I have a deep love for the Police Academy franchise, and I'm sure there is a great deal of nostalgia in that adoration, because I watched them when I was young. The style of comedy works for me because the movie is presented as if it takes place in the real world, but the kind of things that go on are a bit sillier than you would see in reality. It's almost cartoon-like in the slapstick, but lands just a bit higher on the believability scale. The characters are so goofy, but my entrenchment in the franchise means that each one is like an old friend to me, and their odd quirks just make them more lovable. I also appreciate some of the running gags that were started here, and would continue throughout the series. There are some surprisingly solid aspects to this screenplay, particularly for a comedy. It creates some actual drama in the final act despite the fact that most of the characters weren't taking things seriously up to that point. I also love how most of the major characters get their moment to prove they have what it takes in the climax, despite the shortcomings they showed earlier in the film.
I do recognize there are some significant failings in Police Academy, though. Probably the biggest problem with the script is the inconsistent rules about when and why Lieutenant Harris is allowed to kick people out of the Academy. The entire tension for him up to that point is that he wants to get rid of all these unqualified cadets, but he is not allowed to let them go, so he must try to make things harder so they will quit. Yet, in order to create some conflict for the third act, suddenly that changes. He can threaten Hightower with expulsion if he fails a driving test, and he can finally let Mahoney go for nothing more than getting in a fight. The movie also has a rather dated attitude towards homosexuality. While the Blue Oyster Bar isn't directly mean-spirited towards gays, it feeds into some terribly dated stereotypes and is seen as a humorous punishment for bad behavior. I recognize these flaws, but I am able to overlook them because I have such a fondness for everything else that happens in the movie. It's goofy, ridiculous, even stupid at times, and I enjoy it for all of those reasons.
I do recognize there are some significant failings in Police Academy, though. Probably the biggest problem with the script is the inconsistent rules about when and why Lieutenant Harris is allowed to kick people out of the Academy. The entire tension for him up to that point is that he wants to get rid of all these unqualified cadets, but he is not allowed to let them go, so he must try to make things harder so they will quit. Yet, in order to create some conflict for the third act, suddenly that changes. He can threaten Hightower with expulsion if he fails a driving test, and he can finally let Mahoney go for nothing more than getting in a fight. The movie also has a rather dated attitude towards homosexuality. While the Blue Oyster Bar isn't directly mean-spirited towards gays, it feeds into some terribly dated stereotypes and is seen as a humorous punishment for bad behavior. I recognize these flaws, but I am able to overlook them because I have such a fondness for everything else that happens in the movie. It's goofy, ridiculous, even stupid at times, and I enjoy it for all of those reasons.