Rating: R
Starring:
Bruce Willis as Jimmy Monroe
Tracy Morgan as Paul Hodges
Kevin Pollack as Hunsaker
Adam Brody as Barry Mangold
Seann William Scott as Dave
Ana de la Reguera as Gabriela
Guillermo Diaz as Poh Boy
Rashida Jones as Debbie
Michelle Trachtenberg as Ava
Jason Lee as Roy
Sean Cullen as Captain Romans
Directed by Kevin Smith
Special Features:
Never Before Seen Extended Scenes And Outtakes
PIP Moments With Kevin Smith And Seann William Scott
Walks-On By Kevin Smith
Wisdom From The S*** Bandits
Factoids About The Movie
Includes Standard DVD Copy of Cop Out
Includes Digital Copy of Cop Out for Portable Media Players
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.40:1)
DTS-HD MA Surround Sound
Spanish and French Languages
Spanish and French Subtitles
Running Time: 107 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Action star Bruce Willis and ace comic Tracy Morgan play bickering-but-got-your-back Brooklyn buddy cops. Kevin Smith directs this gritty, goofball goings-on as the guys hunt for a stolen 1952 mint-condition baseball card, a hunt plunging them into a gunslinging war with a deadly drug ring: Batter up, fans. The boys are ready to take you out to the ol’ brawl game!”
“Cop Out” is rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violence and brief sexuality.
Mini-Review:
I found myself alternately liking and hating “Cop Out.” On the positive side, there are some good laughs in the film. A lot of the best laughs involve Sean William Scott as Dave. He robs houses using parkour techniques, he antagonizes people with elementary school humor, and he acts like a hyperactive kid. Combine him with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan and you have a fun combination. I particularly love how Bruce Willis as Jimmy Monroe uses Dave as a weapon to harass Tracy Morgan. In fact, it’s apparent that Willis is about to crack up in a couple of the scenes. Those scenes alone make the movie worth checking out.
I also liked the general plot of the film. The idea that Jimmy must retrieve a stolen baseball card to pay for his daughter’s wedding adds some unique motivation to the characters in an otherwise standard buddy cop formula. The film is also a throwback to the ’80s buddy cop movies right down to the soundtrack. It sounds like they lifted tracks from “Fletch” and “Beverly Hills Cop” for the music. (In fact, the end credits feature one of the “Fletch” themes.) I also have to say it’s good to see Bruce Willis doing comedy again. It has been a while since I’ve seen him in such a role and it’s a nice change of pace here. He can be funny and he proves it again in “Cop Out.”
“Cop Out” also has some fun cameos. Jason Lee plays Roy, the slimy new husband of Jimmy’s ex-wife. He’s cleaned up a lot from “My Name Is Earl”! Kevin Pollack is also funny as Hunsaker, a rival cop. Rashida Jones also has an amusing role as Debbie, Paul’s wife. He suspects her of cheating on him, but what he discovers will surprise even him.
My main problem with this movie was Tracy Morgan himself. First of all, he yells almost every single line he delivers. When you pair him with the relatively soft spoken Willis, he seems even louder than normal. He’s also incredibly childish. He doesn’t seem like a cop at all. He belongs more in the world of “The Naked Gun” than as a cop paired with Bruce Willis. Morgan and Willis also don’t really have any chemistry together. They don’t feel like two people that have been working together for nearly 10 years. (Willis even looks put out on the horrible DVD cover photo.) Morgan seems like a character more inclined to be arrested than arresting someone else. And as fun as it is to see Rashida Jones in this movie, she doesn’t seem like someone that would marry Morgan’s character. The only person in the film he has any chemistry with is Seann William Scott.
While this is a Kevin Smith film, it’s not your typical Kevin Smith film. It’s a little more mainstream than a lot of his stuff. Sure, there are a few sex jokes like he’s known for, but it’s not prevalent in the movie. This might disappoint Smith fans but it may ultimately make him more accessible to mainstream audiences who check out “Cop Out” on DVD.
If you’re looking for a buddy cop movie and you can put up with Tracy Morgan for 107 minutes, then you’ll probably find “Cop Out” worth checking out.
Among the bonus features you’ll find WB’s usual “Maximum Movie Mode” which they re-dub “Maximum Comedy Mode.” Fortunately Kevin Smith and Seann William Scott host it so they keep things lively. You have to watch the movie in order to see behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with cast and crew, and other goodies. But you are given the option to watch a few of the featurettes separately from the Maximum Movie Mode. They cover Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, the stunts, Kevin Smith, Kevin Pollack and his impressions, and the original title of the film which was “A Couple of D**ks.” Rounding things out are a few message from the “S**t Bandit” which features Seann William Scott doing a Jack Handey impression. Unfortunately they aren’t all that funny.
