Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988) Warner Bros./Comedy RT: 90 minutes Rated PG (language, crude humor, comic violence, mild sexual content) Director: Alan Myerson Screenplay: Stephen Curwick Music: Robert Folk Cinematography: James Pergola Release date: March 18, 1988 (US) Cast: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Marion Ramsey, Leslie Easterbrook, Tab Thacker, George Gaynes, G.W. Bailey, Lance Kinsey, Matt McCoy, Janet Jones, George R. Robertson, Rene Auberjonois, Archie Hahn, Jerry Lazarus, James Hampton. Box Office: $19.5 million (US)
Rating: ** 1/2
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach is the first one not to star Steve Guttenberg and Mahoney’s absence is strongly felt. Also MIA from this fifth installment of the series are Tim Kazurinsky and Bobcat Goldthwait as odd couple cops Sweetchuck and Zed which means that its noticeably quieter.
Guttenberg’s departure makes Bubba Smith the star of Police Academy 5 which is something of a misstep as he’s not exactly lead actor material. His character, Moses Hightower, is a reticent sort that relies on his size and strength to maintain law and order. He’s capable of subduing the most unruly with a single menacing glare. He’s a great supporting character, but not much of a lead. Producer Paul Maslansky replaces the Mahoney character with Nick Lassard (McCoy, Fraternity Vacation), member of the Miami PD and nephew to Cmndt. Lassard (Gaynes), still as absent-minded as ever. He does pretty well considering the thin material and inevitable comparisons to Guttenberg. He does have a great mischievous way about him though.
The wacky cops are up to their old tricks in Police Academy 5, but in a different locale. They’re in Miami to honor Cmndt. Lassard who’s been chosen as “Police Officer of the Decade”. Naturally, they run into trouble, this time with a trio of inept criminals. In a Police Academy movie, are there any other kinds?
Always looking for a way to unseat Lassard as head of the Metropolitan Police Academy, Captain Harris (Bailey) thinks he’s finally found the ticket. He learns, by “stretching the law” a bit (breaking into Commissioner Hurst’s office and rifling through his private files), that Lassard reached the mandatory retirement age the year before. Hurst announces Lassard’s retirement at the graduation ceremony which comes as a shock to the good commandant. His sadness is short-lived when his friends remind him of his tenacity and encourage him not to give up. Besides, he’s getting an award in Miami. Lassard invites his favorite graduates- Hightower, Tackleberry (Graf), Jones (Winslow), Hooks (Ramsey), Callahan (Easterbrook) and House (Thacker) who just graduated from the academy- to accompany him. Harris, realizing that the cops don’t respect him (gee, you think?), invites himself to join the group on their trip to Miami. Naturally, Jones can’t resist tampering with his travel arrangements.
At the airport, Lassard accidentally switches bags with a trio of jewel thieves. Upon finding out that he has the wrong bag and only 24 hours to straighten out the mix-up, leader Tony (Auberjonois, Benson) and his two underlings Mouse (Hahn, Meatballs Part II) and Sugar (Lazarus, Treasure of the Four Crowns), search every hotel in Miami for the nutty old man that has their property. In addition to Nick, the group also welcomes Officer Kate (Jones, The Flamingo Kid) into their ranks. Of course, Nick and Kate get together.
The award ceremony will take place at the annual police procedural demonstration, an event that’s highlighted by the staging of a bogus crime. When Tony’s patience finally runs out, he takes Cmndt. Lassard hostage. Naturally, he thinks it’s all part of the show and helps the villains all too happily. It all ends with a chase on swamp boats in the Everglades during which Hightower wrestles an alligator. It’s Florida, what do you expect?
Police Academy 5 has amusing moments scattered throughout like the sunblock prank Nick plays on Harris for his rudeness. That’s one way to label somebody a “dork”. As usual, Proctor (Kinsey) is along to play the fool to Harris’ buffoon. I went to see Police Academy 5 by myself (Dad sat this one out) opening night and thought it was decent. I laughed a little bit, but could see that the series had pretty much run its course.
In the course of Police Academy 5, Tackleberry prevents a shark attack as only he knows how. First time I’ve ever seen a great white ordered to leave the area at gunpoint. So much for the series jumping the shark. Was it personal this time? Okay, enough shark jokes. The best thing I can say about Police Academy 5 is that I don’t mind watching it. Besides, Janet Jones is very easy on the eyes. Okay, not exactly a ringing endorsement, but at least this one is better than the two that follow.
