Cop Out

Cop Out is anything but. In fact, it’s pretty damn funny only if you keep in mind it’s meant to be homage to the buddy cop genre we’ve loved all these years. It’s too bad that when it tries to be serious, it falls flat. But amusing banter and great acting makes it a good time at the movies.

Jimmy (Bruce Willis) and Paul (Tracy Morgan) are longtime partners at the NYPD. When Jimmy’s only hope for paying for his daughter’s wedding – his rare baseball collector card – is stolen, the duo are on the run to recover it from Mexican gangsters with the help of a small-time crook (Sean William Scott). Along the way, Paul tries to uncover his wife’s possible infidelity while meeting several other characters along the way.

That’s a lot of plot for a comedy film, but that’s not the focus here. To properly understand this review, you need to know something about the film’s director Kevin Smith. His films are dialogue-driven and basically involve a bunch of guys talking with hilarious results – Clerks, Clerks 2, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Zack and Miri (if you haven’t seen any of these, make a visit to your nearest video store right now). Cop Out, formerly titled ‘A Couple of Dicks’ (with obvious reasons for a title change), is the first film he’s directed that he hasn’t written himself and also his first major studio film. The question everybody asked was – can Smith pull off a major studio film on someone else’s material? The answer is – yes and no.

Yes because even though this might be a bigger project and a genre which usually packs a lot of action, at its very core Cop Out is nothing more than a bunch of guys talking. Usually its Willis and Morgan but some of the best scenes in the film also involve Sean William Scott in the mix. And it’s these moments where Cop Out shines bright – the banter is hilarious and the great delivery and charm by the actors makes it funnier. And fortunately, this banter is what we get for the majority of the film in different situations.

But there’s a flipside – there are specific scenes where Cop Out tries to be serious with the use of violence or dialogue that explains the plot. And unfortunately, all that falls flat on its face. Maybe its Kevin Smith not being able to handle scenes he’s not familiar with or maybe it’s the script’s fault (my guess would be the latter). But they bring a funny movie to a screeching halt whenever they appear. Particularly notable are the scenes involving Kevin Pollack and Adam Brody which are dull and badly written. This unfortunately also affects the film’s final shootout sequence as it tries to become more serious than needed.

Coming back to the plot itself, it’s completely throwaway and cliché except for maybe the ‘collector card’ angle. Interracial cops? Check. Uptight boss? Check. Mexican gangsters? Check. Drug deals? Check. Damsel in distress? Check. But it’s pretty clear that the film is set to be a tribute to the sub-genre that is the ‘buddy cop’ film. Hence, it hits all the marks you’d expect it to. But still, the movie clocks in close to two hours thanks to the over-plotting and with some tighter editing, it could’ve been much more effective.

But as I said, the humor works wonders. And great credit goes to the cast, especially Tracy Morgan. From the previews, he may come off as annoying and loud. The latter is true in the movie too, but Morgan actually ends up being the most charming one of them all. The guy may be too over the top in his delivery, but manages to make you laugh through his oddball behavior. Also notable is Sean William Scott who plays a crook hilariously. His character is not really different from his Stifler character from ‘American Pie’, but his improvisation and natural ability to irritate works in his favour. Bruce Willis plays the comedic version of John McLane here (there’s even a hilarious reference to ‘Die Hard’) without resorting to humiliating himself. Unfortunately, Kevin Pollack is criminally wasted in a part that should have been cut out of the film. And a brilliant cameo from Jason Lee (a Kevin Smith regular) is very amusing.

In the end, Cop Out will appeal to fans of buddy cop movies like ‘Rush Hour’ as well as fans of Kevin Smith. I’m still not sure Kevin Smith can pull off a successful action comedy, but he definitely knows how to entertain. With a weak plot, it’s not nearly his best film but may be his most approachable one. I’m still not sure Kevin Smith can pull off a successful action comedy, but he definitely knows how to entertain.

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