Police Academy

Police Academy (1984)

Call them slobs. Call them jerks. Call them gross. Just don't call them when you're in trouble.

Release:1984
Runtime:1h 37m
Country:United States
Director:Hugh Wilson
Language:English

Keywords

TrainerRecruitShenaniganPolice Academy

Police Academy rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb6.7/10· 148K votes
Rotten Tomatoes58%
Metacritic41%
TMDb6.7/10· 3K votes

With 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.7/10 on IMDb and 41/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been mixed.

About Police Academy

New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!

Cast of Police Academy

  • Steve Guttenberg

    Steve Guttenberg

    as Carey Mahoney

  • Kim Cattrall

    Kim Cattrall

    as Karen Thompson

  • G.W. Bailey

    G.W. Bailey

    as Lieutenant Harris

  • Bubba Smith

    Bubba Smith

    as Moses Hightower

  • Donovan Scott

    Donovan Scott

    as Leslie Barbara

  • George Gaynes

    George Gaynes

    as Commandant Lassard

  • Andrew Rubin

    Andrew Rubin

    as George Martin

  • David Graf

    David Graf

    as Tackleberry

  • Leslie Easterbrook

    Leslie Easterbrook

    as Sergeant Callahan

  • Michael Winslow

    Michael Winslow

    as Larvell Jones

  • Debralee Scott

    Debralee Scott

    as Mrs. Fackler

  • Bruce Mahler

    Bruce Mahler

    as Doug Fackler

Police Academy facts

Budget
$4.5M
Box office
$81.2M
Collection
Police Academy Collection

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • Comedy-crime ensemble cast delivers consistent entertainment
  • Police academy recruit narrative provides clear structure
  • Shenanigans and trainer dynamics sustain comedic tone

What the audience disliked

  • Low Meta score reveals inconsistent critical appreciation
  • 80s-era humor style may not age well for modern viewers
Saga: Police Academy Collection

Trailer

Where to watch Police Academy(US)

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