The worst kind of film parody is one
that takes a bad set of movies for its subjects and, rather than
perceptively spoofing their pathetic qualities, becomes so
enamored with them that it ends up just as bad a movie itself.
Such is the case with Cop Out, which is actually less a
parody of than a throwback to ‘80s buddy cop movies, but it
boasts the same sort of comedic incompetence that the latest
Scary Movie sequels have. The real kicker here is that most
of the movies Cop Out is paying homage to (“hahm-age” as
Tracy Morgan’s character pronounces it) were actually pretty
good, and spoofing their ridiculousness only shows that writers
Robb and Mark Cullen and director Kevin Smith didn’t get the
joke in the first place.
The Cullen Brothers and Smith might
argue that their intention with Cop Out was simply to
make a nostalgic ode to basic-cable standards like Lethal
Weapon and 48 Hrs., evidenced by their choice of a
Harold Faltermeyer (“Axel F”) score. But to view the film as
such—not a parody—only makes it seem more unnecessary. With
clichéd buddy cop movies still coming out every year (Rush
Hour 3 and Sherlock Holmes are among the latest),
there’s hardly a need for another one that may or may not know
it’s actually bad. In fact, it seems as if the Cullens
and Smith constantly feel that they have to prove to the audience
that they’re alluding to clichés and not actually implementing
them – never a good sign. The perfect example of this comes in
an opening interrogation scene, in which Bruce Willis spells out
nearly every one of the dozen movie references Tracy Morgan
makes.
Of course, that’s not to say that the
idea behind Cop Out was doomed from the start. The
beloved british trio Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost
made an hilarious send-up to the same genre in 2007’s Hot
Fuzz. But part of the reason that film worked was because it
had a soul of its own, something new to add to the police
procedural in addition to all its references. Cop Out, on
the other hand, consists of just one frantic nod after another.
The basic premise: after being suspended from duty due to
reckless police-work, Willis’ Jimmy finds himself in hot water
trying to pay for his daughter’s wedding. He decides to sell a
highly valuable baseball card he’s had since childhood, only to
have it stolen just before collecting the money. This leads he
and Morgan’s Paul to investigate the case against the orders of
their superiors, only to discover a complex web of crime
involving drugs and a sports memorabilia-obsessed kingpin. It’s
admittedly an OK template, but the rest of the writing just
sucks. Putting the last nail in the coffin is the fact that none
of the movie’s many potential-filled ingredients work well
together.
What do I mean by that? First and
foremost, it was a huge mistake for filmmaker Kevin Smith to
take on this job, his first time directing a movie he didn’t
write. The fact of the matter is that Smith just isn’t a very
good director from a technical standpoint; his movies have
always been poorly paced and awkwardly staged. Smith’s work is
usually enjoyable for its heart, not its pedigree. Coupled with
the bad script, the director’s approach here feels like a
sensory assault -- Cop Out often verges on incoherent
from the first scenes. Even more unfortunate: the immensely
talented Willis and Morgan have Zero chemistry together. Whether
they were just not able to make anything of the poorly
constructed characters or whether Smith was unable to direct
them properly, it’s tough to tell. But their interplay just
consists of a bunch of talking over one another; there isn’t a
spark to be found between them. For a buddy cop movie to work,
it’s a given that the audience has to buy the two buddies. This
is yet another department in which Cop Out fails.
Are there any bright spots in Cop
Out? Sure, but they are not nearly enough to make up for the
movie’s failures. Seann William Scott delivers the best material
in the movie as an ADD, parkour-employing thief who’s essential
to Jimmy and Paul’s case. Rashida Jones is attractive and bubbly
as ever as Paul’s wife, whom he suspects is having an affair
with the neighbor. And Jason Lee actually hits the right notes
in parodying an ‘80s cop movie prototype: the viciously
successful stepdad who wants to steal Jimmy’s thunder by paying
for his daughter’s wedding. Alas, it’s too bad that Cop Out
couldn’t have been as good on the whole as these performances
are. What we actually get is an unfunny, uninteresting mess.
-Danny Baldwin,
Bucket Reviews
Review Published
on: 3.3.2010
Cop Out is rated R and runs 107 minutes.
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