Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 8, 2023

After spending the last two sequels on the Police Academy grounds, producer Paul Maslansky hopes to shake things up with a little fun and sun for “Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach.” Well, maybe not the fun part, but there’s plenty of Floridian sights and sounds in the endeavor, which is the first without star Steve Guttenberg, making more room for the supporting cast to shine. Director Alan Myerson has a better grasp on slapstick for this installment, doing relatively well with physical comedy, but the screenplay by Stephen Curwick isn’t rich with amusing antics. What the writing does contain is more of a storyline for the series, giving viewers something to follow as the production lines up the usual in pranks and humiliations, finding staleness generally holding back the merriment Myerson is looking to communicate.

Captain Harris (G.W. Bailey) and Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey) are up to no good, exposing Commandant Lassard’s (George Gaynes) age to superiors, pushing him into mandatory retirement with plans to take control of the Police Academy. To celebrate his service, the city is awarding Lassard the “Police Officer of the Decade” award at the annual National Police Chiefs Convention in Miami, inviting the leader and his officers to Florida for the occasion. In the airport, Lassard’s bag is accidentally swapped with one owned by Tony (Rene Auberjonois), a crook trying to deliver stolen diamonds to his buyer. Looking to have fun in the sun are Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook), Hightower (Bubba Smith), House (Tab Thacker), Hooks (Marion Ramsay), Jones (Michael Winslow), and Tackleberry (David Graf), with the gang joined by Lassard’s nephew, Nick (Matt McCoy), and convention attendee Kate (Janet Jones). However, merriment is cut short when Tony and his stooges kidnap Lassard, with the cops jumping into action to save their friend.

There’s the faint presence of dramatic structure in “Assignment Miami Beach,” with Harris looking to get rid of Lassard, breaking into an office with Proctor to research the Commandant’s real age. And there’s Tony, a jewel thief making a huge score after breaking into a museum, loading the goods in a black bag, making a trip to Miami to deliver the prize to his boss. After previous sequels went out of their way to be as shapeless as possible, it’s refreshing to find “Assignment Miami Beach” create a defined villain and a few missions for the cops, with the convention also bringing them to Florida. However, before beach antics commence, there’s plenty of time spent at the airport, where Lassard drops a string of golf balls for travelers to slip on, and Harris receives his usual punishment, driven mad by a metal detector, with alarm sounds courtesy of Jones.

It's all harmless, PG-rated material, but not terribly exciting, presenting the basics in slapstick timing. In Miami, things perk up with the arrival of Nick, the Mahoney stand-in for the picture, with this rascal much better at police work, but still aggressive with women, finding the writing barely putting in the effort to connect the man with Kate. Hotel mischief keeps “Assignment Miami Beach” going, watching the cops play volleyball and limbo, and they torment Harris with sunblock in the feature’s weirdest joke. Convention happenings also deliver bits for the cast, watching Hooks test her crowd control skills and Jones, once again, returns to his badly dubbed martial arts movie gag (the fourth film in a row to use it). Tony and his goons are also permitted time to deliver some stupidity. Laughs are scarce, but “Assignment Miami Beach” is trying to keep the picture a group effort, and focus returns to the story when Lassard takes command of a video camera carrying the diamonds, putting Tony on the hunt to retrieve it. Buffoonery ensues. And a fart joke as well.

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K of the interpositive. "Assignment Miami Beach" offers softer cinematography at times, but detail remains appreciable, capturing some skin particulars on the cast and interiors mostly preserve decorative additions. Exteriors are also decently dimensional, exploring resort experiences and Florida wilderness. Color is alert, preserving Floridian hues, with lots of pink and salmon in play, along with crisp whites. Darker uniforms are secure, and beach life retains sharp primaries. Greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is acceptably resolved. Source is in reasonable condition.

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix preserves dialogue exchanges, keeping performance choices intelligible and screaming demonstrations comfortable. Scoring retains power with sweeping orchestral marches, and beach music on the soundtrack is clear. Sound effects are appreciable.

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Fun and Guns Under the Sun: Making 'Police Academy 5'" (16:52, HD) is an audio interview with director Alan Myerson, who worked to find a more substantial story for the picture, dealing with the aging cast. The helmer also had to juggle the needs of new and returning characters, finding a balance between them. The interviewee explores his sitcom training, which served him well on the movie, orchestrating physical comedy moves, and he recalls his first day on the job, learning of a massive earthquake in his home city of Los Angeles. Myerson discusses his time with the cast, focusing on Bubba Smith, who openly complained about the workload on "Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach."

• "Mistaken Identity: Case Reopened" (7:40, SD) is a 2004 look at the making of "Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach," featuring interviews with director Alan Myerson, and actors George Gaynes, Matt McCoy, G.W. Bailey, Leslie Easterbrook, Bubba Smith, Lance Kinsey, and Michael Winslow. Technical challenges are explored, with an opening golf bag gag requiring some choreography to pull off, adding silliness to the endeavor. Bailey shares his feelings on the "dork" sunburn gag, with fans often asking him if he still has the mark on his chest. Myerson discusses some scenes made up on the spot, including a martial arts showdown, and adventures in Florida are shared, with the cast dealing with airboats, water skiing, and local wildlife.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:24, SD) is included.

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with the other features, "Assignment Miami Beach" makes a giant switch to action in the final act, staying true to the setting by using jet skis and airboats as the cops pursue Tony and his enforcers, bringing some liveliness to the endeavor. Stunts are arranged and Floridian locations are utilized, giving the picture some screen activity to enjoy that doesn't fully concentrate on Harris and his increasingly unfunny mishaps and mistakes. "Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach" is definitely a step up from "Citizens on Patrol," wisely thinning down the cast and keeping things mostly balanced in terms of screen time. It's Guttenberg-less, which isn't a bad thing, but it's also as rushed as the rest of the franchise, watching Myerson try to make funny business with moldy ingredients, unable to deliver a rowdy viewing experience. The change in location is welcome, but this is more of the same old "Police Academy," with Maslansky now fully locked in gravy train mode.