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Film1985

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

Directed by Jerry Paris

  • comedy
  • crime

The story

Officer Carey Mahoney and his cohorts have finally graduated from the Police Academy and are about to hit the streets on their first assignment. Question is, are they ready to do battle with a band of graffiti-tagging terrorists? Time will tell, but don't sell short this cheerful band of doltish boys in blue.

What it’s like

Bright, flat daytime light and broad, stagey comedy staging: the 1980s studio look of a city precinct, painted-on urban grime, and the clean primary colours of a hometown police station. The camera mostly sits back and lets slapstick play out in wide, well-lit frames, with quick cuts for gags and a bouncy synth-and-brass score that keeps the energy up without ever getting tense. The vibe is cheerful and scrappy, a goofy rowdy good time with a loose, sitcom-like rhythm where one bit of physical comedy follows the next. The people are a motley band of lovable screw-ups who bumble their way toward competence, and the emotional register stays light and affectionate throughout. Intensity is low: there is some pushing, scuffling, and mild crude humour, but no real gore, no sexual content on screen, and the threats never feel frightening. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a comfort rewatch, or a group of friends who want easy laughs, and it is for people who enjoy broad, silly, unpretentious comedy about underdogs in uniform.

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