During my spring break in 1984, I went up to Michigan to see some of my relatives. One day while I was up there I went to see "Police Academy" with my mom, my grandma, and a cousin. Before we saw this, I remembered Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave this movie no stars. I also remembered Ebert reviewing this movie on his show "At The Movies" with his late partner Gene Siskel (this was before their show went nationwide and was retitled "Siskel & Ebert"). Ebert summed up "Police Academy" in one short sentence: "IT IS BAD!!!" And Siskel agreed with him. But I went to see this movie anyway and to this day I'm glad that I did. "Police Academy" made me laugh my head off. After the movie was over I said it was the funniest movie since "Airplane!" This movie was so funny I went to see it a second time over Memorial Day weekend 1984 with a friend of mine here in Chicago. "Police Academy" still makes me laugh to this day. It's too bad the sequels didn't live up to this, the original. The second, third, and fourth movies in the series were marginally funny. The fifth and sixth movies were less funny and the series started to wear out its welcome. I've never seen the seventh movie "Mission to Moscow" but I heard it's a stinker. So I'm sticking with the first movie because it's the funniest.
**** (out of four)
**** (out of four)