POLICE ACADEMY

US, 1984, 92 minutes, Colour.
Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, George Gaynes, Bubba Smith, G.W.Bailey, David Graf, Leslie Esterbrook.
Directed by Hugh Wilson.

Police Academy was one of the biggest box office films in the United States and elsewhere in early 1984. With its broad comedy, it touched the popular vein with its characterisation, zany circumstances and visual and verbal humour, with the crude touch and the sex touch, it was immensely popular and illustrates humour of the early '80s.

The film is a Canadian production, filmed in Toronto - although, once again, it is the Canadians trying to be Americans. The writers of the film including Neal Israel and director Hugh Wilson (responsible for such programmes as W.K.R.P. in Cincinnati, have obviously seen Porky's, An Officer And A Gentleman and the various imitations of these films. They put them together with unlikely candidates going to the Police Academy, undergoing the Officer and a Gentleman rigorous training (with the same kind of martinet trainers), but with some time off for self mockery and comeuppance comedy as in Porky's.

The film is generally less crass than many other Porky imitations. Steve Gutenberg (Boys From Brazil, Can't Stop the Music, Diner, The Day After) is an engaging hero. Kim Cattrall (Porky's, Ticket to Heaven) is a vigorous heroine. There is a very funny performance by George Gaines who made such an impression as the ageing television star in Tootsie, and in To Be Or Not To Be. The film provides some chuckles, but is inconsequential except to highlight popular tastes of the '80s.