---
title: "Police Academy: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/police-academy/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/police-academy"
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Police Academy (1984): what the critics said

Critics' score 62 from 7 reviews: 2 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative.

The reviews lean towards a mixed reception, with most critics finding some laughs in Police Academy’s goofy recruits and clashes with authority. Praise centres on its affable, often innocent humour and supporting performances: Variety singles out Michael Winslow’s human sound effects, while Empire finds the comedy consistently funny and argues that it deserves more respect than its reputation allows. Even the qualified responses find something appealing in its silliness.

The reservations concern uneven jokes, fragmented writing and the point at which broad humour becomes merely crude. Vulture accepts the messiness for the sake of the charm, whereas The New York Times finds the gags more crude than amusing. The spread is fairly wide, though enthusiasm is less common than qualification; the evidence also has limits, with one verdict unverifiable and two others represented only by partial text.

## Empire — Mark Dinning

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The critic finds the film consistently funny and more deserving of respect than its reputation suggests. The sweet, naïve humour and standout supporting performances are singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/police-academy-review/)

## Vulture — Alden Ford

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2018. 

Ford finds the film a messy but affable comedy that remains somewhat funny. He praises its harmless, goofy charm while criticizing its implausible premise, fragmented writing, and uneven jokes.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2011/03/watching-police-academy-for-the-first-time.html)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1983. 

The review finds the comedy harmless and innocent, with a fresh setting but uneven results. It especially praises Michael Winslow’s performance as a human sound-effects system.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/police-academy-1200426009/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint can be identified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/police-academy-1984)

## Time Out — TJ

Fi1m's normalised score 63/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available text signals a critique of the film’s vulgar humour, but does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. It singles out the barrage of vulgar jokes as a notable feature.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/police-academy)

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 3/5. 

Ferguson says the original produced its fair share of belly laughs and unexpectedly spawned a long-running franchise. He highlights the oddball recruits’ clashes with authority and eventual proving of themselves.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7bogjz/police-academy/)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 23 March 1984. 

Maslin's verdict is negative, finding the comedy more crude than amusing. The film's broad, gag-driven approach is what the review singles out.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/23/movies/film-police-academy-with-no-entrance-rules.html)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/police-academy.md