Recent Movie Reviews
Cop Out
source IMDB.com
When the NYPD detectives, no-nonsense Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis of . . .well, you f***ing know!!!) and nonsensical Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan of "30 Rock") are introduced in "Cop Out", it's standard, slo-mo, movie tough. When Paul 'cons" a perp in the interrogation room, subjecting him movie quotes while, Jimmy, stunned, notes the sources, it's pure gonzo, courtesy of fanboy filmsmith Kevin Smith (the View Askew saga), directing his ninth cine-opus which, for a first, he didn't scribed, and it's surprisingly limber and stable.
After a sting operation goes south, the two heroes are suspended without pay, putting Jimmy in a corner when wanting to pay for his daughter's wedding and not letting his ex-wife's sleazy new hubby (snarky Smith action figure Jason Lee) do it. Salvation is in the form of a rare, valuable 1952 baseball card Jimmy has kept, only to be pilfered by a wiseass thief (Seann William Scott of the theatrical "American Pie" films). Jimmy has to retrieve the card, but a vicious, baseball memorabilia-loving crime lord (Guillermo Diaz of "Mercy"), a dead mobster's lady (Penelope Cruz lookalike Ana De La Reguera of "Nacho Libre") and Paul's obsession with his wife's loyalty to him complicate things. A cop's job is never easy…
If the script (formerly "A Couple of Dicks", because of obvious marketing reasons) by brothers Marc and Robb Cullen (staff writers on "Las Vegas") was helmed by any Joe Average director, the film itself would be average. Smith thankfully isn't, putting his stamp of profane and profound humor on the film, while strengthening his self-critical directional skills. Without a break, Willis juggles the personas Bud Abbott, Clint Eastwood and Lex Luthor (don't start!); Morgan, freed from TV censors, is the love child of Jerry Lewis and Biz Markie. Both guys are well cast. Diaz and Scott are overgrown, criminal brats; the former shamelessly murderous, the latter a shameless mind-f***er. Ms. De La Reguera's pretty and profane when speaking Spanish; she's more than fits in Smith's world. As by-the-book rival cops Adam Brody ("The O.C.") and Kevin Pollak ("The Usual Suspects") are required lulls. Comic Susie Esseman ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") is a hoot as a gun-toting citizen. Longtime Smith d.p. David "Ooh, Navy Seals!" Klein perfectly captures the grit of South Brooklyn, New York, the film's locale.
"Cop Out" is more of a homage (Jimmy and Paul disagree on the pronunciation of the word) than an improvement to the buddy-cop genre, but Smith's direction make it film stand on its own and to be played on basic cable as nauseam. Memorize the lines, people.
IMDB Rating - 6.3/10
