Police Academy 4: The One With the Skateboards (and a distinct lack of laughs)

Alright, I finally subjected myself to Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. Look, I went in knowing what to expect, but even with lowered expectations, it managed to disappoint on a profound level. It's not even that the jokes are bad – they're practically nonexistent. It's like someone told the writers "Hey, remember those vaguely amusing slapstick routines from the earlier films? Just...do more of that, but make it bigger and louder!" The result is a series of disjointed set pieces that feel utterly divorced from any semblance of plot or character development. Even Bubba Smith looks like he's phoning it in, and that's saying something. They spend half the movie trying to convince us that skating is the future of policing, and honestly, it feels like the only purpose of the film to highlight that idea. And don't even get me started on the 'villains.' Captain Harris and Proctor are reduced to even more cartoonish buffoons than usual, their attempts at sabotage so utterly inept that it's genuinely baffling how they even managed to get their jobs in the first place. There's a scene where they are trying to sabotage the airplane, and it is just so idiotic that it's cringeworthy more than anything else. At least in the previous movies you could see them coming up with somewhat cunning plans. The whole thing just smells of creative bankruptcy. The Citizens on Patrol recruits themselves are barely characters. They are just plot devices to push the story forward. We don't get to know anything about them or even care about their role in the story. We just see them doing shenanigans. It's a shame, because the concept had potential. Imagine actually exploring the dynamics between seasoned officers and enthusiastic, if somewhat naive, civilians trying to make a difference? Instead, we get...skateboarding. Sigh. Overall, Police Academy 4 is a prime example of a franchise running on fumes. It lacks the charm, wit, and even the basic level of competency of the earlier films. If you're a die-hard fan of the series (and I genuinely pity you if you are), you might find some fleeting amusement in it. Otherwise, steer clear. Your time is better spent watching paint dry, I reckon.