Cop Out Review (Josh’s Take)

By: Joshua “DAT’S HER GAY COUSIN!” Richey

Cop Out is a film that seemed destined to be great since its inception. It’s a Kevin Smith buddy-cop film that stars Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. What else do you need to know? Most of the mainstream critics have taken far too much pleasure in chewing up this movie and spitting it out. After going to see it for myself, I’m left wondering whether they saw a different film than I did.

Officers Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) have been partners for 9 years, and have the same relationship that we’ve seen in dozens of other buddy cop movies. This isn’t a rip-off, though; it’s a homage and a tribute to the many films that have come before it. After being suspended for 30 days by their captain for a chase that gets out of hand, Jimmy (Willis) finds himself in a financial pinch thanks to his daughter’s upcoming $48,000 wedding. Needing some quick cash, Jimmy decides to part with an old baseball card that’s been kept in mint condition since the 1950’s. When the baseball card is stolen and sold to a baseball-loving, Mexican drug dealer, Jimmy and Paul find themselves in the middle of a much larger situation that involves murder and a kidnapping.

Despite having various opinions on his works, I consider myself to be a Kevin Smith fan. I’ve often wondered if he would be able to make the transition into directing things that he hadn’t written. He does that here with Cop Out, and that answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Smith does a tremendous job at pacing this film, and the casting, oh my god, the casting is perfect. So what if Tracy Morgan is playing the same character that he plays in 30 Rock and every other movie that he’s in. He’s great. He’s the one actor that I can count on to make me laugh no matter what he says. Bruce Willis’s character is supposed to be the more grounded of the two. He does that, and few actors have the on-screen presence that he does. The movie also does something that I thought would have been nearly impossible: it makes Sean William Scott funny again.

I really don’t understand the criticism that this movie is generating. When you walk into a movie like Cop Out, you’re not expecting to be floored by the story-telling and performances. You go in there to see Tracy Morgan be funny and to see Bruce Willis kick some ass. That’s exactly what you get. I’m not sure what the critics were expecting, but Cop Out managed to far exceed my expectations. If they couldn’t find enjoyment in a film like this, then perhaps they need resign for not having the evolving sense of humor that the general movie-goer appears to possess. Cop Out is a fun film. If you’re a fan of movies like Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop, be sure to check this out. But, even if you’re not, you can still pay $8 to see Cop Out and walk away from it entertained.

I give Cop Out 4 kiddie dick punches out of 5.