Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
The Police Academy series made being a cop look quirky and kind of fun. Yet the fourth installment failed the field test to be considered a good movie. The stomach-clenching comical elements which made the first three movies great seemingly disappeared in the fourth. Furthermore, Fans loved Zed for his off the cusp humor throughout the first three films. In this film, he might be annoying to fans who once loved him. A sequel is easier for fans to receive when the characters are consistent.
Citizens on Patrol marked the decline of a beloved series. Sometimes directors should know when it’s time to put a series to rest. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times echoed these sentiments when he said, “What’s so amazing about the Police Academy movies is that they keep being made even though they stopped being funny after the hilarious original.” Sadly, the decline of the series would continue as two more sequels were released.
