Ski Patrol

In yesterday's entry, I wrote about Neal Isreal trying to recapture the success he had with Police Academy by making Moving Violations. He wasn't the only one from the Police Academy crew hoping that lightning would strike twice. Producer Paul Maslansky realized that by the sixth Academy movie, that audiences had lost interest. In all fairness, most people lost interst around the fourth one. In hopes of launching a new franchise, he backed a movie that was basically Police Academy on ski's. The result was 1990's Ski Patrol.

Roger Rose stars as Jerry, the leader of the ski patrol, a ragtag group of party animals. When an evil land developer, Martin Mull, has designs on their mountain and has plans to shut down the ski patrol, he hires two former ski instructors to make the patrol look bad. When they of his plot, they set out to expose the developer and save the day and their mountain.

One of the most interesting things about this movie is that it features two performers in before they were famous roles. Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids and Spy, and George Lopez. Feig is really good as the klutzy Stanley. Also good is Mull, who was a pro at playing sleazy businessmen by this time. Leslie Jordan is funny as Murray, the short boss of the patrol, and the constant butt of their jokes. Sean Gregory Sullivan is the real scene stealer in this though. He plays Suicide, an extreme ski enthusiast who's dangerous stunts constantly disrupt the patrol's days. Rose is really bland however in the lead role.

Not a terrific movie by any means, but Ski Patrol is an ok time killer.

It's not available on dvd or blu ray.