Kindergarten Cop (1990)

A tough cop must pose as a kindergarten teacher in order to locate a dangerous criminal's ex-wife, who may hold the key to putting him behind bars.

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Murray Salem (story), Murray Salem (screenplay)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Kimble
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Joyce
Pamela Reed	...	Phoebe
Linda Hunt	...	Miss Schlowski
Richard Tyson	...	Crisp
Carroll Baker	...	Eleanor Crisp
Joseph Cousins	...	Dominic
Christian Cousins	...	Dominic
Cathy Moriarty	...	Sylvester's Mother
Park Overall	...	Samantha's Mother
Jayne Brook	...	Zach's Mother
Richard Portnow	...	Captain Salazar
Tom Kurlander	...	Danny
Alix Koromzay	...	Cindy
Betty Lou Henson	...	Keisha's Mother

Storyline

After numerous fruitless attempts, the veteran LAPD Detective, John Kimble, has one last chance to put behind bars once and for all the elusive drug kingpin, Cullen Crisp, who is trying to find the whereabouts of his son and his ex-wife who run away with millions of dollars. In high hopes of picking up clues, the massive officer finds himself at a bustling elementary school in Astoria, Oregon, posing as a substitute kindergarten teacher; however, to keep up the ruse without blowing his cover, John must keep under control a noisy classroom full of intimidating five-year-old adversaries. Can Kimble show them who's boss?

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Plot Keywords:

holster | shoulder holster | shoulder | good versus evil | evil man | 

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Taglines:

It's a jungle gym out there.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

21 December 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kindergarten Cop

Filming Locations:

Hamlet Quick Stop - 38012 US-26, Seaside, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,918,560, 23 December 1990

Gross USA:

$91,457,688

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$201,957,688

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the classroom scenes were shot on a set in L.A. so Arnold Schwarzenegger could be near his family.

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Goofs

When Detective Kimble drives up to the motel in the rain, the passenger's window is lowered for the camera. After parking seconds later, the window is rolled up.

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Quotes

Phoebe: [advising Kimble on how to be a teacher] Listen, Kimble, you've got to handle this like any other police situation. You walk into it showing fear, you're dead. And those kids know you're scared.
Detective John Kimble: [looks at her a moment, then nods] No fear.
Phoebe: No fear.

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Crazy Credits

Film title logo appears at the end of the closing credits

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Alternate Versions

When shown on BBC1 All the gun violence was completely omitted from the disco scene and all of the profanity was either dubbed over or omitted from the film and the scene where John Kimble confronts the father who gave the boy bruises was heavily cut removing profanity and when the father goes to hit John Kimble but John Kimble blocks the punch and punches the boys father in the stomach making the scene appear very out of sorts. The scene where Crisp assaults the man who buys the last race car set outside the toy store was also cut, with the scene ending with Crisp amiably leaving the store.

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Connections

Referenced in Not Another Not Another Movie (2011)

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Soundtracks

La Manito
Music by Kinito Méndez
Performed by Alfonso 'Pochy' Vasquez y su Cocoband (as Pochi y su Cocoband)

User Reviews

Arnie takes on comedy and wins!

Kindergarten Cop is a great film. It contains some of Schwarzenegger's best work showcasing his innate likability and comic timing in a piece which allows them to accentuate his more often seen action star persona. The lightening of this persona works in the film allowing us to follow Arnie's Kimble into what could easily be a weak and twee concept. Fortunately Arnie doesn't lose his balls in the transition and Reitman directs the action very well as well as showing the same skill in comedy as he did with previous hits such as Ghost Busters. Ricky Tyson makes a brilliant villain not in his being an equal to Schwarzenegger but in his portraying a drug dealer with a grudge as a three dimensional character who will stop at nothing to get his son back. Schwarzeneeger also gets to get have some romance and although he at times looks ready to kill his very beautiful love interest (Penelope Ann Miller) he manages to be a very charming lead who the audience are helpless but to root for. The screenplay by Salem, Harris and Weingrod is both touching and funny with memorable lines such as the deadpan interrogation scene "Who is your daddy and what does he do?". The kids also are great featuring a diverse group who almost steal the show with lines such as "Boy's have a penis, girl's have a vagina". The film also contains some classic Arnie one liners such his "I'm the party pooper" kiss off before shooting down some low lives. Such lines refer to Arnie's tough guy persona and shows that he is not afraid to poke fun at himself. The difference in Kindgarten Cop is that he is playing a vulnerable human character and the audience does not want him to be hurt not just because he is the hero but because they like him. The score too is exceptional being appropriately sweet and upbeat as well at sometimes hitting darker more sinister tones. They truly don't make them like this anymore, just see awful modern examples such as Vin Diesel's The Pacifer for proof or rather don't see them, watch Kindergarten Cop again and see a great action star and comedy director team up to make a most enjoyable work.