“Now, which one of you guys was resisting arrest?” —Sergeant Tackleberry
Today’s quick review: Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach. With Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) coming up on retirement, Captain Harris (G.W. Bailey) sets his sights on Lassard’s position at the head of the Metropolitan Police Academy. Standing in his way are Lassard’s loyal graduates (Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, and Marion Ramsey), who are determined to make sure his retirement goes off without a hitch.
Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach is a police comedy with an ensemble cast. Assignment: Miami Beach picks up with the graduates of the Police Academy as they accompany Lassard on the final trip of his career: a police convention in Miami Beach where he is to honored for his accomplishments. The movie regains the sense of proportion of the earlier movies in the series, but that isn’t enough to save it from stale jokes and a meandering plot.
Assignment: Miami Beach scales back the cast significantly compared to the last two entries in the series. Only the core cast returns, plus two or three new faces who don’t take up much screentime. The result is a more streamlined comedy that gives its characters the chance to breathe. Even so, Assignment: Miami Beach still has a massive cast and not much for them to do. Fans of the series shouldn’t expect any major changes to the status quo.
Assignment: Miami Beach has a slightly different style of delivery than the previous films. The types of jokes are still the same, but the characters seem more aware that they’re part of a comedy routine. This leads to cleaner delivery but less energy, as nearly everyone stops to listen to whoever has center stage. The jokes themselves are nothing new, while the plot suffers from the same lack of purpose as the previous entries in the series.
All in all, Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach is a step back in the right direction for the series, but it is missing the novelty and energy to be a truly worthwhile watch. Fans of the Police Academy series may want to give it a shot simply to see the characters in action once more, but those who have seen any of the other movies will already get the gist. Those hoping for a sharp plot or memorable gags should steer clear.
For a more inspired police comedy, try one of the Naked Gun movies. For a more successful comedy with the same spirit, try Animal House or Caddyshack. For similar gags delivered with more zeal, try the original Police Academy.
4.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for modest comedy without much force behind it.