Kevin Smith isn't the most accomplished director, but his films have a bracing sense of energy and you can always count on him to deliver a highly original (and frequently profane) screenplay. Writing has always been his saving grace, so it's a bit troubling to see him directing a comedy that he didn't write. The result is, sadly, a lifeless dud of a buddy comedy known as “Cop Out.”
Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan star as a couple of NYPD detectives who are searching for a stolen baseball card that Jimmy (Willis) was going to sell so that he could afford to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding. The problem is that his partner, Paul (Morgan), is such a mess up that the investigation seems doomed from the start; especially when they end up squaring off against a Mexican gang.
The plot isn't anything special, but it really only exists as a vehicle to transport of detective duo from one comedic moment to the next. Some of these moments are quite funny, such as Susie Essman playing a locked-and-loaded housewife who's concerned that her son will see her violent and profane outbursts. Seann William Scott is also quite funny-he basically steals the show playing a smart-alecky thief who becomes a hysterical third wheel to the detective duo.
Unfortunately, there are just as many moments where the film falls flat. For example, one scene that has some wonderful potential finds Morgan interrogating a suspect by using lines from famous movies, many of them wildly inappropriate for a serious investigation. It's a nice concept; by Morgan slurs his way through the lines, and Smith has the camera wheeling about so violently that it's almost impossible to understand any of the punch lines.
Poor execution of a mediocre concept sums it all up. “Cop Land” just isn't all that funny, especially when compared with much of Smith's other work. I'm personally hoping that his recent trouble with Southwest Airlines gets his creative juices flowing again, but until then, “Cop Out” will only really appeal to Smith's diehard fans.
Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News” and seen weekly on KFDM-TV. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kbcitv.com.
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Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan star as a couple of NYPD detectives in “Cop Out.” Courtesy photo
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