The film explores a young woman who wants to become a filmmaker as she meets a strange man with an exuberant personality as they make internet videos on YouTube where they gain fame although his views on social media and such has also made him a controversial figure. The film is a satire of sorts on the world of social media and influencers in how they use social media where this young woman is hoping to make it as a filmmaker and get some attention as she meets this man who is full of energy and ideas even though he lives off the grid and doesn’t care for social media. The film’s screenplay by Gia Coppola and Tom Stuart has a simple structure in how Frankie Cabot (Maya Hawke) meets this mysterious man in Link (Andrew Garfield) who was wearing a rat costume for his job as she spends her nights working at a nightclub with her friend Jake (Nat Wolff) who is an aspiring musician. Upon getting to know Link and hear his story, Frankie asks Jake to help her come up with ideas for Link as they get the attention to talent agent Mark Schwartz (Jason Schwartzman) who helps Link become a major internet sensation.
Yet, the script also play into Link’s persona and the kind of message he wants to send as the show he, Frankie, and Jake created is a game show where they test a viewer’s desire as will that person sacrifice their phone or their dignity. Going under the stage name No One Special, Link would use the show to play into the many wrongs of social media despite the many contradictions he is bringing with Jake starting to feel neglected in the creative process as he would make some discoveries about Link on his own. Then there’s Frankie who is excited by all of the attention and success but starts to question the moral implications following an episode where a young woman named Isabelle (Alexa Demie) is humiliated by Link during a taping of the episode as it would later have serious consequences. Even as Link becomes more chaotic and confrontational following a livestream hosted by Ted Wick (Johnny Knoxville) with other internet celebrities that only add to Link’s disdain towards internet culture and influencers.
Coppola’s direction is definitely stylish as it is shot on various locations in Los Angeles, California that is the epicenter of celebrity and celebrity culture. Coppola’s direction features a lot of wide and medium shots to play into these locations that include a party at a graveyard along with some intimate moments at the nightclub where Frankie and Jake worked at. There are also some close-ups that Coppola uses as it play into the intimate moments between Frankie and Link as they do get romantically involved much to the chagrin of Jake who has feelings for the former. Coppola does play into the world of internet culture as this form of satire in the way Link presents himself as it starts off with him being a goofball and just making fun of the idea of celebrity culture as it plays into the first act with the second act is about him, Frankie, and Jake finally getting a set to create their show.
Coppola also play into how intense things can become when Link decides to do something in an attempt to boost the show’s viewership following a small decline as it relates to Isabelle as it was a stunt that made Jake really uncomfortable. The film’s third act begins with Link being part of this panel that feature some real-life internet celebrities such as Jake Paul, Charles Melton, Desmond Napoles, Rola, and Patrick Starr as they discuss what Link did as it ends up being a farce as it play into the lack of accountability in these celebrities and their disconnection with the real world but also Link’s own contradictions. Even as it climaxes for this big livestream event that Frankie is to take part in but she begins to question her role as well as her own moral conundrum as she realizes that Jake’s suspicions on Link are founded but also wonder who Link really is. Overall, Coppola crafts a compelling and witty film about an aspiring filmmaker’s meeting with a mysterious man and his views on the world of social media.
Cinematographer Autumn Cheyenne Durald does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its colorful usage of lights for many of the interiors including some of the studio sets for Link’s show as well as some natural lighting for many of the film’s exterior scenes. Editor Glen Scantlebury does excellent work with the editing as it is stylish for some of the montage sequences as well as some straight cuts to play into the humor and drama. Production designer Nathan Parker, with set decorator Taylor Jean and art director Mars Feehery, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the sets for Link’s shows including its finale as well as the nightclub where Frankie and Jake worked at. Costume designer Jacqui Getty does fantastic work with the costumes as it has some style in the clothes that Frankie wears as well as some of the outlandish clothes that Link would wear throughout the film.
Hair/makeup designers Ange Bebbington and Gina Monaci do terrific work with some of the makeup including the hairstyle of Link as he would become more glamorous as the film progresses. The visual effects work of Alastar Arnold, with animation work by Justin Hantz, is superb for some of the film’s minimal effects including some of the animation that is often used for phone apps. Sound editor Peter Horner and sound designer Dennis Leonard do incredible work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some sound effects that play into the zaniness of Link’s show. The film’s music by Devonte Hynes is wonderful for its mixture of throbbing and soothing electronic music with bits of R&B and hip-hop elements that play into the world of Los Angeles while music supervisor Rob Lowry creates a soundtrack that mixes an array of music that features pieces from Earl Sweatshop, Kirin J. Callinan, Lansing-Dreiden, Nat Wolff, Kiki Gyan, Grimes, King Princess, and the duo Fiora Cutler and Eldad Guetta.
The casting by Chelsea Ellis Bloch and Marisol Roncali do marvelous work with the film’s ensemble cast as it feature appearances from real-life internet celebrities such as Jake Paul, Juanpa Zurita, Rola, Desmond Napoles, Patrick Starr, and Charles Melton as themselves plus costume designer Jacqui Getty as Frankie and Jake’s boss, Pascale Coppola as a young girl Link watches early in the film, Colleen Camp and Marshall Bell as a couple of performers at the nightclub, Casey Frey as a contestant at Link’s show, and Nathalie Love as a Christian influencer whom Link argues with over her work. Johnny Knoxville is superb as an internet celebrity who hosts a roundtable who was once an idol of Link until Link becomes confrontational. Alexa Demie is fantastic as Isabelle as a young woman who is a guest at Link’s show where she becomes a victim of his bullying in showing her real face. Jason Schwartzman is excellent as Mark Schwartz as a talent agent who helps Link, Frankie, and Jake with their project as he is also eager to make lots of money no matter how controversial Link is.
Nat Wolff is brilliant as Jake as an aspiring musician who has feelings for Frankie as he helps her and Link out in creating their ideas while he also feels like there’s some things need to be said as he gets pushed out by Link that only adds Jake’s suspicions on who Link really is. Maya Hawke is amazing as Frankie Cabot as a young filmmaker that is just trying to find herself as she discovers Link in the hope they can create something cool where Hawke has this exuberance but also someone who has morals as she ponders what she had helped create. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in a phenomenal performance as Link as this man living off the grid with a sense of disdain for social media as he becomes this eccentric yet vibrant figure that challenges people while isn’t afraid to be grotesque nor confrontational. It is a performance where Garfield does a lot of outrageous things yet seems to have fun playing a character that ends up being an absolutely disgusting person who doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks of him as it is a quintessential performance from Garfield.
Mainstream is a remarkable film from Gia Coppola that features a tremendous leading performance from Andrew Garfield. Along with top-notch performances from Maya Hawke and Nat Wolff, its commentary of social media and internet culture, colorful visuals, and a hypnotic music soundtrack. The film is a witty yet intense take on the world of internet celebrity culture and how someone is willing to confront that world and take it too far with a young woman realizing the trouble she has created. In the end, Mainstream is a marvelous film from Gia Coppola.
Palo Alto
© thevoid99 2022
Based on the film Death Game by Peter S. Traynor and screenplay by Jo Heims, Anthony Overman, and Michael Ronald Ross, Knock Knock is the story of a man who invites two women to his house on a rainy night where things go wrong as he becomes a hostage in their own game. Directed by Eli Roth and screenplay by Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez, the film is a home invasion film of sorts where a married man tries to be a Good Samaritan in helping two young women only to be seduced and tortured by them. Starring Keanu Reeves, Ana de Armas, and Lorenza Izzo. Knock Knock is a wild and intense film from Eli Roth.
It is Father’s Day weekend as a man is staying home to finish work as an architect when two young women arrive on his doorstep on a rainy night asking for shelter and things don’t just go wrong but also get really fucked up. That is pretty much the premise of the film itself as it all takes place in the course of an entire weekend where a man stays home while his wife and two kids go out to a beach house for the weekend. The film’s screenplay by Eli Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez follows the life of this architect in Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) who is happily married to artist Karen Alvarado (Ignacia Allamand) with two kids as they’re out at the beach. During a night where he’s trying to finish his work, he hears a knock on the door as these two young women in Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Ana de Armas) who are asking for directions and information for a place where there’s a party. Evan would let the two in thinking they would get in and get out but things become troublesome and he gets more than he bargains for during the course of this weekend where he’s accused of pedophilia and all sorts of shit.
Roth’s direction does have style as it is set largely at the house as it play into a world that feels quaint and intimate as it is set entirely in Los Angeles though it is actually shot on location in Santiago de Chile. While there are a few wide shots of the film including a look into where Evan lives with his family, much of the action takes place at the house where Roth would use some unique tracking shots to capture scale of the homes including the hallways. The usage of close-ups and medium shots would play into many of the interiors at the home with a few wide shots of scenes outside of the house including a scene of Evan talking to his wife while Genesis and Bel flash their breasts at him and mimic oral sex as a way to distract him. It does have a sense of humor yet it would take a darker turn during the second half after Evan tried to get the two girls out of his house. Notably in the way he gets tortured physically and mentally as it is clear that these two young women aren’t some jilted women who felt unappreciated for giving this man a good time. Instead, they’re crazy bitches that like to have fun and make men show their dark side whether they want to admit it or not. Overall, Roth crafts a gripping yet witty film about a man who invites two beautiful women into his home only to get himself into some serious shit.
Cinematographer Antonio Quercia does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way the daytime exteriors looked through the colors of the grass as well as the usage of lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Diego Macho does brilliant work with the editing with the usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as a stylish montage for the film’s sex scene. Production designer Mariachi Palacios and art director Fernando Ale does amazing work with the look of the house including the sculptures and art work that Karen has made. Costume designer Elisa Hormazabal does fantastic work with the youthful and skimpy clothing that Genesis and Bel wear.
Visual effects supervisor Rodrigo Rojas Echaiz does some nice work with the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing for some of the exteriors to make the location look like it’s in Los Angeles. The sound work of Mauricio Lopez and Mauricio Molina do superb work with the sound in the way music is presented and then cut off as well as the scenes inside the house. The film’s music by Manuel Riveiro is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that play into the suspense and terror while music supervisor Sokio provides a cool soundtrack that features music from KISS and Pixies as well as some obscure world music that Evan owns.
The casting by Sheila Jaffe is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Dan and Megan Baily as Evan and Karen’s children, cinematographer Antonio Quercia as an Uber driver, Colleen Camp as a masseuse who arrives unexpectedly and sees something is off, Aaron Burns as Karen and Evan’s assistant Louis, and Ignacia Allamand as Evan’s artist wife Karen. Ana de Armas is brilliant as Bel as the blonde Spaniard who is very energetic and kinky as she claims to be underage as she is also the most sexual of the two women. Lorenza Izzo is amazing as Genesis as the most cunning of the two women as well as someone who says some funny stuff as well as be this air of charisma in the way she pretends to be a game show host to torment Evan. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in an incredible performance as Evan Webber as a good-hearted family man who finds himself in a dangerous and deadly situation when his generosity gets the best of him as he is seduced by two women and then be blackmailed and all sorts of things where it’s Reeves displaying some humility and anguish in a man who shouldn’t have opened the door to strangers.
Knock Knock is a remarkable film from Eli Roth that features top-notch performances from Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas. Along with its ensemble cast, simple premise, and unwillingness to take itself seriously, it’s a home invasion film that manages to be intense but also have these offbeat moments of humor. In the end, Knock Knock is a marvelous film from Eli Roth.
Eli Roth Films: (Cabin Fever) – (Hostel) – (Hostel: Part II) – Grindhouse-Thanksgiving - The Green Inferno - (Death Wish (2018 film)) – (The House with a Clock in Its Walls)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Robert Clouse with some action scenes by Sammo Hung and written by Clouse and Raymond Chow under the Jan Spears pseudonym, Game of Death is the story of a martial arts movie star who is targeted by a crime syndicate as he fakes his death to go after them and protect his girlfriend. Originally meant to be Bruce Lee’s directorial debut in the same name, the film incorporates some of the footage from the film Lee was making before his death into a new story that would include scenes with Lee and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a lot of new footage from Clouse. Also starring Colleen Camp, Gig Young, Dean Jagger, and Hugh O’Brian. Game of Death is a riveting though messy film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung.
After refusing to do more work for a syndicate for a legitimate life as an action film star, the film revolves around this man who has been targeted by a Hong Kong crime syndicate who wants him dead as well as threatening the life of his singer girlfriend. After being shot on a film set where he was presumed death, the actor Billy Lo would survive as he fakes his death so he can deal with the syndicate head on. The screenplay that Clouse and Chow write would follow a simple storyline as it plays into this actor going after the crime boss Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) and his main henchman Steiner (Hugh O’Brian) while the few that knows he’s alive is the journalist Jim Marshall (Gig Young) who also watches over Lo’s girlfriend Anne (Colleen Camp).
Robert Clouse’s direction does have moments that are exciting as well as scenes and compositions that help tell the story. Yet, it’s messy due to the fact that he only uses very little of what Bruce Lee was doing with the original film with the exception of three scenes where Billy Lo was fighting Dr. Land’s three henchmen though it’s truncated in some spots. Shot on location in Hong Kong and parts of Macau, Clouse’s direction is quite straightforward though many of his shots involving the Lo character are often seen in wide and medium shots with Kim Tai-Jong and Chen Yao-po as doubles for Lee where they would often wear big sunglasses or seen from afar though there’s time you do see their faces where it’s obvious that it’s not Bruce Lee. Hung’s direction for the fight scenes is also similar in terms of trying not to have the close-ups of the doubles that include Yuen Baio for some of the acrobatic stunts of Lo.
Clouse would use footage from other films that Lee was in such as Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon for a few scenes of the film that Lo is making as the latter feature bits of Lee fighting Chuck Norris for the film’s opening sequence. There are moments in the film that do feel awkward at times where there’s Lee’s head superimposed on an actor’s head in one shot for a scene where Lo is being lectured by Steiner. It’s a moment that does take out some of drama and suspense while there are a few other parts of the film that would feature close-up of Lee from other films that don’t fit in with the footage that Clouse and Hung are creating in the action and suspense as it does create a sense of continuity errors that do become noticeable. Even as Clouse would use footage from Lee’s funeral for a scene is something that feels wrong and very unnecessary. Despite these flaws, Clouse and Hung do manage to create something that Lee would’ve made though the actual film by Lee in its in-completed form is more entrancing in its sense of fluidity and careful choreography through the fight scenes. Overall, Clouse and Hung create an engaging but flawed film about a movie star faking his death to fight a crime syndicate.
Cinematographer Godfrey A. Godar does nice work with the cinematography despite some of the visual continuities in matching the unfinished footage with the finished footage visually. Editor Alan Pattillo does some fine work with the editing although it does dwell into some fast-cutting to take out some of the things in the fight that does raises question into its continuity. Sound recordist Danny Daniels does superb work with the sound in capturing some of the action and sound effects despite some of the fake yells for the Lo character. The film’s music by John Barry does some excellent work with the usage of strings and bombastic percussions to play into the action and suspense as it’s one of the highlights of the final film.
The film’s cast does feature some notable small roles from Mel Novak as an assassin named Stick, Robert Wall as a brutish fighter/henchman of Dr. Land in Carl Miller, Sammo Hung as Miller’s opponent in a fight, Dan Inosanto and Ji Han-jae as a couple of men that Lo would fight, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the tall henchman known as Hakim. Gig Young is excellent as Lo’s journalist friend Jim Marshall as one of the few that Lo can really trust while Colleen Camp is wonderful as Lo’s girlfriend Anne as this singer who is forced to see the actions of the syndicate up close. Dean Jagger’s performance as Dr. Land is weak as he’s just this old man that just orders people and feed his fish while Hugh O’Brien is terrific as his lead henchman Steiner as a guy with a blade inside his cane. The performances of the men playing Billy Lo can do cool stunts but they don’t really showcase the essence of Bruce Lee while Chris Kent’s dubbing as Lo is pretty lame.
The unfinished version of Game of Death that was written, directed, and starring Lee that was shot by cinematographer Tadashi Nishimoto and edited by Peter Cheung with music by Joseph Koo and Peter Thomas is a very different film from what Clouse and Hung created. Though Clouse and Hung used 11-minutes of what Lee had filmed, the thirty-eight minutes of material that Lee had filmed is way more compelling than the final product. It revolves around a retired martial arts champion named Hai Tien who is coerced out of retirement to enter a game of death at a South Korean pagoda where he is to face five masters as each level feature a master that is very difficult. Three of the five levels were filmed as it features a Dan Inosanto as the third-floor guardian, Ji Han-jae as the fourth-floor guardian, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the fifth-floor guardian Mantis though he’s re-named as Hakim in the final version of the film. Tien is joined by two other men in this game in Mr. Tien (James Tien) and Mr. Yuan (Chieh Yuan) who would participate in fighting the fourth and fifth guardians.
Whereas Hung’s direction for the fights are messy due to the mixture of footage with Lee and the recreated footage with the doubles. The fight scenes by Lee is more engaging as Cheung’s editing offers so much in terms of what is happening as well as getting the sense of rhythm in the fighting to play into its suspense and drama. Even in the climatic showdown with Mantis where there’s so much attention to detail in the drama as well as the room where the fight is happening. The performances of Jabbar, Inosanto, and Han-jae are given more attention as they show not just their skills but also the sense of respect in the fight itself. Especially as Lee showcase what it at stake as an example of what he was aiming to do as he also gives this incredible performance as a fighter where Lee displays that air of charm and toughness.
The finished version of Game of Death is a stellar but flawed film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung. Despite its good intentions along with some nice action sequences, it’s a film that is bogged down by some continuity issues as well as the fact that the doubles playing Bruce Lee aren’t that good. Lee’s unfinished version of the film is far more interesting as it show what Lee was hoping to do as it has something much grander. In the end, the final version of Game of Death is a good film while the unfinished version of the film is spectacular all from the mind of the legendary Bruce Lee.
Related: The Big Boss - Fist of Fury - The Way of the Dragon – Enter the Dragon
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Dick Lowry and written by Stuart Birnbaum and David Dashey, Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 is the third and final film of the Smokey and the Bandit series in which Buford T. Justice is asked to transport a large shipment for the Burdettes for a large sum of money where he finds himself having to compete with the Snowman who has become the new Bandit. The film is another rehash of the previous films but this time has Smokey sort of becoming the Bandit as Jackie Gleason reprises his role as Justice with Jerry Reed playing the Snowman who becomes the new Bandit. Also starring Paul Williams, Paul McCormick, Colleen Camp, and Mike Henry as Junior Justice. Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 is a messy and uninspired film from Dick Lowry.
The film revolves around Buford T. Justice being asked to carry a plastic shark on his car by the Burdettes for $250,000 to drive from Florida to Texas to promote their new fish-and-chips eatery. It’s a task Justice will do as he becomes unsatisfied with retirement as he brings along his dim-witted son Junior for the ride yet they’re unaware that the Burdettes are doing whatever they can to make sure Justice doesn’t succeed as they bring in the Snowman to play the Bandit who is later joined by a bookkeeper at a used car shop named Dusty (Colleen Camp) who also goes for the ride. It’s a film that is essentially a rehash of its predecessors where there’s a lot of chases and hilarity yet the screenwriters never bring anything new as the jokes aren’t funny and some of the situations are just downright silly. Though Justice remains the most interesting character in the story, everyone else is just the same while the Snowman as the Bandit is just lazy as he never brings anything new to the story either.
Dick Lowry’s direction does start off nicely with this parody of sorts of Patton where Justice is announcing his retirement in a ceremony as is quite lavish but also funny as it would lead to a montage of Justice’s attempt at retirement. After that, the film goes downhill where it does become this very long chase film with very little breaks in the action as there’s a lot of silliness involving Big and Little Enos Burdette (Pat McCormick and Paul Williams, respectively) in their attempts to foil Justice so that he loses the best and Little Enos gets Justice’s badge as a belt buckle. While it is largely shot in Florida, the film never does enough to establish a sense of location while many of the shots never do anything visually as Lowry is more about action and more action and how silly can some of the destruction can get. Even as the chases become ponderous and almost nonsensical while some of the shenanigans get more ridiculous. Overall, Lowry just creates a film that never does anything new as well as remind audiences of the glory of its predecessors.
Cinematographer James Pergola does nice work with the cinematography as it is colorful to play into the locations though it is clear that there is a different look in the way Snowman is presented as well as Justice which does show that there were some re-shoots. Editors David E. Blewitt, Byron “Buzz” Brandt, and Christopher Greenbury do OK work with the editing as it has a few inspiring moments but relies too much on fast-cuts for much of the chase and action where it becomes nonsensical. Art director Ron Hobbs and set decorator Don K. Levy do some fine work with the look of motel that many of the characters would go to along with the Burdettes‘ home. Costume designer Linda Benedict-Pierce does terrific work with the costumes from the stylish clothes of the Burdettes to the look of the Bandit. Sound editor John Stacy does superb work with the sound in the way the cars sound and all of that stuff. The film’s music by Larry Cansler is just bland as it is largely a country-inspired soundtrack with songs from Lee Greenwood, Ed Bruce, John Stewart, and Bill Summers as it is just exposition and rehashes of other songs.
The film’s cast feature a few notable appearances from Sharon Anderson as a policewoman trying to bust Justice, Raymond Bouchard as an eager sheriff trying to catch the Bandit, and Faith Minton as a nymphomaniac who falls for Justice as they’re just small but silly performances. Pat McCormick and Paul Williams in their respective roles as the father-son duo Big and Little Enos Burdette were good in small doses but their appearances become grating in the film while Mike Henry’s performance as Junior Justice is just more idiotic as it’s just unbearable to watch. Colleen Camp is alright as Dusty as a woman who joins Cledus for the ride where she’s not given much to do as she’s just a passenger.
Jerry Reed is terrific as Cledus aka the Snowman who becomes the Bandit as it has his moments but Reed is never given the chance to do a lot but pretend to be the Bandit. Finally, there’s Jackie Gleason in an excellent performance as Buford T. Justice aka Smokey as the sheriff who is given a chance to go on a final ride and keep his badge while coping with the downside of retirement as Gleason is the best thing in the film knowing how to be funny.
Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 is a terrible film from Dick Lowry. Despite Jackie Gleason’s enjoyable performance, the film is just a lazy rehash of its predecessors where nothing new is brought to the table while characters who were good in small doses become bigger for no good reason. In the end, Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 is just a horrible film from Dick Lowry.
Related: Smokey and the Bandit - Smokey and the Bandit II
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Jerry Paris and screenplay by Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is the sequel to the 1984 film where it revolves on six of its graduates who are assigned to help a police precinct captain to battle a local gang. The film plays into the world of gang culture as six young cops do whatever they can to battle this gang as Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Marion Ramsey, Michael Winslow, Bruce Mahler, and George R. Robertson, and George Gaynes all reprise their roles from the first film. Also starring Bobcat Goldthwait, Tim Kazurinsky, Lance Kinsey, Art Metrano, Colleen Camp, Peter Van Norden, and Howard Hesseman as Captain Pete Lassard. Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is a fun and wild film from Jerry Paris.
When a local gang runs amok on a city as a police precinct captain has 30 days to deal with the situation, he is given six new recruits who had just graduated from the police academy as they deal with this wild gang. It’s a film that sort of picks up where the previous film left off as Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), Jones (Michael Winslow), Hightower (Bubba Smith, Tackleberry (David Graf), Hooks (Marion Ramsey), and Fackler (Bruce Mahler) are chosen to aid Captain Pete Lassard in shaping up his precinct which is filled with aging cops who are too overwhelmed to handle the situation. Yet, the local gang run by Zed McGlunk (Bobcat Goldthwait) are an unconventional gang who do what they want as the other problem Mahoney and his fellow graduates have is Lt. Mauser (Art Metrano) who also works at the precinct as he is trying to make sure they screw up so he can become the new captain of the precinct.
The film’s screenplay not only play to the struggle the rookies have to face in their very first assignment but also into the world of inter-police politics as Lt. Mauser is eager to make Cpt. Lassard look bad as Mahoney and some of the officers know exactly what Mauser is up to as they would pull a few pranks on him. There’s also some subplots as it relates to the rookies in their first assignment as some of them are paired with more experienced officers as Mahoney teams with a slob named Vinnie Schtulman (Peter Van Norden) and Tackleberry with Sgt. Kathleen Kirkland (Colleen Camp) whom he falls for as they both share a love of guns and firepower. The rookies’ encounter with Zed’s gang also has them meeting up with a frequent victim of the gang in Carl Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky) who is put into some darkly-comical situations. The script succeeds in not just developing the rookies trying to get the job done but also take some major risks in putting Zed and his gang down for good while saving Captain Lassard’s job.
Jerry Paris’ direction is very lively as it is shot on location in Toronto and nearby locations in Ontario as he manages to keep things straightforward in the compositions. Notably as the streets in Toronto are given a very grimy look to play into a city coming undone by a gang as they wreak havoc on the street at it includes a scene walking into a supermarket and causing trouble with some funny moments. Paris’ usage of close-ups and medium shot do play into the action as well as some of the film’s comical moments that includes Jones using his martial arts skill to pretend he’s Bruce Lee or Hightower throwing a football to a street punk. The gags manage to keep things lively as it includes a scene at the Blue Oyster Bar where Zed’s gang definitely cross path with a bunch of men that shouldn’t be messed with. Paris also brings in bits of crass humor that is quite playful as it plays a moment in time where it was OK to be politically incorrect as well as elements that are quite silly but it’s not afraid to be silly or crass. Overall, Paris creates a very funny and engaging film about six rookies going all out against a street gang.
Cinematographer James Crabe does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to play into the grimy look of the streets for some of the daytime exteriors as well as some unique lighting for its nighttime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Bob Wyman does terrific work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward to play into some of the film‘s humor and action sequences. Production designer Trevor Williams, with set decorators Robert C. Furginson and Dennis W. Peebles, does brilliant work with the look of the city streets to play into its sense of decay as it‘s being ruined by Zed‘s gang as well as the look of Zed‘s secret hideout.
Costume designer Bernie Pollack does nice work with the costumes as it mostly involve the uniforms and the grimy clothes of the gang. Sound editor Dale Johnston does superb work with the sound as it plays into the sound of gunfire and some of the sound effects that Jones make. The film’s music by Robert Folk is brilliant as it features the franchise’s theme as well as thrilling pieces involving the saxophone for its action as well as some of the romantic moments while the soundtrack includes some rock and pop music.
The casting by Pamela Basker and Fern Champion is great as it features some notable small roles from Julie Brown as a seamstress, Jason Hervey as a brat kid who refuses to go to school, Julie Paris as a check-out girl, Andrew Paris as Kirkland’s brother, Arthur Batanides and Jackie Joseph as Kirkland’s parents, Jennifer Darling as the city mayor, Kenji Shintani as a sushi chef, Ed Herlihy as Fackler’s veteran partner Dooley, Rich Hall as blond street punk, and George R. Robertson as Chief Hurst who demands Captain Lassard to turn things around. Other notable small roles include George Gaynes as the academy’s supervisor Commandant Lassard who would give his younger brother Pete the six rookies he needs, Tim Kazurinsky as a wimpy merchant named Sweetchuck who is a frequent victim of Zed and his gang, and Lance Kinsey in a funny performance as Mauser’s assistant Sgt. Proctor.
Peter Van Norden is terrific as the snobbish Schtulman who eats dirty food and always has his big dog Lou around him while Colleen Camp is wonderful as Kirkland who shares Tackleberry’s love of firearms and violence. Art Metrano is excellent as Lieutenant Mauser as a scheming officer who wants to oust Captain Lassard so he can run the precinct and be in total power as his funny moments involve him being the victim of the pranks. Bruce Mahler is very good as Fackler as the accident-prone officer who manages to use that flaw to his unknowing advantage while Marion Ramsey is superb as Hooks as she is forced to sit behind a desk and give out codes until she does what is right in the film’s climax. David Graf is brilliant as Tackleberry who not only copes with having the perfect woman as his partner but also in the fact that isn’t really experienced with being with women. Bubba Smith is fantastic as Hightower as the giant who not only gets the job done but also prove to be the one person that Zed’s gang is afraid of. Michael Winslow is amazing as Jones as he provides a lot of humor with his sound effects while being a total ass-kicker with his martial arts skills.
Bobcat Goldthwait is hilarious as Zed as a gang leader who likes to cause chaos while having a very sensitive side that makes him a very odd antagonist. Art Metrano is marvelous as Mauser as a lieutenant who wants to get rid of Captain Lassard as he mocks the new rookies as he also has an immediate dislike towards Mahoney as he becomes a victim of Mahoney’s pranks. Howard Hesseman is phenomenal as Captain Pete Lassard, Commandant Lassard’s younger brother, who copes with the on-going gang war as well as knowing that he has little time to shape things up in his precinct. Finally, there’s Steve Guttenberg in a remarkable performance as Mahoney as a rookie cop who deals with his first assignment while finding humor in his many situations while dealing with Mauser as he knows what he is up to.
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is an excellent film from Jerry Paris as it’s one of the finest films of the franchise. Most notably for its cast, music soundtrack, and its offbeat humor that manages to keep things being wacky as well as entertaining. In the end, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment is marvelous film from Jerry Paris.
Police Academy Films: Police Academy - Police Academy 3: Back in Training - Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol - Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach - Police Academy 6: City Under Siege - Police Academy: Mission to Moscow
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