Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach

The fifth Police Academy film sends its familiar recruits to Miami Beach, where Commandant Lassard is due to receive a lifetime achievement award around his retirement. The trip goes wrong when Lassard's luggage is mixed up at the airport and stolen diamonds from a jewel heist end up in his hands, drawing the criminals after him. When Lassard is taken, Hightower, Tackleberry, Jones, Callahan and Hooks set out to find him, with the beach parties and other distractions of Florida no obstacle to their rescue efforts. Captain Harris, who has long wanted Lassard's job, is also along for the ride, hoping to impress the assembled police hierarchy.

Alan Myerson directed, working from a screenplay by Stephen Curwick; Paul Maslansky produced. It was Myerson's second film as director, arriving seven years after his first, Private Lessons. Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook and Marion Ramsey return as Hightower, Tackleberry, Jones, Callahan and Hooks, with Janet Jones joining as Kate. Thirty-nine cast members and ninety-eight crew are credited.

Released on 17 March 1988, the comedy runs 90 minutes. Made for a budget of 14 million US dollars, it took 20 million worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds 4.6 out of 10 from 41,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.2 out of 10 from 1,048 votes, while a critics' rating of 2.6 out of 10 from nine reviews places it below even those audience scores.