The catchy “Cop Out” trailer introduces Kevin Smith’s latest comedy as a movie coming from Warner Bros., the same studio “that brought you the acclaimed police dramas “Dirty Harry,” “Training Day,” and “The Departed.” That was the first joke of
The catchy “Cop Out” trailer introduces Kevin Smith’s latest comedy as a movie coming from Warner Bros., the same studio “that brought you the acclaimed police dramas “Dirty Harry,” “Training Day,” and “The Departed.” That was the first joke of the movie, as “Cop Out” is actually a hilarious comedy.
The independent filmmaker who made a name directing raw comedies had a hefty budget for “Cop Out,” $30 million, making it hardly an indie movie. The cast, which includes the versatile Bruce Willis and the hilarious Tracy Morgan, helped him craft what might be the funniest comedy of the year.
Willis and Morgan play veteran police who have been partners for nine years. They have an unconventional way of doing things, until it catches up to them and they get suspended without pay for a month.
This is bad news for Willis’ character, Jimmy Monroe, already hard-pressed to come up with $50,000 to pay his daughter’s dream wedding. A sports-memorabilia card Jimmy has kept safe for decades can fetch more than enough the money needed. But a trip to a dealer ends up with the card being stolen by a petty thief.
Morgan’s character, Paul Hodges, has his own problems, suspecting his wife is having an affair with their neighbor.
Without love or money, the partners set to track down the valuable card, and end up somehow in the footsteps of the biggest drug dealer in Brooklyn.
Smith’s movie is straight out funny. Its dialogues are raw and full of sexual references, just like all of Smith’s movies. It’s surprising to find out it was the first movie that he directed in which he didn’t pen the script.
The hilarious comedy, however, seem to miss something. Smith is an independent movie director at heart, and somehow “Cop Out” gets lost in between an expensive Hollywood production and an indie film philosophy.
“Cop Out” has all the ingredients of an indie movie; its jokes are raw, sometimes bordering on offensive, there are no major car damages, salvo a few bangs on a Mercedes, and no explosions. The scenarios are simple, nothing requiring major construction. So the question is: How did they spend $30 million to make this movie?
It might be the actors’ cache, who knows. But “Cop Out” surely doesn’t have elaborate car chases and action scenes such as in “Lethal Weapon,” “Rush Hour” or even the timeless “Beverly Hills Cop.”
To be honest, Smith is no action director. In fact, when his best movie to date, “Chasing Amy,” came out in 1997, one critic asked when Smith would finally learn how to hold a camera. In some of the scenes the camera was shaky and the angles a little distorted. But it didn’t matter, “Chasing Amy” was an independent movie, and it still stands as Smith’s most mature work.
But “Cop Out” funny and witty dialogues make up for action scenes that would not make much difference anyway. In one of the first scenes, Paul interrogates a suspect, using lines from several famous cop movies. The scene sets the pace for almost two hours of non-stop laughter.
Smith gained international recognition after his first movie, “Clerks.” The movie, shot for a mere $27,000, at a convenience store where Smith used to work, won the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critics’ Week Prize in 1994 Cannes Film Festival, and earned $3.1 million in the box office.
From then on Smith gained a legion of followers. Some of his other movies are “Mall Rats,” “Jersey Girl,” “Clerks II” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.” His most controversial movie was the 1999 “Dogma,” in which he touched on religious issues, earning him at least three death threats.
Rick and Veronica Lovesy were still laughing while walking out of Kukui Grove Cinema.
“That’s what he wanted to do for his birthday,” Veronica said.
Rick loved the movie, and said it was really funny. His wife said even some of the silliest scenes were hysterical.
“I think Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis form a great team. It was kinda unexpected to be silly and not so hardcore like a normal Bruce Willis’ film,” Veronica said.
“Cop Out” has a parting joke for those staying a couple minutes after the ending. So if you want an extra laughter, hang on in the theater for a little while longer.
