36. Police Academy 4 – Citizens On Patrol (1987)

Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, Michael Winslow, David Graf

Directed By: Jim Drake

The premise of this 4th installment of the Police Academy revolves around the police commander devising an ingenious idea of hiring civilian citizens to work alongside his police officers. Sgt. Carey Mahoney, portrayed by Steve Guttenberg, is then given the task of training and preparing the citizens. At the onset, Sgt. Carey frivolously takes on the job, but everything changes when he learns that his rival, Captain Harris, is aiming for the commander’s job. He does everything to make the commander’s plan work and to foil Captain Harris’s ambitions.

The initial releases of the Police Academy movie series were a commercial success and have garnered critical acclaim. Understandably, the movie execs and producers approved sequel after sequel and shelled out more investment money to prolong the franchise’s success. Unfortunately, this fourth one missed its mark. The critics’consensus says it all. The movie falls flat when it comes to the comedic expectations that you would have from the franchise.