Police Academy

There aren’t too many films outside of horror that can claim a total of six sequels. Police Academy was the first in an almost endless franchise, making fun of America’s proud police force.

When a police academy, run by senile Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) drops all of its entrance requirements, a large number of misfits sign up to try to join the force. The main man is Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenburg), a lazy, ambitionless, ladies man, who is forced to enlist after a string of misdemeanours.

He initially tries everything to get kicked out, but unsurprisingly soon realises, with the help of love interest Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), that he can become a decent cop and decides to stay. He then tries everything he can to finish the course, even in the face of the punishment dished out by drill instructor Lieutenant Harris (G.W. Bailey), who has taken an instant disliking to him.

The film features a whole host of crazy supporting characters, including human beat box Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), man mountain Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), Gun-obsessed Eugene Tackleberry (David Graf), the virtually mute Laverne Hooks (Marion Ramsey) and dominatrix instructor Sergeant Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook).

The beauty of the Police Academy films was that you could always rely on certain things happening. Mahoney would always get the girl, Harris would always be the victim of some practical joke (mace in the shower, super glue on his megaphone etc.), someone would always accidentally walk into the Blue Oyster Bar (a dreadfully stereotypical gay bar) and the criminals would always somehow be thwarted in the end.