A group of minor traffic offenders all have their vehicles impounded and are sentenced to traffic school by Judge Henderson (Sally Kellerman) and if they fail the vehicles will be sold and the money collected by the county. The class is taught by the recently demoted Deputy Halik (James Keach) and his partner/girlfriend Deputy Morris (Lisa Hart Carroll) who've been recently demoted due to a retaliatory prank by one of the traffic school's attendees Dana "Butch" Cannon (John Murray). Unbeknowst to the class, Halik is having an illicit affair with Henderson with the two conspiring to make everyone fail the class and pocket proceeds from the sale of the cars. When Dana finds out he rallies the other attendees to action against Halik and Henderson.
Moving Violations came from the writing team of Neal Israel and Pat Proft, who had delivered the 1984 surprise hit Police Academy. Israel had attended traffic school after getting a ticket and submitted a comedic premise based around the concept of misfits attending traffic school to producer Joe Roth who loved the idea. Israel and Proft by their admission said that in reality traffic school is really boring so they took that as creative license to make things up wholesale for the sake of gags. Does it work? Kind of, but there is that sneaking suspicion that you've seen most of this already in the duo's previous effort in Police Academy.
The movie is the first (and only) vehicle for Bill Murray's brother John Murray (best known for playing Frank Cross' brother James in Scrooged). He's okay in the lead as Dana "Butch" Cannon, but it feels like the writer's are trying to force him as a Bill Murray or Steve Guttenberg type and John just doesn't have the charisma for it. Even the movie seems to be aware of it because when Dana kisses his love interest played by Jennifer Tilly, director Neal Israel shoots the kiss from the back of Murray's head focusing primarily on Tilly who's the stronger presence and rarely showing either Murray's face or the two in profile. John Murray feels like he could be a solid supporting player in this type of movie, but as a forced lead he feels out of his depth especially when he's paired against a nemesis solidly played by actor James Keach. Even if a stronger actor than Murray had been chosen, it still would've been an uphill battle because the way the movie shamelessly rips off the delivery and premise of Police Academy it isn't even attempting to hide it. There's even a rip-off of the "mayor's daughter" subplot and revelation from Animal House.
There's nothing all that wrong with Moving Violations as with a cast that includes the likes of Jennifer Tilly, Sally Kellerman, Fred Willard, and even an early appearance by Don Cheadle as a drive thru fast food worker you're guaranteed to get at least a few decent chuckles. But the movie just has that feeling of "rush" that makes it feel like an in all but name sequel to Police Academy. In an era that was spoiled for choice when it came to "slob comedies" Moving Violations doesn't have anything that makes it hateful like Porky's, but it also doesn't reach the heights of Stripes or Animal House or even the "okay" threshold of Up the Creek or the first Police Academy film. It's watchable, but there are much better options.
Moving Violations came from the writing team of Neal Israel and Pat Proft, who had delivered the 1984 surprise hit Police Academy. Israel had attended traffic school after getting a ticket and submitted a comedic premise based around the concept of misfits attending traffic school to producer Joe Roth who loved the idea. Israel and Proft by their admission said that in reality traffic school is really boring so they took that as creative license to make things up wholesale for the sake of gags. Does it work? Kind of, but there is that sneaking suspicion that you've seen most of this already in the duo's previous effort in Police Academy.
The movie is the first (and only) vehicle for Bill Murray's brother John Murray (best known for playing Frank Cross' brother James in Scrooged). He's okay in the lead as Dana "Butch" Cannon, but it feels like the writer's are trying to force him as a Bill Murray or Steve Guttenberg type and John just doesn't have the charisma for it. Even the movie seems to be aware of it because when Dana kisses his love interest played by Jennifer Tilly, director Neal Israel shoots the kiss from the back of Murray's head focusing primarily on Tilly who's the stronger presence and rarely showing either Murray's face or the two in profile. John Murray feels like he could be a solid supporting player in this type of movie, but as a forced lead he feels out of his depth especially when he's paired against a nemesis solidly played by actor James Keach. Even if a stronger actor than Murray had been chosen, it still would've been an uphill battle because the way the movie shamelessly rips off the delivery and premise of Police Academy it isn't even attempting to hide it. There's even a rip-off of the "mayor's daughter" subplot and revelation from Animal House.
There's nothing all that wrong with Moving Violations as with a cast that includes the likes of Jennifer Tilly, Sally Kellerman, Fred Willard, and even an early appearance by Don Cheadle as a drive thru fast food worker you're guaranteed to get at least a few decent chuckles. But the movie just has that feeling of "rush" that makes it feel like an in all but name sequel to Police Academy. In an era that was spoiled for choice when it came to "slob comedies" Moving Violations doesn't have anything that makes it hateful like Porky's, but it also doesn't reach the heights of Stripes or Animal House or even the "okay" threshold of Up the Creek or the first Police Academy film. It's watchable, but there are much better options.