COP OUT
US, 2010, 107 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Jason Leigh.
Directed by Kevin Smith.
Kevin Smith has been having bad luck lately with film titles. People objected to Zack and Miri make a Porno. And he had to use Cop Out instead of A Couple of Dicks, his working title – there are ruder jokes in the film (though not quite as many in some of Kevin Smith's other films). In fact, if you did not know Smith directed it, it would just be an average time-passer of an odd couple pair of cops solving some crimes while sparring with each other. Smith didn't write the screenplay but one presumes he liked all the movie references and Tracy Morgan's homage to these movies (when Bruce Willis knows he should have used the French, 'hommage'.) Having glanced at so many negative comments, I found it not nearly as bad as some apoplectic reviewers (who became more apoplectic when Smith wrote an article suggesting critics were superfluous) and some die hard Smith fans (who don't agree with him doing genre movies).
Bruce Willis does his laid-back cop thing, not exerting any extra energy. Tracy Morgan (also seen in Death at a Funeral) does his schtick – though how he every became a policeman, got through training, managed action on the beat, did not get attacked by his irritated and frustrated colleagues is the main mystery of the film.
Otherwise, it is Jim and Paul get suspended but keep pursuing the drug criminals, Jim (Willis) preoccupied about paying for his daughter's wedding reception and Paul (Morgan) prone to jealousy concerning his wife (as well as being on the phone or looking in the wrong direction when some important action was 'going down', as they say.
One of many similar cop shows.
1. A police comedy thriller, the usual ingredients?
2. Kevin Smith, his films, his comedies, scatological, homage to the movies? Cartoon style?
3. New York City, the precincts, homes, drug world, the streets? The realism? The musical score?
4. The title and its tone? The working title, A Couple of Dicks? Kevin Smith and the jokes about homages to other films, quotes from other films, re-enactments? As played by Tracy Morgan?
5. An odd couple story? Jimmy and Paul together, their characters, Jimmy and Bruce Willis’s veteran style as police officer? Tracy Morgan and his patter? His errors – and the credibility of his being a policeman at all? The anniversary card and his sentiment?
6. Paul and the interrogation of the drug dealer, imitating the range of films, paying homage? Getting the information, the stakeout, dressed as a mobile phone ad? Jimmy watching? The deal, the criminal suspicious, the shooting, the chase? The head and his suspending them? Their ruining the preparations and stakeout?
7. Paul and his wife, his love for her, her job, his forgetting to celebrate with her? Henry the neighbour visiting, Paul’s jealousy? The toy bear, the camera inside, seeing the film, drawing the conclusions, the second look, Debbie leading him on with her gay cousin, her talking at him? His relief?
8. Jimmy and his daughter, the plans for the wedding, the meeting with Pam and Roy, the issue of who was to pay, the argument about who was bad? Roy as a character? The decision to sell the valuable baseball card?
9. The drug group, the head, the plans, getting information, the chief and his baseball room, the card – and later the bullet hole through it? His brother, death, the cemetery? Taking Gabriella? The ruthlessness, the issue of the stolen car, the execution of the drivers?
10. Dave, the holdup in the store, his dumb partner? Stealing the card? Jimmy seeing the tattoo, visiting the tattooist to discover the identity? Watching him, Dave and his parcour? In the house, the toilet? The mother arriving home, the gun, her demands, capturing him?
11. Dave, in the car, his jokes, talking to Paul, taunting him? The knock-knock joke? In jail, the prisoner, the psycho counselling, the man admitting that he knitted? Jimmy and Paul getting Dave to steal back the card, in the car Dave confiding in Paul, their jokes, Jimmy’s exasperation? Climbing the wall, falling, seemingly dead – but the end joke in the morgue?
12. Gabriella, Paul looking after her, her help, the crucifix, the memory stick, her escape, being captured, held?
13. Jimmy and Paul, confronting the boss in his home, their plan, in the apartment, the attack, the shootouts? Counting to three and shooting on one?
14. Hanseker and Barry, their being upset with Jimmy and Paul, coming to the house, the shootout, Hanseker being wounded? Being saved by Jimmy? The head, his promising a medal?
15. The happy wedding, Pam asking about giving the bride away, Paul holding a gun to Roy, his sitting down, Jimmy giving the bride away – and the happy ending?
16. The humorous and jokey tone of the whole film?
