Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a 1985 comedic film that is the sequel to the successful Police Academy. It's an entertaining blend of comic buffet, physical slapstick, and witty dialogue, all enveloping around the sentiment of team effort and camaraderie. This movie, which continues the saga of the newly graduated cadets from the Police Academy, was directed by Jerry Paris and welcomes back Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, and David Graf among the many original characters.

Set in an unnamed town, the viewer watches as chaos ensues, bringing a constant sense of humor, gags, and enjoyable nonsense in its wake. The story focuses on our band of loveable but bumbling law enforcers assigned their first role in the field under the command of some familiar faces from the first movie. Commandant Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) is tasked with the mission of cleaning up the crime-ridden streets of his precinct in the heart of the city. In order to achieve this, he hires fresh lieutenants from the new Police Academy graduates.

The lead character, Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), is back with his charmingly rebellious nature, quick wit, and uncanny knack for creating and simultaneously defusing awkward situations. However, it’s delightful to see that he and his fellow cadets have grown since the first movie, showing signs of maturity and a more serious approach to their careers, while still bringing on the laughs.

Bubba Smith reprises his role as the towering, soft-hearted Hightower, remaining a silent giant with a teddy bear personality and immense physical strength. The eager yet inexperienced Tackleberry (David Graf) brings a militaristic style of law enforcement which invariably leads to more comic mayhem. The lovably timid Hooks (Marion Ramsey), the necessarily loud Jones (Michael Winslow) with his uncanny ability of sound effect mimicry, and the suave, lanky sweetheart, Fackler (Bruce Mahler), all add to the comic chaos that ensues. The ever romantic relationship between Kyle (Scott Thomson) and housewife Karen (Colleen Camp) brings a nice counter to the comedic plot, adding a dash more of sweetness and light-hearted serenity to the humorous tumult.

The film capitalizes on the audience's developed love for these characters and effectively utilizes their individual quirks and eccentricities to rope in laughter. This movie is a testament to the humor that lies within the mundane daily tasks of a police officer and showcases how, even in the most serious of professions, there is space for humor and fun.

The new assignment brings the newly graduated officers face-to-face with an outrageous gang causing havoc, led by the equally outrageous Zed (Bob Goldthwait). Zed's high-energy, chaotic personality is a perfect foil to the police academy’s squad of law enforcement. It results in an ensemble of laugh-out-loud moments that are as funny as they are outrageous.

As anticipated, things swiftly head south at their first assignment, leading to countless amusing situations. Nonetheless, it's through their collective mishaps and every mishandled task that the group continues to grow as a team. The narrative grows in alignment with the characters' bond, pushing the team to put their training to good use and work together to restore order in the city.

What’s glorious about Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is that it manages to deliver more of the same, yet stand comfortably on its own as a comedy sequel. The writers, Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield, continue to fill the plot with ingenious antics and all the while, never losing sight of the heart of the story – our lovable, good-hearted but bumbling police officers. The humor carried through from the first film is embodied in equal measure in the sequel, where the gag-a-minute sequences are packed into each scene, ensuring that the audience remains entertained throughout.

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment has stood the test of time and remains an extremely enjoyable and entertaining comedy. The film encapsulates 80's humor while maintaining an endearing quality that the audiences today can still appreciate, making it a timeless classic that promises guaranteed hilarity and a sense of fun that few movies can rival.