Police Academy 3: Back in Training
Police Academy 3: Back in Training is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. It is the third film of the Police Academy film series and the sequel to Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.
Police Academy 3: Back in Training | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan | |
Directed by | Jerry Paris |
Produced by | Paul Maslansky Donald West |
Written by | Gene Quintano |
Based on | Characters by |
Starring | |
Music by | Robert Folk |
Cinematography | Robert Saad |
Edited by | Bud Molin |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 83 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $12 million[1] |
Box office | $107.6 million[1] |
Despite receiving generally negative reviews,[2] it was an overall success at the box office. It is the first film in the series to have a PG rating and all films in the series afterwards received a PG rating as well, unlike the first film having an R rating and the sequel, Their First Assignment, having a PG-13 rating.
Plot
The film begins in a large garage structure, where Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey) and Commandant Mauser (Art Metrano) meet up with former cadets (now Sgts.) Chad Copeland (Scott Thomson) and Kyle Blanks (Brant van Hoffman) from Commandant Lassard's police academy. It seems one of the two police academies is getting the axe due to the state government's unwillingness to continue financing two academies, and Mauser wants Copeland and Blanks to make sure Lassard fails. The men agree to the plan, knowing this may be their only chance at revenge against Lassard for graduating them at the bottom of their class.
The following day, after the governor's (Ed Nelson) speech in which he will appoint a committee to evaluate which of the two academies should remain open, Mauser starts getting an edge by kissing up to the governor, but Sgt. Jones (Michael Winslow) quickly prevents this by discreetly humiliating Mauser in front of the governor with his noise imitations that sound like belching. Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) gets an idea on how to win: along with now Sgt. Jones and Lt. Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook), he calls back Sgt. Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), Sgt. Hooks (Marion Ramsey), Sgt. Hightower (Bubba Smith), and Sgt. Tackleberry (David Graf) to help train the new recruits. Among the new recruits are Sgt. Fackler's wife, Violet (Debralee Scott), whom Sgt. Fackler (Bruce Mahler) is against being trained to be a police officer; Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky) and Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait), who have a history from the second movie as a meek small business owner being harassed by a gang led by Zed; Karen Adams (Shawn Weatherly), a beautiful young woman whom Mahoney is attracted to but who rejects his overtures; and Tackleberry's brother-in-law Bud Kirkland (Andrew Paris). Tomoko Nogata (Brian Tochi) is at first a recruit of Mauser's academy, but Mauser transfers him in with Lassard's academy instead in hopes of sabotaging the latters' academy further.
After a few weeks of training, Nogata is lovestruck over Callahan. Sweetchuck contemplates quitting after Zed, whom he was forced to room with, drives him crazy, but Tackleberry talks him out of it and takes him under his wing. Copeland and Blanks make the recruits do things that would make the committee think they are incompetent. The recruits fail and are teased by Mauser and Proctor. However, Mahoney gets back at them by taping Mauser's eyes closed while doing a taste test. Proctor succeeds in removing the tape, but the tape pulls off Mauser's eyebrows.
Both Lassard and Mahoney give a pep talk to each of the cadets before training resumes. Adams finally warms up to Mahoney after his pep talk and bonds with him for the rest of the film. At the policepersons' ball, Mahoney meets up with his prostitute friend from the first film (Georgina Spelvin), and has her do a favor on Proctor after the latter insults Mahoney and Adams. The prostitute tricks Proctor into removing all his clothes and then locking him out of the hotel room, and while trying to get back to his academy, Proctor accidentally enters the Blue Oyster Bar. Meanwhile, Mauser insults Lassard in front of the recruits by telling him that he is winning, so Mahoney gets him back by giving a speech at the ball and then putting the microphone in a pitcher of water. When Mauser grabs it, the microphone shocks him.
On the final day of the cadet training/evaluation competition, one recruit from each academy attends the governor's ball (Proctor misunderstands and sends in two, one of whom is portrayed by David James Elliott). Copeland and Blanks play with the computer system and send cars to the wrong locations in their attempt to help Mauser win, but they are caught by Hooks, who knocks them out cold. At the governor's party, a gang of thieves dressed as busboys start robbing the guests and take the governor hostage. Mauser's cadets promptly faint upon being threatened by the thieves, but Lassard's cadet Hedges (David Huband) manages to alert Lassard's team, prompting Mahoney and the gang to rescue the governor. Mauser's academy proves to be ineffective to react to the emergency, but Lassard's squad arrives just in time to fight off the thieves and rescue the governor.
As a result of the governor's final judgment, Mauser's academy is shut down due to them being ineffective in stopping the robbery at the party, while Lassard's stays open. The epilogue shows Lassard delivering a speech on how the academy is grateful for the "many, many" recruits. The graduating class salutes the camera as the film ends.
Cast
Lassard Academy
- Steve Guttenberg as Sgt. Carey Mahoney
- Bubba Smith as Sgt. Moses Hightower
- David Graf as Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry
- Michael Winslow as Sgt. Larvell Jones
- Leslie Easterbrook as Lt. Debbie Callahan
- Marion Ramsey as Sgt. Laverne Hooks
- Bruce Mahler as Sgt. Douglas Fackler
- George Gaynes as Cmdt. Eric Lassard
Mauser Academy
- Art Metrano as Cmdt. Ernie Mauser
- Lance Kinsey as Lt. Carl Proctor
- Scott Thomson as Sgt. Chad Copeland
- Brant von Hoffman as Sgt. Kyle Blanks
Cadets
- Debralee Scott as Cadet Violet Fackler
- Tim Kazurinsky as Cadet Carl Sweetchuck
- Brian Tochi as Cadet Tomoko Nogata
- Andrew Paris as Cadet Bud Kirkland
- Bobcat Goldthwait as Cadet Zed McGlunk
- Shawn Weatherly as Cadet Karen Adams
- David Huband as Cadet Hedges
- Marcia Watkins as Cadet Sarah
- R. Christopher Thomas as Cadet Baxter #1
- David James Elliott as Cadet Baxter #2
Others
- George R. Robertson as Commissioner Henry Hurst
- Ed Nelson as Governor Neilson
- Georgina Spelvin as Hooker
- Arthur Batanides as Mr. Kirkland
- Chas Lawther as Mr. Delaney
- Doug Lennox as Main Bad Guy
- TJ Scott as Robber
- Jerry Paris as Priest
Filming locations
As with other films in the series, the film was shot primarily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada . The city skyline is clearly identifiable in the concluding 'yacht club' scenes. There is also the scene where the female recruit drives the police car up and over a dirt pile out of an alley. At the end of the alley, there is a Toronto Sun paper box. The city grid shown on the computerized dispatch system also shows a map of downtown Toronto streets, with the detail bordering between Trinity, Yonge, Queen Streets, and the Gardiner Expressway. In the scene in which Tackleberry shoots out the television screen with his gun, a Canada Dry soda machine can be seen in the background next to a 'C' Plus soda machine, a form of Sunkist that is only sold in Canada.
Reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews.[2] It currently holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews.[3]
Box office
The film debuted at number one at the box office in the United States.[4] The film grossed $43,579,163 in the United States making it the 17th highest-grossing film of 1986 in the United States.[5] It faced stiff box office competition from many other high-profile comedy films released early that year such as Back To School, Ruthless People, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Down And Out In Beverly Hills, Legal Eagles, Short Circuit, Running Scared, The Money Pit, Gung Ho, Hannah and Her Sisters, Wildcats, and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. The film grossed $107,639,000 worldwide from a budget of $12 million.[1]
References
- Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey, eds. (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. HarperCollins. p. 631. ISBN 9780061778896.
- "Movie Reviews : 'Police Academy 3' Is Not The Ticket". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/police_academy_3_back_in_training/
- "Police Academy 3` Opening Steals Top Box-office Spot". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- Police Academy 3: Back in Training at Box Office Mojo