetic cast formed by the motley band of misfits gives fun interpretation creating confusion , laughs and chaos . Appearing habitual actors in the popular series, such as Seve Guttenberg as Mahoney, Bubba Smith as Hightower , Michael Winslow and adding two newcomers: Matt McCoy and Janet Jones . As our police officer friends (Steve Guttenberg : Mahoney, Bubba Smith : Hightower , Michael Winslow : Jones, Leslie Easterbrook : Callahan, Marion Ramsey : Hooks , Lance Kinsey : Proctor) undertake a sunny adventure through the Miami beaches and Florida marshes including crocodiles attacking them. It contains an attractive and thrilling score by Robert Folk , series' regular , including the classic leitmotif . As well as atmospheric and appropriate cinematography by James Pergola . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Alan Myerson.

The series based on the characters written by Neal Israel and Pat Proft is formed by the following ones : Police Academy 1984 by Hugh Wilson . Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 1985 by Jerry Paris , James Signorelli . Police Academy 3: Back in Training 1987 by Jerry Paris . Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 1987 by Jim Drake . Police Academy : Assignment Miami Beach 1988 by Alan Myerson. Police Academy 6: City Under Siege 1989 by Peter Bornerz . Police Academy: Mission to Moscow 1994 by Alan Metter . And Police Academy the series 1997/1998 , 26 episodes created by Neal Israel, Paul Maslansky, Pat Proft .

"Police Academy V: Assignment: Miami Beach" continues the on-going "Police Academy" "comedies," if you wish. I call them trash.

The first had a few laughs, but was basically a rip-off of "Stripes" with Bill Murray. The second film was decent, and had just enough laughs to watch for. The third was one of those Sunday afternoon flicks. The rest are absolute, slobbering, grimy, putrid trash.

The plot involves Police Chief Lassard heading off to Miami Beach to accept an award. At the airport, he accidentedly switches suitcases with jewel thieves, who want their diamonds back...

This is the excuse for laughs not even half-baked. As always, the things one laughs at are those that the writers did not intend the audience to laugh at, like the end "action" sequence involving alligators, crocodiles, or whatever those fake puppets were.

I don't know how the "Police Academy" series ever got any more productions after the second or third film, but they did. Perhaps, in a sick, demented way, it's for the better. It ruined Steve Guttenberg's career, and gave all aspiring comedy writers something to "not do" when writing a comedy.

1/5 stars--

John Ulmer

"Assignment: Miami Beach" is the first one in the franchise that doesn't have Steve Guttenberg, and I've got mixed feelings about that. In one way it's sort of a blessing, because we can finally spend some quality time with Lassard in this one. George Gaynes has always been the best actor of any installment's cast, so it's nice to see a sequel where everything revolves around him. Granted, all he really gets to do is have people fall over a bunch of times, but somehow he still makes it work. On the other hand, the movie clearly misses a decent "straight man" to counterbalance all the oddballs. I guess that was new guy Matt McCoy's task, but given that the guy has no screen presence whatsoever and barely made the final cut it doesn't quite work. Overall though, I didn't hate this. I mean, they do the same seven or eight bits they do in all the other ones, but here they do them on a different location! Michael Winslow does his Bruce Lee schtick for the fifth time in five movies, but now on a different location! I was sorta surprised Miami didn't have a Blue Oyster Bar, to be honest. "Police Academy 5" is not the greatest movie you'll ever see, but it'll give you about what you would expect.