Family cinema has to be suitable, it is in its mere definition. Introducing the action has its risks, you can do something beyond violent and scoundrel that ends up being perverse (something that a good example of badass family action like ‘Little Warriors’ cleverly points out). It can also end up diluting so much that it ends up in absolute nothingness.
It may not be the best or most immediate example that comes to mind, but an icon of extreme action like Arnold Schwarzenegger achieved an interesting balance between action and his leap into studio comedies, sometimes bordering on purely family cinema. That already makes it his best film in the purely comic field. Is about ‘kindergarten cop‘.
A very classy policeman
The film is new to the Netflix catalog, and it is well worth rescuing it, either to see if I am right in my hyperbolic statement about its best comedy or not. I, of course, intend to defend it tooth and nail, because there have been few better combinations of hard-hitting police thriller and children’s humor raising eleven.
Schwarzenegger stars as John Kimble (there’s got to be talk someday about why all of Arnold’s leads have cool names), a tough veteran detective on the hunt for a dangerous drug lord. His best chance is through his son and his ex-wife, who could testify against him, but are in a remote part of Oregon. He will move there with another agent who will pretend to be a kindergarten teacher, but a problem will force him to get in touch. command an ungovernable class.
A authentic 90s action comedy that he didn’t necessarily have to go through the Shane Black formula of unlikely and incorrect pairings (great formula by the way). Ivan Reitman exploits his star well in both registers, the action and the absurd comedy, achieving a better result than in his previous collaboration.twins strike twice‘ and the later (and excessively silly) ‘Junior‘.
‘Kindergarten cop’: police action and 90s comedy
Schwarzenegger moves quite well in fish-out-of-water contexts, something that this film takes advantage of in addition to playing both sides. On the one hand, he tries to humanize him into an ordinary man and, on the other, maintains the forceful charisma that defines other of his action heroes. It’s not easy to achieve, but Reitman’s tone manages to be consistent and keep the character coherent.
Humor with children works rather than irritates, which is something I could have fallen into very easily. Thus, it achieves that rare miracle where perfect family entertainment is achieved that doesn’t sugarcoat Arnold’s powerful action too much. So goes straight to the podium of his filmographywhich is no small feat because it has several masterpieces.