Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

Name: Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Released: April 3, 1987
Duration: 88 min
Rating: 26
Cast: Bubba Smith, David Graf, G.W. Bailey, Lance Kinsey, Leslie Easterbrook

1987

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Ratings

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Ratings

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Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: April 3, 1987 | TV-PG

Starring: Bubba Smith, David Graf, G.W. Bailey, Lance Kinsey, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, Michael Winslow, Sharon Stone, Steve Guttenberg, Tim Kazurinsky

Summary: The motley crew of Police Academy graduates have been assigned to train a group of civilian volunteers to fight crime that is plaguing their streets.

Director: Jim Drake

Genre(s): Comedy, Crime

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 88 min

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas

What's so amazing about the Police Academy movies is that they keep being made even though they stopped being funny after the hilarious original. We're now up to No. 4, and the most you can say for it is that it is the teeniest bit better, not quite so crass as the last two...Director Jim Drake is at least brisk and amiable; if nothing else, Police Academy 4 is good-natured and doesn't drag. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Plenty of pigeon-shit, superglue and squirting ketchup sight gags, plus the usual smutty verbal innuendo. Highlights again include Goldthwait's strangulated vocal ejaculations, a couple of Ninja movie naff-dubbing jokes, and a signposted life-saving gag featuring the chesty Easterbrook in a wet T-shirt. Read full review

Janet Maslin

The Police Academy series seems to shoot for an ever younger crowd. The optimum viewer for Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol would be a 10-year-old boy. Even better, it would be a whole pack of them. That's not to say the film isn't funny; it means only that the sense of humor being addressed is very specific. Stay away if drawing room farce is what you're after. Read full review

Dave Kehr

There hasn`t been a movie quite like Police Academy 4 since, well . . . "Police Academy 3." Make that exactly like, because here are the same characters, the same situations and the same jokes (most of them focused on damage suffered in the genital region) that have served the series since its inauspicious debut in 1984. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Director Jim Drake keeps things moving so quickly, one barely has time to notice just how stale the jokes here are. Read full review

Empire Ian Freer

Citizens On Patrol might well have been subtitled When The Rot Set In. Read full review

Richard Harrington

"4" isn't even a film; it's more like a long trailer, a collection of scenes without sense. It has everything you expect and nothing more: flat and uninspired aural and visual jokes about bodily functions (people's and pigeons'), leather bars, porta-johns, superglue, fat and/or stupid people -- all interspersed with "training," jailbreaks and an airborne chase finale. Read full review

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User Reviews

Homer_Steel

Jul 14, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Comedic Masterpiece! Just as good as the previous installments, if NOT then better. I went to see this one with my Dad, at the Theaters! And have seen it several times ever since, I love it! From the Hilarious "Badullah" Chainsaw wielding maniac prank scene to the "Simon Says" scene at the Jail holding cell scene!… Expand

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Kai82

May 10, 2021

This one is the first movie in the franchise that could not win me over completely. It is however not garbage or truly weak. Also it is the end of an era as many characters never returned to their roles after this like Steve Guttenberg (Carey Mahoney), Bobcat Goldthwait (Zed McGlunk), TimThis one is the first movie in the franchise that could not win me over completely. It is however not garbage or truly weak. Also it is the end of an era as many characters never returned to their roles after this like Steve Guttenberg (Carey Mahoney), Bobcat Goldthwait (Zed McGlunk), Tim Kazurinsky (Carl Sweetchuck) and Brian Tochio (Tomoko Nogata). On top on this Art Metrano (Captain Mauser) had an injury that prevented him from participating in this movie and he never returned to the franchise too. He was replaced by G. W. Bailey who returned to his classic role as Thaddeus Harris. The movie centers around an idea of Commandant Eric Lassard. Because the police force is always at their limits by budgetary issue (underpaid, overworked and not enough staff) he wants to recruit civilians to work together with his officers. This program was named creatively “Citizens on Patrol” to give the cool acronym “COP”. It would also benefit by getting better connections to the public, respect for the work of the police and a mutual understanding. He got the support of the Governor of the state for this. Captain Thaddeus Harris is against this project as he sees it as dangerous for the police and potentially a job killer for even more officers. He is however not successful in stopping the program outright and even worse is put in charge of the project. As expected this is catching the interest of a lot of interesting characters who want to join the program. This is the set up for the movie. Strangely I would side with Captain Harris now as adult. In my youth I only saw him as evil antagonist who uses every opportunity to climb up the ranks like backstabbing Eric Lassard (and it is not false). But here he has a valid argument. If this works it will definitely undermine the police and kill a lot of jobs as the people in charge use every opportunity to cut the budget. Another problem is that these give rise to something like a militia which by itself ends worsening the problem (despotism, discrimination, corruption etc.) There are countless real life examples for militia that failed. Also this makes so many legal problems. I see lawyers taking full advantage for this. Citizens doing thinks like this will destroy evidence or lets say makes evidence unusable in court or violate laws (It will take years to adapt the laws and even then it will end only by Supreme Court ruling even more years later). Back to the movie. Again it is a comedy that use the established formula. We got slapstick, pranks, parody, stereotypes, quirks and word puns. Sadly this is the first time I say it does not work that well I think the good to bad ration is somewhere around 60% to 40%. There are however some memorable scenes that I cherish. While the charming cast is still remarkable it is not that refreshing, original or good anymore compared to the prequels. Some of the characters have not that many rememberable scenes. I want to repeat that I like the actors and characters. Steve Guttenberg, Michael Winslow, Bubba Smith, Marion Ramsey, David Graf, Art Metrano, Lance Kinsey, G. W. Bailey, George Gaynes and Bobcat Goldthwait to name a few are iconic in their roles for me. They all do a good job but it does not work that well as before in this movie. Overall this is still watchable but did not reach the levels of the prequel. It has its moments but could not win me over completely. It is a decline but not a total failure. Must also say I still prefer this any day over the more modern spoof movies.… Expand

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Pan_Krytyk

Aug 16, 2022

stara ale jara komedia.... bawi,śmieszy, rozluznia... generalnie o to chodziło także polecam.

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