4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Russian government hires the veterans of the Police Academy to help deal with the Mafia.
Starring: George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, David Graf, Leslie Easterbrook, G.W. BaileyComedy | 100% |
Action | 93% |
Crime | 71% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The “Police Academy” film series was put to sleep after 1989’s “Police Academy 6: City Under Siege” failed to entice practically anyone into theaters to keep up with the kooky cops. For producer Paul Maslansky, death was only the beginning, working to launch “Police Academy” as a live-action television show, an animated program, a theme park stunt experience, and there was even a short-lived toy line to keep the brand name alive. Sensing a shot to revive the franchise with another theatrical endeavor, Maslansky assembles 1994’s “Police Academy: Mission to Moscow,” sensing the exotic nature of a picture set in Russia, and actually shot there, might be enough to capture audience attention. He’s wrong, and while using Russia as a backdrop for American police shenanigans is certainly different, there’s absolutely nothing in “Mission to Moscow” that’s fresh, interesting, or entertaining. It’s a chore to sit through, almost playing like a parody of a “Police Academy” production.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers decent detail, with a softer exploration of skin particulars and costuming, including heavier winter outfits for Russian tours. Locations are a big selling point for the feature, and exteriors maintain decent depth, showing off the highlights of the area. Performance rooms also carry dimension. Colors are appreciable, with brighter reds throughout the viewing experience. Most clothing choices favor neutral hues, with grays and blacks common. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix secures clear dialogue exchanges for the stereo production, doing well with performance choices and heavy accents, maintaining intelligibility. Scoring cues are crisp, ranging from the bold orchestral push of the main theme to cartoony music used to sweeten comedic bits. Sound effects are basic and appreciable. While not a problem, volume level is a little odd, with "Mission to Moscow" much quieter than the other features, requiring some significant volume boost to enjoy.
"Mission to Moscow" is one of those movies where it's kinda-sorta easy to understand why it was made, with Maslansky not about to give up his golden goose. However, it's hard to understand why it was made in such an amazingly lazy manner, as the writing is just the pits, doing straight fart jokes and building bizarre sight gags to pass the time, and Metter is no help, never challenging the odd, almost nonhuman ideas he's meant to capture on film. There's the Russian gimmick, sure, with the helmer taking viewers to Red Square and the Moscow Circus, which has the potential to be amazing. And yet, nothing in the picture connects, playing dumb instead of fun. And there's not even a crazy stunt sequence to close the endeavor, with Maslansky losing his drive to end "Police Academy: Mission to Moscow" on a high note of physical danger. But never fear, dear reader, the feature does actually end. I know it feels like it won't, but there's closure here, just no comfort.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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