Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
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 America's funniest crimebusters are back!
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Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Jerry Paris and starring Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, Marion Ramsey, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Bobcat Goldthwait, Art Metrano, Lance Kinsey, Howard Hesseman, and George Gaynes, and is the second film in the Police Academy film series.
Summary
One year after they graduated from the police academy, Carey Mahoney and his friends are assigned to stop a band of graffiti daubing terrorists known as "The Scullions", led by the nefarious Zed McGlunk.
Why It Rocks
- The acting is once again top-notch.
- Very good soundtrack, again composed by Robert Folk.
- Superb plot about overcoming the odds, no matter how bad things can get.
- Zed and Lt. Mauser, played respectively by Bobcat Goldthwait and Art Metrano, are both pretty good villains in their own respective ways (Zed causes some serious damage to the city, while Mauser tries to sabotage the recruits' many attempts to fight crime while personally targeting Mahoney), with Sgt. Carl Proctor, played by Lance Kinsey, being a good dogsbody for Mauser.
- The jokes are still humourous, such as Mahoney swapping Mauser's shampoo with quick-setting epoxy, forcing Mauser to wear a wig for the rest of the film.
- Good climax, just like the original, including a fight scene between Mahoney and Zed.
- The subplot of Officer Eugene Tackleberry falling in love with Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland is very nice, and the two get married at the end of the film, heading off on their honeymoon in the Bigfoot 3 monster truck.
Trivia
- According to producer and creator Paul Maslansky, the returning cast members from the first film wanted more money to work on the sequel. The above-the-line (principal talent) costs were about $1.5 million, including Maslansky's own fee.
- Steve Guttenberg almost did not return for the sequel, as he was not pleased with the script as originally presented to him. After some massive re-writes and a bigger paycheck, Guttenberg was happy to reprise his role as Mahoney.
- According to Bubba Smith, he made more money from his work on this film alone, than he had earned in ten years of playing professional football. This was due to Smith having requested a 2% piece of the movie's profits, in lieu of a higher salary prior to shooting.
- James Signorelli was originally scheduled to direct, but was considered "too edgy" by Paul Maslansky, and was replaced by Jerry Paris.
- Bill Paxton was offered the role of Zed, but turned it down when the contract required him to also appear in future sequels. Hudson chose to star in Aliens instead.
- After failing to land the part of Mahoney in the first film, Jerry Seinfeld auditioned for the role of Proctor. Lance Kinsey and Seinfeld both shared the same manager, and were surprised to see each other in the waiting room at the audition. According to Kinsey, he couldn't help laughing so loud when Seinfeld exited the audition room, leaned over to Kinsey, and said, "It's still available."
- Donovan Scott confirmed in his Facebook page that he did actually receive a copy of the script, but refused to reprise his role as Leslie Barbara from the first film due to the combination of both a scene where his character had to "eat cat poop", and the discovery that Hugh Wilson would not be returning for this film. As a result, Barbara was rewritten as Sgt. Vinnie Schtulman, played by Peter Van Norden.
- Julie Brown was going to appear in the film as Mahoney's second love interest, a seamstress named Chloe Daniels, only to find out later that all her scenes, bar two nearly cameo appearances, were cut from the final product. According to Brown, Steve Guttenberg was not very nice to her on set. While filming the street fair scene, where Mahoney takes Chloe on a date by riding the Ferris wheel, Guttenberg refused to go through with their scripted kissing scene, telling Brown that his character would not kiss hers. The entire romantic subplot with Mahoney and Chloe ended up being deleted from the final cut.
- G.W. Bailey had hoped to reprise his role as Lt. Thaddeus Harris, but was passed over in favor of Art Metrano, who played Lt./Capt./Cmndt. Mauser in both this film and Police Academy 3: Back in Training. Bailey instead took a job working with Hugh Wilson on Rustlers' Rhapsody. However, on a day off, Bailey made an uncredited cameo as a guest at Tackleberry and Sgt. Kirkland's wedding at the end of the film. He appeared from behind, as the man having his picture taken by the photographer. Bailey would return in Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol.
- Sgt. Debbie Callahan did not appear in this film due to Leslie Easterbrook being pregnant with her daughter just after the first film's U.S. premiere. She would return in Police Academy 3: Back in Training.
- Some of the original cast members allegedly complained about losing screentime to the newer cast members, causing production to be shut down temporarily and a mediator being brought in to mellow out the cast before continuing.
- In an interview prior to the start of production, David Graf said that he would not mind doing a series of Police Academy movies: "I'd do it strictly for the money. Kathy and I went to a party at Hugh Wilson's, and it was all very ritzy, with valet parking, caviar, champagne, all that, and while we were there, surrounded by all that luxury, Kathy and I were talking about how we were going to pay the gas bill. The gas company had told us they were going to discontinue service the next day. I don't want to be in that position again. So, yes, I would do a series of Police Academies, for money." True to his word, Graf appeared in all seven Police Academy movies.
- In an interview shortly after this film's release, Steve Guttenberg said that being in a major hit like Police Academy, that earned a lot of money and extremely nasty reviews, was both a help and a hindrance: "There's an advantage because the film makes a lot of money. But the disadvantage is that they want you to keep doing it again and again. You can get stuck in them. I was very reluctant to do the sequel, but there's a contract. They've got options on me forever, but they're very understanding about my desires."
- Art Metrano improvised his singing in the shower stall scene.
- When Hooks punches Proctor in the jaw during the climax, the punch Marion Ramsey landed on Lance Kinsey was real and by accident.
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