Kindergarten Cop would be the second time that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ivan Reitman have teamed up, having done so two years prior for the awesome Twins. Kindergarten Cop is an absolute classic, the kind of movie that is perfect when you want something to cheer you up after a long day. I think that the movie holds up really well, and it is a movie that I have seen a ton of times, and it has never gotten old.
Where to Watch Kindergarten Cop
Kindergarten Cop was released on December 21, 1990. You can stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Detective John Kimble
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the role of an LAPD detective called John Kimble. Kimble has had a real vendetta against a drug lord called Crisp, and he finally has what he feels is the evidence to put him away. This is easier said than done; a key witness flakes on him, and Crisp ends up getting away.
Crisp, Joyce, and Dominic Set the Stakes
It turns out that Crisp has a son. Crisp’s ex, Joyce, supposedly stole a bunch of money from him and then fled with her son, Dominic. Crisp now has an idea of where Joyce and his son is and he, along with his mother are going to track them down. By the way, Crisp’s mother, who is played by Carroll Baker, is such a great villain; you truly do hate her, and in the limited screen time she has, you can see why Crisp turned out the way that he did.
The Undercover Plan at Astoria Elementary School
Kimble and the LAPD get word of where Joyce and Dominic are hiding out. Turns out that Joyce has taken a job as a teacher at Astoria Elementary School. Kimble’s partner. Phoebe is going to pose as a teacher and go undercover to find out for sure who is Crisp’s ex and son, which will hopefully lead them to Crisp, but she ends up getting food poisoning and is not able to do it.
John Kimble Becomes a Kindergarten Teacher
Instead, John has to get all dressed up and play the role of the kindergarten teacher. Seeing Arnold be a teacher, lose his mind, and get frustrated is hilarious stuff. There are so many funny moments, from him teaching the kids discipline, the kid eating others’ lunch, and his ways of trying to figure out which one is Crisp’s son is all great stuff. Oh, who could forget the epic fire drill scene!
More Than Comedy: Real Emotion and Real Danger
While there are some very funny moments. Kindergarten Cop also has some real stakes going on as well. It is impossible not to feel for Joyce and Dominic when you find out that there are “bad people” who are looking for them and that they have had to run in the middle of the night before. You can tell it has to be very stressful for Joyce to try and live her life and be a good mother, but always having to look over her shoulder.
John Kimble as One of Arnold’s Most Charming Characters
From The Terminator to Dutch to Mr. Freeze…. Well, maybe not Mr. Freeze, Arnold Schwarzenegger has played so many great roles, actually, forget that he was super fun as Mr. Freeze! I would put John Kimble up there as one of the most charming characters that he has played. There is also a really heartbreaking scene where he is talking about his own son, too.
Rotten Tomatoes Score and Audience Reactions
I was kind of shocked to see that on Rotten Tomatoes, Kindergarten Cop is at around 50 percent for both scores! This is a movie that I thought everyone loved! Well, while it may not have clicked with everyone like it did with me, I consider this to be a real classic and a movie I could happily watch once a year and never get bored with.
Thoughts on Kindergarten Cop 2
Oh, also, I will probably never get the chance to talk about it, but the unnecessary 2016 straight-to-DVD/streaming Kindergarten 2, starring Dolph Lundgren, is far better than it has any right to be. Sure, it is not as good as this one, but if you liked the first, give it a chance. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by it. I am not saying it is amazing, but I certainly had a fun time with it.
