1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
"To protect, to serve... and make you laugh. America's funniest crimebusters are back!"
1985 1h 27m EN
😐
6.1
MID
★6.1TMDB · 1,795
ComedyCrime
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Officer Carey Mahoney and his cohorts have finally graduated from the Police Academy and are about to hit the streets on their first assignment. Question is, are they ready to do battle with a band of graffiti-tagging terrorists? Time will tell, but don't sell short this cheerful band of doltish boys in blue.
“To protect, to serve... and make you laugh. America's funniest crimebusters are back!”
Cast
Steve Guttenberg
Carey Mahoney
Bubba Smith
Moses Hightower
David Graf
Tackleberry
Michael Winslow
Larvell Jones
Bruce Mahler
Doug Fackler
Marion Ramsey
Laverne Hooks
Colleen Camp
Kirkland
Howard Hesseman
Pete Lassard
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Jerry Paris
- Writers
- David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 7.3× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
CINEMA
Did you know
Part of the "Police Academy Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Jerry Paris, shot by James Crabe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Robert Folk. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Bob Wyman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Steve Guttenberg and Bubba Smith and David Graf carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Jerry Paris directs. James Crabe behind the camera. Robert Folk scores. Bob Wyman cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
- 2Made its money back 7.3× over at the box office.
- 341 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 4Part of the "Police Academy Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
- 5Directed by Jerry Paris, shot by James Crabe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Robert Folk. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Bob Wyman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Steve Guttenberg and Bubba Smith and David Graf carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "To protect, to serve... and make you laugh. America's funniest crimebusters are back!".
- 10IMDB entry: tt0089822 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 8 themes, including "espionage", "handcuffs", "investigation", "police chief".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- James Crabe
- Original score
- Robert Folk
- Editing
- Bob Wyman
- Production design
- Trevor Williams
- Costume design
- Bernie Pollack
- Makeup / hair
- Stephen Abrums
- Sound
- Allen L. Stone
- Stunt coordinator
- Joe Dunne
- Runtime
- 87 min · 1h 27m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $7,600,000
- Box office
- $55,600,000
- Return
- 732% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
Part of
Police Academy Collection
A series of American comedy films, the first six of which were made in the 1980s. The seventh and to date last installment, Mission to Moscow, was released in 1994. The series opened with Police Academy (1984) which started with the premise that a new mayor had announced a policy requiring the police department to accept all willing recruits. The movie followed a group of misfit recruits in their attempts to prove themselves capable of being police officers. The main character, Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), was a repeat offender who was forced to join the police academy as punishment.
Also by
Jerry Paris
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Ian Beale★ 10/10
Superior to the first movie This movie has so many great moments. All of the original gang return - except Harris and Callahan. Lt. Mauser ( Art Metrano) is the new slimy adversary here along with his braindead sidekick, Proctor. Highlights include the hilarious Kirkland family and their bouts of affection, an overly sticky black sock, a gang of moronic street thugs led by the cretinous Zed (Bob Goldthwait) and a hilarious scene in a sushi bar. The last of the truly funny Academy movies.
- Filipe Manuel Neto★ 6/10
An honorable sequel. This film is a sequel that came out the year after the release of its predecessor, making the best use of the box office success achieved. Although many may not even agree with me, I believe it managed to reasonably match the initial film, and helped to consolidate the nascent franchise and give it popularity, which TV later took advantage of. The script continues the story told in the first film, with the newly graduated police officers taking on their first and thorny mission: to reinforce the weakened and demoralized contingent of a police station in a troubled neighborhood, headed by the brother of the Academy Commander. Of course, one of the bosses is keen to take his place, and will do whatever he can to get in the way. The script continues not to be particularly inspired, and to demonstrate several weaknesses, but it does the essential and reasonably sustains the film. It is not, however, as effective in this task as the first film. On a positive note: the nudity we saw in the initial film has all been stripped away here, making this film reasonably more suited to the family context. The cast is almost entirely inherited from the previous film and the more familiar and solid faces will be the ones that will sustain the bulk of the action here. Once again, Steve Guttenberg once again stands out and has an unmistakable role. Still, Art Metrano manages to steal our attention every time he appears on the scene, and he's really funny and good at what he does. David Graf, Bubba Smith, Lance Kinsey and especially Bob Goldthwait are actors who deserve praise for a job really well done. I really liked Goldthwait and the way he gave his character a touch of unpredictable madness. Marion Ramsey is in a more low-key position here, but she does what she can with what little she's been given. The film has good sets and costumes, and the cinematography is regular, but it works well. The soundtrack brings back the main theme we already know, but it doesn't present anything that is really interesting anymore. The film has a very good pace and is not tiring.
- JPV852★ 6/10
Inoffensive sequel provided a few laughs but isn't as good as the first. Still, fine as a quick viewing given it's only 80-minutes long. 3.25/5
Production companies
Who made it
The Ladd Company
US
Key crew
- ProducerPaul Maslansky
- EditorBob Wyman
- CastingPamela Basker
- StuntsWink Roberts
- Production ManagerSascha Schneider
- Additional EditingJack Harnish
- Second Assistant DirectorSandra M. Middleton
- Additional EditingDon Guidice
- First Assistant DirectorRoger Joseph Pugliese
- Assistant EditorBen Williams
- Second Assistant DirectorJeff Stolow
- Set DecorationRobert C. Furginson
- First Assistant DirectorDonald Heitzer
- Set DecorationDennis W. Peeples
- Co-ProducerLeonard C. Kroll
- StuntsAlan Oliney
- Script SupervisorRay Quiroz
- StuntsGene Hartline
- StuntsVictor Paul
- ADR EditorGail Clark Burch
- Executive ProducerJohn Goldwyn
- StuntsTed Duncan
- Assistant EditorChristopher Kroll
- StuntsBrian J. Williams
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- espionage
- handcuffs
- investigation
- police chief
- police operation
- sequel
- police academy
- commandant
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1985-03-28PG-13
- Physical1985-09-30PG-13· VHS
Also known as
International titles
- Polisskolan 2 – Första uppdragetSE
- Police Academy 2US
- Police Academy 2 - Au boulot !FR
- Academia de Polícia 2: A Primeira MissãoPT
- Police Academy II: Their First AssignmentUS
- Policejní akademie 2: Jejich první nasazeníCZ
