Cop Out Movie Review

Periodically funny and foul-mouthed, “Cop Out” is a homage to the buddy-cop action comedies of the 1980’s. Helmed by Kevin Smith for the first time from a script not his own, the film pulls in all the familiar characteristics of the inspirational genre but fails miserably to deliver up to par.

Veteran NY cop partners Jimmy Munroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) had been together in the field for as long as they can remember. One thing they love most about their job is imitating and dramatizing the whole good cop/bad cop during suspect interrogation. However due to a case of destroyed property in a chase gone wrong, the two are suspended from their crime-busting duties by their boss. Despite being off-duty, the duo still manage to wind up getting involved in a catching a crazy, badass Mexican drug lord (Guillermo Diaz) along with two other detectives (Kevin Pollack and Adam Brody). On their quest, they also attempt to retrieve a stolen baseball card worth thousands to Jimmy. Without it, he wouldn’t be able to pay off the dues for his daughter’s upcoming wedding.

As a comedic feature, no doubt this film succeeds in eliciting laughs with its generous use of slapstick humor embedded in chosen moments of the entire film. Some of the funniest acts were already featured earlier in the trailer but there are still others that surprise you with the full-length version. The saving grace for “Cop Out” is its talented line-up which is composed of some of Hollywood’s funniest people around. Whether they’re taking on a full role or simply performing a cameo, their appearance is enough to muster out a bout of laughter. It doesn’t really matter what they’re in for or what they’re doing, what works is no matter how they do it, they end up as hysterical and entertaining as can be much to the audience delight.

As partners, though Willis and Morgan don’t possess the kind of camaraderie seen in most Hollywood partnerships, the unusual pair make their time together on-screen work to the best of their ability. There are moments where they complement each other perfectly, while there are also a few where they try it out too much. Morgan in my book gains credit for revving up a few laughs out loud moments. However the ones that do stole the spotlight were stars in minor roles or cameos such as Seann William Scott and Susie Essman. Though given a short screen-time, the duo definitely stole the scenes they were in from the leads.

Though Smith wasn’t responsible for the script, he still embeds in the film his signature trademarks such as a Jason Lee cameo and a hilarious reference to “Jaws”. Despite the weak material he was given to work with, Smith still proves how fine an action director he is. Scene after scene comes out flawlessly as he works his camera’s magic to provide a seamless transition from start to finish.

No doubt Smith worked his best to make this film work as he showcased the best of his directing abilities, however one cannot hide the weak screenplay he was given to work with. Penned by scribes Robb and Mark Cullen, the standard idiotic story is all too cliché. Something audiences worldwide have definitely seen from much better films in the past.

Though the stars were no doubt hilarious in their antics, it’s quite obvious how they are attempting to hide severe plot holes in the otherwise unfunny script. Most of the film’s dialogue tries too hard to be funny but on its own stands out simply lame. Willis and Morgan attempts so hard to save the film from falling into the category of “boring” as they inject their own innate funny. However it is quite noticeable how the two actors struggle to make all of the script work. Eventually some moments deliver out laughs, while some fail miserably to even elicit a grin.

It doesn’t help either that Grammy-winning composer Harold Faltermeyer creates a score highly reminiscent of “Beverly Hills Cop”. “Cop Out” doesn’t even match up the slightest bit to the much better previous cop film.

In general, “Cop Out” won’t please everyone. Those who aren’t known to the name Kevin Smith should better opt to skip this film. The director has earlier movies that would better attest to his mad skills and talent compared to this one. Plot wise, there’s nothing interesting, exciting, and fresh about the film. But if you’re the type who revels in slapstick humor and movie clichés running for two hours, then by all means indulge.