Kindergarten Cop - A Movie Review

How tough could teaching kindergarteners be?

Kindergarten Cop graduated into theaters in 1990. An undercover cop must pose as a kindergarten teacher in order to locate a dangerous criminal ex-wife. During his mission, Kimble never expected to like his job as a teacher.

I had Kindergarten Cop all wrong. This film surprised me. Kindergarten Cop is a silly and goofy film but it is so much more than that. Containing the usual childish themes, Kindergarten Cop is a meaningful and suspenseful action film.

I bet everyone was wondering how Arnold Schwarzenegger could pull off a role like this. Turns out, he was truly sincere in the role. Kimble is one of Schwarzenegger’s favorite roles. Admitting that he was exhausted after each day of filming with the kids, Schwarzenegger had the best time.

Schwarzenegger put in suggestions of his own to make the story stronger. He developed connections with the kids, and (like Kimble) learned to become a more tolerant person. Seeing how supportive he was has given me new respect for the film.

The ensemble of kindergarten children were all excellent. More than 2,000 kids were auditioned for Kimble’s class. For most, it was their first time acting. They were allowed to create their own characters.

Some recognizable faces appear. Miko Hughes starred in several genres of films when he was only a toddler, like Pet Semetary and a small role in Full House. For fans of the film Beethoven, expect an appearance by Sarah Rose Carr.

As a suggestion by Schwarzenegger, to give the kids more depth, he asked for family life situations to be written in. The kids are characters and not props. That’s what makes Kindergarten Cop significant.

Linda Hunt plays the principal of the school. I liked her interactions with Kimble. Nobody talks down to the principal. The film also stars Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, and more memorable roles.

Child abuse and parental neglect are a theme in Kindergarten Cop. Some audiences may find this topic triggering. I was not expected that. This topic is taken seriously.

Ivan Reitman was handpicked to be the director by Schwarzenegger. He harbored close attention to all the topics and tones of the film. The story is paced well. Most importantly, he was patient with the children which is a necessity for a film like this.

Kindergarten Cop has thrilling action sequences. The only violence that occurs in the film is at the beginning and in the climax. The climax was a suspenseful ride. Action sequences were a bit violent in the end, but in contrast to the film’s story, Kindergarten Cop is not a film for young audiences.

As I was saying, Kindergarten Cop is about the growing relationship between Kimble and his class. That’s why the violence is kept minimal until the end. That aspect is not talked about enough. I agree with Reitman that the violence was necessary because, with the kindergarten storyline, I did forget what type of movie I was watching.

Offset, the mood was kept lighthearted. Schwarzenegger was thrown a birthday party during filming. The kid actors loved Schwarzenegger and were sad when filming ended.

Comedy is natural. I was expecting it to be forced but the jokes and reactions were on par. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times.

The film has a good story. I had a good time watching this film. I recommend Kindergarten Cop to anybody who is looking for a new comedy. Not all audiences will enjoy it but the film is worth checking out.