Police Academy 3: Back in Training
When police funding is cut, the Governor announces he must close one of the academies. To make it fair, the two police academies must compete against each other to stay in operation. Mauser persuades two officers in Lassard's academy to better his odds, but things don't quite turn out as expected...
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- Cast:
- Steve Guttenberg , Bubba Smith , David Graf , Michael Winslow , Marion Ramsey , Leslie Easterbrook , Art Metrano
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Reviews
Best movie of this year hands down!
Must See Movie...
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
The best of the 'Police Academy' films will always be the original by quite some way. It isn't great and will never be a favourite comedy or overall film of mine, but it clearly knew what it wanted to be so it was easy to take it for what it was and what it set out to do.It was followed by six sequels, and none of them were as good or even on the same level as the first, though admittedly some are worse than others. Most of them are actually being pretty bad or worse and lose what was enjoyable about the original in the first place. After a tolerable but vastly inferior first sequel, the quality worsens with 'Police Academy 3' while not being one of the series' worst.'Police Academy 3' is not irredeemable, then again this is coming from somebody who always tries to find something good in mediocre or less films. A few cast members fare well, those being Michael Winslow, David Graf and Leslie Easterbrook. George Gaynes is always watchable and is here too even with his material not being as meaty or as funny.Robert Folk's score is robust and infectious and there is a bit with a scooter and a car that is quite amusing and the best timed of all the gags.Unfortunately, too much of the cast have little to do or have lost what made their characters work before. Steve Guttenberg has lost his spark and enthusiasm, while Marion Ramsey does little with a character that has nothing to her and, while a high-point in the second film, Bob Goldthwait is even more unsubtle and tries far too hard here that it's irritating.Sadly there are nowhere near enough laughs, maybe a couple of minor parts work but there are no real highlight scenes really (which the first two had) and the rest of the gags are poorly timed, feeling laboured and with some abrupt shifts from one to another, parts that are more grossly crude than anything remotely amusing and too much of it has a style of humour that feels far too toned down, which makes the film feel leaden and bland.Production values look rushed, like there were severe time and budget constraints, while what little there is of the story (most of it close to non-existent rather than thin) is an incredibly lazy-feeling replay. The climax goes on for far too long and a lot of it is ineptly staged and the low point of the surprisingly amateurish direction. The script throughout takes the dumbness way too far and some of it is pretty puerile to insulting degrees.Overall, the IMDb taglines listed couldn't be more ironic summing up a weak (but worse was to follow) entry. 3/10 Bethany Cox
This is the second sequel to Police Academy, where the city's two police academies, one is under the eye of Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) and the other under Commandant Mauser (Art Metrano), enter a little "competition" to see who can do a better job at protecting the city in order to keep themselves from closing (due to limited funds, the city is considering closing down one of the academies). As a result, Mauser recruits Sgt. Blanks (Brant von Hoffmanand) and Sgt. Copeland (Scott Thomson) and instructs them sabotage Lassard's cadets, while Sergeants Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), Hightower (Bubba Smith), Jones (Michael Winslow), Tackleberry (David Graf) and Hooks (Marion Ramsey) try to train the new cadets to hopefully save their academy.The acting continues to be pretty good with this film and I thought the entire cast did a good job in their roles, each one giving a unique and humorous personality, like Jones' funny sound effects, Hooks' shy voice, Tackleberry's forceful weapon tactics and Hightower's giant, intimidating stance. Mauser continues his villainous but funny character and Proctor continues to be the slapstick and bumbling assistant to Mauser. The addition of Cadets Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait), Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky) and Cadet Nogata (Brian Tochi) added more humor and charm to the story.This movie goes at a more quicker pace than the previous two films and the plot seems to be more intact and intriguing, from the sergeants training the cadets to all the running gags at Mauser's and Proctor's expense. Jerry Paris did a good job in the direction and the script by Gene Quintano is much more captivating; you get a lot of police action and some thrilling moments. And, Robert Folk's toe-tapping Police Academy theme deserves an honorable mention.Overall, it's the best of the Police Academy movies - at least the best of the first four.Grade B
Ooh! They've really scraped the bottom of the barrel this time. Returning to the same theme as number one, "Police Academy III" finds us "Back in Training" with a new bunch of recruits who look sure to foul up big time.Most of the familiar gang return, including Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, David Graf and Michael Winslow, though this doesn't help a wit. Even the final chase scene, which had potential, is too long-winded for its own good.Almost barren of laughs.Tuesday, January 4, 2000 - Video
The series starts to run out of gas a bit with this third sequel. This time our lovable bunch of kooky oddballs have to save their alma mater from getting closed down by whipping up a motley assortment of raw recruits who include Tim Kazurinsky as the timid Sweetchuck, Brian Tochi as ace Japanese martial artist Nogata, Shawn Weatherly as the sweet Karen Adams, the sublimely manic Bobcat Goldthwait as the gloriously crazed Zed, and Debralee Scott as the fiery Mrs. Fackler into shape. Director Jerry Paris does a reasonable enough job of maintaining a steady pace and a lightweight good-natured tone throughout, but alas Gene Quintiano's tired script recycles too many gags from the previous two pictures and offers precious little as far as novel jokes are concerned. Fortunately, the last third delivers an extremely exciting and well staged protracted action set piece involving power boats and jet-skis. Moreover, the cast do their best with the so-so material: Steve Guttenberg as affable skirt-chaser Carey Mahoney, Bubba Smith as the hulking Moses Hightower, David Graf as gung-ho firearms fanatic Eugene Tackleberry, Michael Winslow as zany human sound effects machine Larvelle Jones, Marion Ramsey as the meek, mousy-voiced Laverne Hooks, Leslie Easterbrook as the stern and intimidating Debbie Callahan, Art Metrano as slimy boot licker Mauser, and George Gaynes as the bumbling Commandant Lassard. 70's porn star Georgina Spelvin has a sexy bit as a saucy hooker. Robert Folk's robust and rousing score hits the stirring spot. Not one of the best entries in the series, but nonetheless amusing and entertaining enough for fans.