Kindergarten Cop

Plot

To secure a conviction, Kimble and detective Phoebe O'Hara travel to Astoria, Oregon, to find Rachel, believing her testimony is essential. They plan to locate her through Cullen Jr., who is thought to be in kindergarten at the local elementary school. O'Hara intends to pose as a substitute teacher but falls ill, forcing Kimble to take her place. Despite having no teaching experience, Kimble establishes order using firm discipline and police methods. He bonds with the children and discovers he enjoys teaching. He grows close to teacher Joyce and her son Dominic, one of his students. Kimble deduces that Joyce is Rachel and Dominic is Cullen Jr. Meanwhile, the key witness dies after using tainted cocaine, and Crisp is released. Crisp travels to Astoria with his mother to reclaim his son.

Production

Bill Murray and Patrick Swayze were initially approached for the role of Kimble. Danny DeVito was also considered, but director Ivan Reitman felt DeVito's height would make him less believable. Reitman and casting director Michael Chinich auditioned over 2,000 children for the pupil roles; Elijah Wood was among those who auditioned unsuccessfully. Exterior scenes at the school were filmed at John Jacob Astor Elementary School in Astoria, Oregon.

Universal Studios hired local artists to paint murals and provided new playground equipment and landscaping. Most filming was completed after school ended in June 1990, allowing pupils and faculty to serve as extras. Schwarzenegger insisted on a private studio for daily workouts. Other locations included the Bayview Motel, Commercial Street, and a private residence at 414 Exchange Street.

Interior school scenes were shot at Universal Studios in Hollywood. The opening scene was filmed at Westfield MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

Reception

Kindergarten Cop was the second-highest-grossing film behind Home Alone during the week of January 8, 1991. It grossed $91.4 million in North America and $101.5 million internationally. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 54% based on 39 reviews, with the consensus stating the film is too grim for children and too cloying for adults. On Metacritic, it has a score of 61 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews.

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of A−. Caryn James of The New York Times wrote that nothing in the film is as funny as the idea of it. Kim Newman of Empire gave it 3 stars, calling it generally entertaining despite a heart of purest mush. Entertainment Weekly gave it a C grade, noting the movie never quite gels.

Roger Ebert awarded it three stars, saying the film makes slick entertainment out of the improbable. On April Fools' Day 2012, the film was announced as a prank to be released by The Criterion Collection. It was released on Blu-ray on July 1, 2014, and on 4K UHD by Kino Lorber on January 23, 2024.