Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- broad
- juvenile
- irreverent
- family comedy night
- nostalgic 1980s marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded this fourth entry as a worn-out, juvenile sequel with occasional comic energy but little of the original’s freshness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lassard creates the Citizens On Patrol program by bringing eager civilians into police crime-fighting work.
Mahoney and the returning Police Academy team train inexperienced recruits amid pranks, mishaps, and police operations.
Captain Harris deliberately works against Lassard’s new program while the familiar officers try to protect it.
The story culminates in hot-air balloons and antique biplanes used for broad physical comedy.
Films like Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, and why
Police Academy
Shares broad police comedy, ensemble slapstick, recurring comic characters, and an episodic crime-fighting premise.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Shares broad physical comedy, incompetent law-enforcement ensembles, and a family-friendly crime-comedy tone.
Dragnet
Shares 1980s buddy-cop comedy energy, exaggerated police antics, and action-comedy set pieces.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Drake
- Release Date
- 1987-04-02
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (1322)
Cast
- Steve Guttenberg
- Bubba Smith
- Michael Winslow
- David Graf
- Tim Kazurinsky
- Sharon Stone
- Leslie Easterbrook
- Marion Ramsey
- Lance Kinsey
- G.W. Bailey
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol about?
- A well-meaning police commandant recruits civilians into a chaotic crime-fighting program while a jealous rival schemes to bring it down.
- What is Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol as mild.
- What did critics think of Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol?
- Critics broadly regarded this fourth entry as a worn-out, juvenile sequel with occasional comic energy but little of the original’s freshness.
- Which films are like Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol?
- Films with a similar feel include Police Academy, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, and Dragnet.
- How long is Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol?
- Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol?
- In United States, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
