the amorphousmachine

This animated classic took four years to make and consisted of various artists studying the lions and the African wildlife that was featured in film. 'The Lion King' is about a young cub named Simba, who struggles to realise who he is and who he must become. Guided by his father, Mustafa, as well as encountering friends in his journey - notably Timon and Pumba- and his growth into adulthood, Simba must fight his evil Uncle in Scar in bringing harmony to the land of Pride rock. Some great voice-work by Matthew Boderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, as well as some excellent songs make this a Disney classic.

****1/2 out of *****!

When I saw this movie originally at cinemas, I thought it was a superhero interpretation of high school capitalising on the Harry Potter franchise. I was expecting more lore and sequels. 'Sky High' is a fun movie though. Decent family entertainment and I liked the hero/sidekick dichotomy establishing the segregation of super-powered individuals. Kurt Russell is quite good in this as well as Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Some early performances from Steven Strait (The Expanse) and Danielle Panabaker (Justified, Arrow) and Jim Rash (Community) worth checking out. Overall, a better than average family film!

***½ out of *****!

(minor spoiler)

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart star in this buddy comedy that involves high school reunions, the CIA, wrongful accusations, bullying and being your own hero, or something like that. 'Central Intelligence' is full of clichés and predictable plot outcomes, but it's pretty much what I was expecting. A watchable comedy where Dwayne Johnson shows his comedic chops, and Kevin Hart does Kevin Hart yet again. It is okay, but I do tire of comedies referencing a movie or a pop group, and that movie or pop group appears, or is recreated at the end! 'Sixteen Candles' seemed to be the film of choice here. As far as a predictable plot, you can pretty much guess who the villain in Black Badger is when they show a prominent actor seemingly getting a bit part. It's all been rehashed and rethreaded in many films, and the buddy comedy has been done better in past films!

*** out of *****!

Patrick Swayze, coming off the heels of 'Dirty Dancing', did a couple of somewhat cult action films back in 1989. One was 'Road House' and the other was this film; 'Next of Kin'. My memory of this was better to say the least. This is a bad movie. Basically it's a revenge flick that makes no sense whatsoever. It's a country vs. the city movie, as hillbilly rednecks take on the mafia. I won't bother with the plot, other than to say it's badly written. What is interesting about this movie is the cast.

You have Swayze of course as the lead, Helen Hunt as his love interest, and a relatively unknown Liam Neeson playing Swayze's older brother in a heroic role. Adam Baldwin, Ted Levine, Bill Paxton and a young Ben Stiller are in this movie as well. Out of the cast, Neeson's Briar is the most interesting character, and Neeson delivers the goods. Always worth checking out films you remember from your youth if you are someone like me, but this is just essentially a cheesy action film from the 80s that you can easily skip.

** out of *****!

I actually watched this film on Youtube, and it's yet another film that is extremely hard to find on DVD etc in my country, so it's basically a movie that no one has really seen. 'Tumbleweeds' got on my radar due to the Oscar nominated performance Janet McTeer, and that performance is exceedingly good and worthy of a nomination. Kimberly J. Brown who plays the daughter in this film is also worth mentioning as an excellent performance as essentially McTeer and Brown hold the movie together. This movie a mother/daughter bonding movie, directed by Gavin O'Connor (Warrior, The Accountant) who also has a role in the film. 'Tumbleweeds' feels like a low-budget TV movie with Gavin O'Connor yet to perfect his storytelling and craft, but the performances from the two leads hold this movie together. The mother is careless and the daughter is precocious yet they both prove to be realistic characters and mostly likeable. As someone pointed out the comparison to 'Anywhere But Here', which is of the same year and same ilk, 'Tumbleweeds' is the better film by a mile, simply because the characters are actually likeable.

'Tumbleweeds' is worth watching if you want to see Oscar-nominated performances or are into low-budget indie movies, or curious about where Gavin O'Connor started. Other than that, it's perfectly miss-able too! It simply not must-see though.

Considering it's budget and performances; ***½ out of *****!

I remember reading William Golding's book back in my youth as well as watching both versions of 'Lord of the Flies', and I actually remember thinking the American version was pretty good. Re-watched it again and my feelings remain the same, but I did forget that the "monster" in the movie was actually called the "beast" in film, and I was questioning my decision to revisit this film at the beginning of the movie. Checking out IMDB, it's disappointing to see most of the child actors didn't have great careers, except Getty who was prominent in the 90s, and the kid who played Simon resurfaced in 2002 to have career in TV and movies. The film was adequately directed and location felt genuine. For the most part, the acting was pretty good, particularly from Danuel Pipoly who played Piggy.

The problem with the updated version is some of the script -particularly at the beginning of the film where I felt wasn't realistic enough to set the premise. Realistically, more kids would be terrified and crying, particularly the younger ones. I also didn't understand the relationship between Ralph and Jack, or the inclusion of the pilot which didn't really gel for me as it established days had passed. I think Jack should have been more antagonistic in the beginning before his metamorphosis into a power-hungry hunter. The script got better as the story developed and I'm glad the film potentially introduced a new audience curiosity for the book. Some great imagery, such as the beach bonfire scene, or smoking out the "prey" scene, but the film did have a television movie feel rather than a cinematic one.

I personally would recommend both the 1963 version and this one for fans of the book. I give it extra points for a young cast enduring the elements and holding this film together. If you haven't read the book, you should read it, as I plan to hopefully read it again soon.

***½ out of *****!

Sean Connery's second outing as James Bond in 'From Russia with Love' is more darker, edgier and fluid than 'Dr No'. The second film has a more espionage feel to it and Connery also seems to have adapted to the role like a true British spy. Robert Shaw is quite good as the blonde-haired assassin in Red, with a menacing presence throughout the movie. The love interest in Daniela Banchi, as the Russian spy in Romanova who is duped by SPECTRE, provides conflict and a genuine romance for Bond, and Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klepp has very memorable scene as the villainess pulling Grant's string. The film provides plenty of action and locations, and I think it flowed better than 'Dr No'. Granted, I only watched them all in order recently, but I liked how this film followed on from the first one with SPECTRE being more of an established organisation with a structure and system. They are truly evil and failure is not an option if you are going after Bond!

The second installment is better than the first, with impressive action sequences and interesting characters, and no doubt raised hopes for the third installment!

***½ out of *****!

Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy star in this often forgotten but somewhat iconic comedy-adventure with a robot in 'Short Circuit'. This 80s flick, directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever, Stakeout, Nick of Time) is funny, with a dash of heroics and that usual 80s trend of discovering new wondrous things- this times through the eyes of Johnny Five, who quickly realises that "disassemble" means death, kaput etc, and he simply wants to be alive. Fisher Stevens adds to the comedy as Guttenberg's co-worker, and G.W. Bailey (Guttenberg's rival from Police Academy) plays another bumbling incompetent glorified security guard for laughs too. Slightly dated, but still fun watching Johnny Five needing input, but with the advent of the internet, the technology does seem less futuristic in this film. Badham even recreates a scene from 'Saturday Night Fever' for laughs, and endears the audience to this robotic hero.

I remember enjoying this film as a kid, and still enjoyed watching it again. Certainly a film in the same vein of 'Innerspace', 'Explorers', 'Flight of the Navigator' etc. If you haven't seen this film, it's still possible you may enjoy it, and I think it's still a decent family movie.

***½

I remember as a kid that this was one of my least favourite Bond movies, and was significant because it was the first instalment. Upon re-watching it, I appreciated it more, but 'Dr No' takes far too long to introduce the title character- played by Joseph Wiseman- as well as introducing the audience to Honey Ryder, played by the gorgeous Ursula Andress. The film does establish Sean Connery's stamp on the role of James Bond, as we get to see his roguish charm on display, and of course we have the iconic "My name is Bond, James Bond" casino scene at the beginning, as well as establishing the whole universe of James Bond 007.

My other gripe with this film is the Three Blind Mice assassins who disappear completely without any resolution. Anyway, 'Dr No' is definitely worth-watching, particularly because it was the first Bond movie.

*** out of *****!

'Condorman' isn't in the same league as other of my childhood favourites, and while nostalgia is one thing when revisiting a film, sometimes you realised that the charm would have worn off if you re-watched in your teenage years. Simply put, 'Condorman' is an okay film that is essentially for children and it's a lot better than revisiting 'Howard the Duck'. There was some decent car-chase sequences involving a one-eyed henchman in a bike helmet inside fast Porsches, and some fun comedic where Michael Crawford got to showcase his timing, and I really liked the performance by James Hampton as Woody's sidekick. Oliver Reed was okay as the villain and Barbara Carrera was good as the love interest. The bad was that awful score from one of the greats, and some of the exposition scenes at the beginning felt obvious and seemed to know little about comic-book history, and of course, Condorman in costume having to flap his wings isn't quite the superhero we are used to in films.

Filmed in 1981, 'Condorman' is definitely dated, and maybe only suitable for people who actually remember this as a child. It gets a pass from my older self! **½ out of *****!

It's astonishing how a collector can remember his very first Star Wars toy, and I totally struggle to remember mine, let alone the ones I had- because unfortunately, I broke them or grew out of them. This film is pretty much for the people who wish they hadn't conformed to "growing up" and being able to see all these toys again. During the film, I was like "did we have that one?", or "we used to own him/her/it". It was great to see all these collectors display their collections, and accurately know the history of it. So many Christmases I've forgotten which toys I unwrapped, whether it was He-Man, GI Joe, or Star Wars, and the worlds you created with them all. Maybe I was a little too young for Star War toys initially, as I do remember my first GI Joe. But, I digress.

This documentary is interesting for the fans, and the kids who collected these toys, but it also gives major insight into the history of Kenner's acquisition of the products, and how they mass-produced them. It was great to see the designers feel satisfied with their creations upon a generation of children, as well as explaining the history of a certain toy like Boba Fett for example, or attempts at toys- the R2-D2 train was a terrible idea, but it was interesting to see. If you are a Star Wars, or a toy-collector; then this documentary is for you. Documentaries are usually pretty good, and when it's based on a fun topic, then it's especially good.

***½ out of *****!

OK, while there is some gleeful delight in watching a film about sharks flying in a tornado, and some commentary on disaster movies in general, I am still left aghast as to how bad the experience was when I finally watched it! 'Sharknado' is terrible, and frustratingly silly on all levels- even with the intention of being campy and silly, it's kind of deliberately aiming with the "so-bad-it's-good" territory without the charm of 'Snakes on a Plane', or even the budget. While I understand it's firmly tongue'n'cheek, 'Sharknado' has become a cult success that has plenty of cheap effects, bad acting and all round stupidity. When Cassie Scerbo was freed from a shark's gut after being devoured earlier, well, nuff said. What the heck was John Heard doing in this thing?

* out of *****!

When you were nine years old, it was perfectly believable that a rabbit Wizard would assist a young rabbit to be a patriotic hero who will save other rabbits and animals. Yep, totally legit! However, revisiting this film as an adult induces frequent groans at the dialogue and the silliness of the story- not to mention our hero is called American Rabbit which suggests patriotism is important for the rabbit population.

Okay, I remember 'The Adventures of American Rabbit' being released at the cinemas back in the 80s, and it disappeared during the 90s. Admittedly, I had fonder memories of this forgotten flick, but I guess I was so enamoured by the trailers at the time, that I may have forgotten my disappointment. This is not a great animated film by any standard- especially upon a re-watch! It is worth noting that voice-great in Lorenzo Music (Garfield) was the voice of Ping the Gorilla, and other than that, this film is pretty lame. When the bad guy kidnaps the Chocolate Moose to control New York, this film had good from bad to worse. Hard to find a good quality version of this movie, and that is probably for the best.

** out of *****!

I must admit, I got a sense of déjà vu when watching 'The Gold Rush', and I believe it's somewhat due to impact of the image of Charlie Chaplin in the social psyche, and the saturation of skits of his work in popular media. So, while I sat watching this film, I felt I had definitely seen parts before, but I've never watched the whole film in its entirety. Judging a silent film from 1925 is a difficult mandate, but I was honestly never bored with this film, and there were so many great scenes and comedic skits. I laughed when Chaplin's tramp was trying to keep his trouser up and secured an unwanted best friend during a dance sequence.

Charlie Chaplin does genius physical comedy as well as acting to boot. Add Mack Swain as Big Jim, and this film is wildly entertaining, as well as showing that silent comedies have the prospect to be comedic gold. I haven't seen the majority of Chaplin's work, but considering the time period and pioneering of visual comedy, I would recommend this to people who want to his work! I don't think is as good as Keaton's 'The General' though, but 'The Gold Rush' is highly regarded as a silent comedy classic. Glad I finally saw it! ****½ out of *****!

Have sex. Watch concert. Talk about Antarctica! Then repeat nine times. Never has a movie outstayed its welcome at 70 mins, and this one was unbelievably boring in every single way. Brave actors getting their kit off- but badly acted, and is a rather pointless slice-of-life movie that is actually directed by a competent and interesting filmmaker; whose resume includes the very excellent 'Cock and Bull Story' and interesting dramas such as 'Go Now' and 'A Mighty Heart'! Though I haven't seen enough of Michael Winterbottom's films to really judge his overall career, '9 Songs' is certainly a blemish on it, but the question is, would I have actually bothered with this movie if the controversial subject matter did not exist? I don't deplore sex in movies, but please have a reasonable plot with this sort of experimental art-house that feels the need to inundate with actual real sex on cinema! Make the plot interesting. This is definitely more raw than pornographic, but if it wasn't for the controversy, I doubt anyone would have seen this rubbish!

0.5/5 or 1/2* out of *****!

MASSIVE SPOILERS!

Admittedly, this film was reasonably well-directed even with the obnoxious flare it embodied. There was gratuitous mammary pool scene that enhanced the crazy party atmosphere of the most-craziest party imaginable. It has the usual plot pointers with the exposition in the beginning such as "don't touch the merc", the acquisition of the garden gnome, and the friend you love to hate who helps spiral this endeavour out of control. There were some humorous moments as well, such as the next door neighbour punching a twelve-year old Taser-wielding security freak, and subsequent Intel on that particular neighbour adding some needed laughs. 'Project X' wasn't trying to be realistic, even though it employed a documentary style of filmmaking- this was exhibited by the complete unrealism of the partygoers remaining silent when the Police arrive initially, as well as putting the dog up in the air via balloons. The film never apologises for being anything more than a silly movie with the initial premise. As the party spirals out of the control as well as the characters becoming more far gone in apathetic bliss (thanks to some ecstasy) as their house and contents are getting trashed, the movie also spirals into more stupidity; with glamorisation of drug-use, dick-punching midgets, vengeful flamethrowers, and more obnoxious behaviour from the lead characters proclaiming the party's greatness because of the sheer insanity! It's like 'Superbad' on steroids and then some, except the former film is far superior, and their kick-ass party is funnier and with less destructive elements. 'Project X' is a well-directed mess much like the party itself, and unlike 'Chronicle', 'Paranormal Activity' or 'Cloverfield', I don't think the documentary style adds to the subject or makes it any less artificial than other similar-themed party movies with spliced footage of revelling overlapped with loud music. In the end, the main character was less of a atypical "loser" in his father's eyes, and popular in high school, and no one got hurt- except for the badly burned should-have-been-dead drug-dealer!

** out of *****!

The first time I noticed Justin Long was in 'Die Hard 4' (Live Free or Die Hard); as I never watched "Ed", and barely remember him from 'Galaxy Quest'. Since then, I've seen him in several films. Some good and some bad! I had no idea he was in 'Jeepers Creepers' so I was pleasantly surprised to see him in an early role as the lead. The film I had avoided for various reasons- particularly because it looked like a cheesy horror movie.

Well, it is pretty cheesy. A brother and sister are chased by this Creeper creature for their body parts which are unknown to them which one he is exactly after. Then the plot is slightly propelled by a psychic who feebly attempts to steer them out of harm's way. Plus the duo must run every time they hear the song "Jeepers Creepers". Yep, it's fairly cheesy. The Creeper itself looked menacingly enough, but its' motivations seemed a little trite to me.

Justin Long is a star for a reason, and it's the acting that he brings that makes this film endurable. Gina Philips (Ally McBeal) and Justin work well together and have some decent banter at the beginning! The overall dialogue was pretty good, but the plot was very flimsy! For instance, Long convincing Gina to return to the potential body-dumping ground was just unrealistic, and simply a plot-device! As well as the use of a psychic from out-of-nowhere, and the legend behind the Creeper's cycle. It just didn't work for me.

Some of the cinematography is good! And Victor Salva directs this film reasonably well, displaying the landscape and isolation of the American countryside! I waited for rental 10 years after the film was released; just out of curiosity, and besides seeing Justin Long in an earlier movie, it really wasn't worth the wait! **½ out of *****!

One could say 'Alice in Wonderland' is certainly a digital wonderland, which doesn't quite mesh together well and feels cartoon-ish at the best of times. Visionary, stylistic filmmaker in Tim Burton returns with yet another recreation of a classic in Alice in Wonderland. However, much like 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', this film serves a purpose to inspire me to watch the original movies- in this case the 50s Disney cartoon that I so fondly remember. Or I could actually read the book! However, this film is not without its charm!

Yet another Tim Burton collaboration with Johnny Depp in a starring role! Filling the shoes (or hat) of the Mad Hatter. Johnny Depp does a reasonable job in this role, and is likable and insane enough. However, I think audiences are more curious to see Depp perform this character specifically than any other aspect of the movie. Helena Bonham Carter is quite good as the Red Queen, and this character is an interesting mix of actual real footage mixed in with digital effects- making Bonham Carter's head cleverly over-sized! Overall, the film is glossy and utilises some clever CGI mixed in with actual footage, but it all felt a little overdone!

Moving on to Alice. I actually thought Mia Wasikowska was quite good in the title role. I was more surprised to learn that she was one of the kids in 'The Kids Are Alright', which certainly displays some range! I didn't even know she was Australian, and I predict a great future for this young actress, as I think she held her own with Johnny Depp and a range of CGI animals and a giant jabberwocky to boot.

Basically, 'Alice in Wonderland' was a viewing afterthought for me, and I never rushed out to see it at the cinemas. I pretty much got what I expected, and that is a passable flick no better than something like 'Clash of the Titans' where you are curious to witness a digital CGI interpretation of classic characters and material. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter all raised the bar with 'Sweeney Todd', but then again that was unfamiliar territory for me. Still, I felt 'Alice in Wonderland' was a step down for all three artists, but not a letdown!

*** out of *****!

Danny McBride, Ben Best and Jody Hill wrote a "cult-ish" low-budget film called 'The Foot Fist Way'; about an obnoxious (but funny) Tae Kwon Do instructor named Fred Simmons, who has a marital crisis that affects his training of students. Endorsed by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as one of the funniest recent comedies to come out, and they give this independent flick an audience, and I curiously checked it out as it was just released on DVD in Australia.

Yes, it's funny! Not brilliant by any means! Danny McBride's acting style has continued to be apparent in other projects, and he has since been featured in films like 'Fanboys', 'Pineapple Express', 'Land of the Lost', 'Tropic Thunder' and he even had a serious bit in 'Up in the Air'. It all started in 'The Foot Fist Way' for him, and he was easily the king of this movie. Jody Hill, who went on to direct 'Observe and Report', also plays a somewhat interesting but limited character in Mike McAlister. Ben Best plays Chuck "the Truck" Wallace, and has quite a few funny scenes too. Some of the kids were great as well, and there is some impressively edited and directed action sequences and martial arts to boot. The fight scene between McBride and Best was hilarious and impressive at the same time- I would have never have thought McBride had some mad skills.

If you are into low-budget comedies, or interested to see how Danny McBride got his career going, then this film is definitely worth checking out. Not brilliant but quite good! *** out of *****!

It is funny how revisiting a film you remember well as a child is completely marred by seeing it through adult eyes. I guess I thought talking ducks were kind of cool. I used to think that 'Howard the Duck' winning the Razzies was actually pretty harsh because of this childhood memory! I mean, it was a kid's movie, right? I only saw it once back then, and decided to be quite nostalgic sometime ago and popped in the DVD to watch it again.

Boy, big mistake! Originally I didn't pick up on how detestable and annoying Howard actually was, and that he looked freakishly messed up with sub-par visual effects! Nor did I pick up on the terrible special effects overall, and the overuse of 80s fashion to the extreme. But worse still, the awkward and inappropriate spark between Howard and Lea Thompson- churned out with crappy dialogue and a duck-sized condom to boot! Could it get any worse? I remembered cliché bad guy in Jeffrey Jones being in the movie (who is actually quite decent even with the 'voice'), but had no idea that Tim Robbins was in this disaster, as a nerdy scientist before his claim to fame. His performance is embarrassing, but I still wanted him to pull out a gun and shoot the heck out of Howard! Eventually, after suffering through my curiosity again, I switched it off, and had to space out my torture to watch the ending later. I really can't believe I had a fond memory of this!

* out of *****!

Zany is one word to describe this film in 'Casino Royale', and it really is quite all over the place. A stellar cast for its time, but that doesn't make it a great movie. Woody Allen excels but we wait far too long for him to appear as the Dr Noah/Jimmy Bond. David Niven is usual polite self, and film cuts across narratives from his Bond to Peter Seller's version of Bond. I found the movie quite irritating and confusing. Several directors indicate that this film had problems, or the humour was derivative of Ian Fleming's famous Bond novels. I am not sure.

Orsen Welles is quite cute as the bad, and seems stuck in the sitting position. Apparently he and Sellers didn't get along, and that would make sense because the scenes with the two actors together felt unnatural- primarily because they were filmed on separate days so they didn't have to see each other! One of the Two Ronnies is in this film, and he is quite funny! I lost track ofthis movie, and was glad when it ended. I think Austin Powers is a better spoof on the Bond saga, as this film was all over the place. Better off seeing the actual 'Casino Royale' with Daniel Craig........much better!

** out of *****!

Nicolas Cage stars in the remake of 'Wicker Man', and this version is so silly, it's beyond belief. A Bee-like culture of women trick Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) into caring for a little girl in order to basically screw him over. The problem is, the whole premise of the island this time round just doesn't work, and seems to suit Neil LaBute's issues with women. Some scenes are just laughable and so bad that it makes you cringe- like Cage in a bear-suit. I got the edited version of this film and I managed to see the edited scenes elsewhere- and i think i may have switched it off if they were included. Somethings are better left alone and not remade!

1.5 out 5!

One cool thing about Rob Zombie's version of Halloween is the background information on Michael Myers, and yet it is also the downfall of the movie. In telling that aspect of the story, the mystery is lost, and Myers' obsession with masks (and he came up with some cool masks) would have realistically being ceased by the institution the kid was being held. I kept thinking during the film, why wouldn't the staff just make him show his face, and I think realistically, they wouldn't encourage his mental behaviour by allowing him to wear masks throughout his childhood.

Malcolm McDowell was good filling Donald Pleasance's shoes, and there were some cool homage scenes to the original film. However. The recent spate of remakes- particularly horror remakes- really displays how worthwhile the original film influenced a particular. The original Carpenter 70s 'Halloween' is head and shoulders above this movie. And if this film makes more people see the original, then more power to it. It's slightly above average in the end of the day. Certainly much better than Zombie's 'House of a 1000 Corpses'!

*** out of *****!

Aside from two reasonably strong performances from Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps, Ryan Fleck's 'Half Nelson' is a plodding film with a few decent moments. Gosling's drug-addled Mr. Dunne befriends young Drey (Epps) after she discovers his secret behaviour. He becomes the protective teacher of her as she ventures into the wrong path, but he also struggles with his own internal problems that affects his behaviour. There are nice historical references in the classroom, as well as touching racial politics but overall this film tranquilly goes through the motions and left this viewer unsatisfied. The whole opposing forces within the machine aspect was a decent theme in relation to the student/teacher dynamic, but 'Half Nelson' rarely ascends in dramatic tension- partly due to the hand-held camera-work that made me like I was watching glimpses of characters.

Ryan Gosling probably deserved his Oscar nomination, and he is definitely an actor to look out for. I did feel he looked a little young for the role. Overall, 'Half Nelson' is an interesting, but a slow plodding film that never really takes the viewer anywhere. As an expose on lower-class culture and racial politics within the school machine, it fares well, but never excels as an overall story. The low-budget feel is present, and it works to present the environment and gives an observational vibe but is never quite fully engaging.

*** out of *****!

'Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment' was a popular one from my childhood, and this films sees Mahoney, Tackleberry, Hightower, Hooks, Fackler and Jones go from graduation to a crime-ridden precinct! The six of them are paired up with regulars, and work for Commandant Lassard's brother in Pete Lassard. Instead of having Harris as the main antagonist, we are now introduced to Lt. Mauser (Art Metrano) and his goofy lackey in Proctor (Lance Kinsey) who want to thwart efforts in reducing crime in order to gain ascendance in the Police force.

Missing from this sequel is Leslie Barbara (who never comes back) and Sgt. Debbie Callahan, but we are introduced to an array of new characters such as Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky) - the merchant who is constantly bullied by the criminals, and Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait) who is the leader of the gang that terrorises the city. These two have some of the funniest interactions throughout the movie.

Mahoney is teamed up with a grot named Vinnie (Peter Van Nordan) and Tackleberry is the one with the romantic interest as he hooks up with gun enthusiastic motorcycle cop in Kirkland (Colleen Camp), whose father and brother try to outdo each other with sneaky punches (and they both make an appearance in third film as well). Other pairings don't seem to evolve; Fackler's gimmick remains the same, Jones is teamed up with some grumpy cop and then goes solo later on, Hook's meek voice is used to in the call centre and I really don't remember what happens to Hightower, but he somehow throws several criminals into water at one stage.

The second Police Academy film is not too bad, and is quite funny in parts. Mahoney still plays pranks, and Zed is a riot as the gang leader who freaks out every now and then, and Proctor's addition makes for good humour. Although, Jone's gimmick with the Kung Fu dubbing impersonation was pretty funny- particularly due to the actual dubbing of a spectator, his overall sound-effects noise creations are mostly annoying. The romance between Tackleberry and Kirkland is okay, but not particularly funny, and overall this film took an interesting direction by going into the inner city districts. The following sequels will have the characters return to the academy aspect- whether in presence or in overall plot.

'Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment' is not bad, and slightly dated, however, it is the characters that make this film fun. Not to be taken too seriously by any means, and it has enough laughs to keep it from being abysmal. Not as good as the first or the third!

*** out of *****!