I have seen many movies featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger over the years and I have usually enjoyed the movie even though I fully agree that he is not that talented as an actor.  I first saw Kindergarten Cop years ago when it first became available to rent.  I recently watched the movie again on DVD.

Tough police detective John Kimble has been after drug dealer Cullen Crisp for years.  Cullen has been looking for his ex-wife Rachel to get his son.  John is able to arrest Cullen after he kills a man telling him that Rachel is in Astoria, Oregon.  John and Phoebe O'Hara, another detective, are sent to Astoria to look for Rachel, who the police believe stole drug money from Cullen.  Once they find her, they are going to offer her a deal to testify against Cullen.  Phoebe is supposed to pose the kindergarten teacher, but John takes over when she gets sick.  After a rough start, he develops a method that works well with the children and even starts enjoying being their teacher.  He starts to develop feelings for Joyce, another teacher and single mother of one of his students.  When Cullen is released from prison, John and Phoebe must change plans to try to finish their job.

The plot for Kindergarten Cop is straight forward without being overly simple since a few different things are going on.  Most of what is going on is connected to John's efforts to get Cullen convicted and in prison.  John and Phoebe end up in Astoria because a decision is made to try to make the case against Cullen stronger by finding Rachel and getting her to testify against him.  Once in Astoria, John has to act as the teacher, and his attempts at dealing with the students take more focus for a while even though he is still trying to find Rachel.  Even though different things are going on, the plot isn't complicated.

Kindergarten Cop is a comedy overall even though there are some more serious scenes that turn up every so often.  The beginning, when John and the situation with Cullen are introduced, is more serious with a couple of lines that add some humor.  More humor turns up after John and Phoebe start working together and head for Astoria.  Most of the funny things happen once John starts serving as the kindergarten teacher.  John has no clue what he is facing when he decides to take over as the teacher and his reactions to what the kids do are very funny.  Some of the things done to add humor are a bit silly, but it works for the movie and what is going on.  As the movie progresses, there are more serious moments here and there dealing with aspects of a few different characters.  The humor and serious things blend fairly well and manage to work for the movie.

There is a little bit of mystery to what is happening in Kindergarten Cop connected to the search for Rachel.  It is made clear right away that John is out to arrest Cullen.  Most of the movie deals with what happens after John and Phoebe arrive in Astoria and start searching for Rachel and her son.  They have no idea what she or her son look like, so they have several possibilities for a while.  The mystery aspect of the movie isn't that strong, but it does help to keep things interesting.  The movie really doesn't have any suspense and is mostly predictable.  There are a few minor surprises that turn up, which keeps everything from being completely predictable.

Scenes near the beginning and end of Kindergarten Cop include violence.  Cullen kills someone during the first few moments and John gets a bit violent when chasing him.  Later in the movie, when there is a final confrontation between John and Cullen, the fight between the men is more violent and involves shooting.  Cullen's mother even gets into the act, hitting someone with a car and then pulling a gun on someone.  Earlier in the movie, child abuse is briefly touched on when John discovers that one of his students is being abused.  None of the violence is that graphic, but it is a bit intense for children.  The movie is rated PG-13 and even though the plot deals with children, the movie really isn't for children.

Phoebe and John end up spending a lot of time together during Kindergarten Cop without starting a romance.  They develop a friendship and decent working relationship.  Phoebe is involved with someone who turns up in a few scenes, one of which has a mild sexual situation.  John is interested in Joyce, and the two of them start spending time together even as John continues to try to find Rachel.  The relationship is depicted in an innocent way that does make it clear that the two have feelings for each other.  The chemistry between John and Joyce isn't that strong, but it manages to work for the most part.

John Kimble is a very dedicated cop who starts off willing to do whatever he feels is necessary to arrest suspects.  He is a bit tough and violent, but he starts to change once he is acting as the kindergarten teacher.  His softer side comes out at that point as he realizes that he enjoys teaching the children.  His methods with the children are a bit unusual, but they end up working.  Arnold Schwarzenegger does well with the part, making John slightly different from most of the other tough characters he has played.

Phoebe is a detective who starts to work with John to find Rachel.  She is frequently eating because she has hypoglycemia.  She is more calm about certain things than John.  She balances him out for the most part.  Pamela Reed handles the part well.  Miss Schlowski is the principal of the school in Astoria.  She is not at all happy about the situation, but grudgingly accepts John as a teacher, thinking he will give up after a few days.  As he makes a difference with the class, she changes her opinion of him.  Linda Hunt doesn't have a lot to do, but she does well with the part.

Joyce is one of the teachers in the school.  Her son Dominic is in John's class.  She is a single mother who seems to be very good at her job.  Penelope Ann Miller does well with the part.  Dominic is outspoken at times, thinking that John is a horrible teacher at first.  Dominic ends up changing his mind about John as the movie progresses.  He is a nice young boy.  Joseph and Christian Cousins do a good job playing Dominic.  All the other children in the class turn up in several scenes, though most of them aren't that developed.  A few of the parents turn up briefly as well.

Cullen Crisp is a drug dealer who has managed to avoid jail time for years.  He is ruthless and willing to do anything to get what he wants.  He is determined to find his ex-wife so he can take his son.  Cullen thinks that he has some sort of right to raise the child since it is a boy.  Cullen is not a nice guy at all.  Richard Tyson handles the part well.  Cullen's mother Eleanor turns up in several scenes with her son.  She is just as twisted and vicious as her son.  She shares his belief that her grandson belongs with her son.  She also shares her son's violent tendencies and is not a woman to mess with.  Carroll Baker does well with the part.  A few other characters, like the guy killed by Cullen and the witness, turn up briefly without being developed.

Main Cast

Carroll Baker - Eleanor Crisp
Christian Cousins - Dominic
Joseph Cousins - Dominic
Linda Hunt - Miss Schlowski
Penelope Ann Miller - Joyce
Pamela Reed - Phoebe
Arnold Schwarzenegger - John Kimble
Richard Tyson - Cullen Crisp

Ivan Reitman - Director

I first saw Kindergarten Cop years ago on VHS.  The movie has been released on DVD and I think there have been a few versions.  I own the movie in a DVD set with two other Schwarzenegger comedy movies.  This version includes no extras.  I have no idea if there is a DVD version with extras or not.  An edited version of the movie does turn up on television every so often.

Kindergarten Cop is silly at times, but it is a fun, entertaining movie overall.  Fans of Schwarzenegger, especially his comedy movies, should give this one a chance.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies
Around the World in 80 Days ~ Batman & Robin ~ Jingle All the Way ~ The Terminator ~ Terminator 2: Judgment Day ~ Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ~ True Lies ~ Twins ~

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD