Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

"You're not playing with a full deck, are you?"

"Oh, I don't play cards."

The 16th precinct is the worst in the city.  Crime rates are up, thanks to a gang of teenage hooligans led by Zed (Goldthwait).  Chief Henry Hurst (George R. Robertson) threats to fire Captain Pete Lassard (Hesseman) unless he can fix the problem.  He is given 30 days and 6 new officers, but his second-in-command, Lieutenant Captain Mauser (Metrano) vows to destroy the precinct so he can be the new captain.

Lassard's brother, Commandant Eric Lassard (Gaynes), sends his best officers to help: Mahoney (Guttenberg), Hightower (Smith), Tackleberry (Graf), Jones (Winslow), Fackler (Mahler), and Hooks (Ramsey).  Mauser immediately clashes with the group and sabotages everything they do.  Hooks is sent to dispatch, Fackler is paired with a lazy senior cop, Hightower is sent to the streets, Tackleberry is on motorcycle duty with Sergeant Kirkland (Camp), and Mahoney is paired with slob Officer Schtulman (Van Norden) and his dog.

The city is frustrated by the gang and doesn't trust the police.  Can the new officers help save the precinct, or will they be forced to suffer under Mauser?


This is the second film (of 7) in the Police Academy franchise: Police Academy in 1984, Police Academy 3: Back in Training in 1986, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol in 1987, Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach in 1988, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989, and Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow in 1994.  There were also 2 television shows.  The live-action Police Academy: The Series from 1997-1998 and Police Academy: The Animated Series in 1989.  There have been rumors of an 8th film in the franchise since the early 2000s, but it has yet to materialize.

The Good:
This film brings back 6 of the cadets from the first film, along with an extended cameo by Commandant Lassard.  The things that work from the first film are again used here: Mahoney clashing with leaders, Jones' sound effects, etc.

The Bad:
The returning characters do not have as much to do.  They are still funny, but they have to make room for the new characters.  The new characters are fine, but they don't all work as well as the film things they do.  Bobcat Goldthwait's Zed is ridiculous, but manageable.  Tim Kazurinsky's Carl seems shoehorned in... his interactions with Zed are funny, but they couldn't find a good reason to keep bringing him into the action.  Art Metrano is their main antagonist in the police force, replacing G.W. Bailey's Lieutenant Harris.  He is fine, but Bailey's Harris was a better antagonist.

Other Comments:
-The action moves outside the academy and to an actual police precinct.
-Howard Hesseman makes his only appearance in the series as Lassard's brother and the the leader of the precinct.
-Good, but not great.

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) 87 minutes
Director: Jerry Paris
Starring: Steve Guttenberg as Officer Carey Mahoney
Bubba Smith as Officer Moses Hightower
David Graf as Officer Eugene Tackleberry
Michael Winslow as Officer Larvell Jones
Bruce Mahler as Officer Douglas Fackler
Marion Ramsey as Officer Laverne Hooks
Colleen Camp as Sergeant Kathleen Kirkland
Howard Hesseman as Captain Pete Lassard
Art Metrano as Lieutenant Captain Mauser
Peter Van Norden as Officer Vinnie Schtulman
Lance Kinsey as Sergeant Proctor
George Gaynes as Commandant Eric Lassard
Bob Goldthwait as Zed McGlunk
Tim Kazurinsky as Carl Sweetchuck