The film was released by Warner Brothers studios and directed by Kevin Smith and this was the first film that smith has directed, but not written. This fact became increasingly apparent, as the film lacked not only most of the recurring characters of Smith’s movies, but also many of the comedic styles that Smith’s fans are accustomed to.
Cop Out follows two veteran detectives, Jimmy Monroe played by Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and his partner, Paul Hodges played by Tracy Morgan (G- Force). The film opens on the two interrogating a suspect in a narcotics case. Through bad planning, and some horrible split second decisions, the two end up bungling the investigation and getting their informant killed, resulting in their unpaid suspension from the NYPD.
The suspension forces Monroe to consider selling a priceless vintage baseball card in order to pay for his daughter’s extremely pricey wedding. However, while having it appraised, the memorabilia shop is robbed by an inexperienced and quirky burglar named Dave, played by Seann William Scott (Role Models). The rest of the film follows the two suspended detectives going vigilante in an attempt to recover Monroe’s baseball card.
Although the general plot could have made for a very funny movie, Cop Out really disappoints in the humor department, even though the cast includes Saturday Night Live veterans, Fred Armisen and Tracy Morgan, along with Seann William Scott, and Jason Lee, both of whom have been in countless comedy films in the past. The film did have a few funny scenes, but for the most part it seemed that the writers had put potentially hilarious actors in roles that really weren’t very funny, and it caused a sort of tension in the movie, leaving the audience waiting for more to laugh at and not being rewarded.
Some of the secondary character acting also left a lot to be desired. While the main characters held their own on the screen, some of the antagonists were not in the least bit convincing in their roles. While this fact could have been used for a humorous edge in the plot, it was just sort of left to be chalked up to bad acting.
Overall, although the movie was amusing, it did not offer as much entertainment as one would expect from the cast, or the director. However, if you are in the mood for a cops and robbers type film with a few chuckles here and there, Cop Out is now playing in theaters.
