Tom Reviews "Cop Out"

Tom's Corner:

Cop Out
(2010, Kevin Smith, Director)

Wow, he didn't write this one.... Love him or hate him (and hoo boy does the internet seem to hate the fuck out of him...), Kevin Smith has made a name as a writer/director of comedy and bane to those who would cross him (especially protesters and airlines). This movie got a lot of critical flak, and I really can't see why.

This movie works when seen through the homage lens. Think of every good (and a few of the bad) buddy cop movies you've seen. Go ahead, I'll wait...no the Lethal Weapon series only counts as one, since it's the same characters over and over. Okay, got a suitable list of titles? Now, remember the two lead characters in Hot Fuzz, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) and Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). Nicholas has never seen any buddy cop movies, and he stays up watching them with Danny. Remember how the end of that had over the top insane violence? Homage. Everyone get it who's gonna get it? Okay, moving on.

We've got our two main cops, Jimmy (Bruce Willis) and Paul (Tracey Morgan, who annoyed me less than ever in this role, good show Tracey. And now, I'm kinda sorry for all those times I mentally mixed you up with Wayne Brady. My bad, dude). We start out with an interrogation and action scene one, which they will inevitably “lose.” So, our heroes are suspended for thirty days. Jimmy needed the money he would've earned for his daughter Ava (Michelle [I remember when you were on The Adventures of Pete & Pete and Iggy Pop played your dad, that was cool] Trachtenberg)'s wedding. Jason Lee plays Ava's stepfather, Roy, and plays scummy like he was born to do it. Hollywood, cast this guy as a villain more please. He's got that rare blend of humor and assholery down pat. Why, he could even have played Fletch in a movie (inside joke, look it up).

So, Jimmy decides to sell his rare and expensive baseball card to one up Roy and pay for the wedding. As he attempts to, he's tasered by Stifler and his partner, some other guy (who now that I look it up...wasn't that Rick Derris (another in joke)? Yeah yeah I know he has a name, Sean William Scott, but he'll always be Stifler to me, okay? And fuck you, cause whenever you see him, you think, 'hey it's Stifler.' Ya hypocrite.

Anyway, the boys need that card back. So, after cornering and capturing Stifler, they get annoyed by him and then drag his ass behind their car. Call me a sadist, but watching Stifler getting dragged behind and through various objects could be a fucking trilogy in my eyes. Anyone else? Well, Stifler doesn't like it, so he sets them on the path to get the card back.

This path sends them to Po Boy (Guillermo Diaz) and his gang. Remember Guillermo Diaz? He played Scarface in Half Baked. I kept waiting for him to crack a smile, laugh and smoke up with Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer. But not even Killer the dog made an appearance. In all seriousness though, he made a great villain, and had an awesome collection of baseball memorabilia. He makes a deal with Jimmy and Paul: find a car that was stolen from him, and he'll give Jimmy the card.

Thus begins the major plot of the two cops moving themselves closer and closer, and finding out it's not the car that Po Boy (Scarface from Half Baked, yo) wants, it's what is in the trunk. No, I won't give any more to you. You've gotta rent this and watch to find out.

That is my final recommendation, by the way. Rent this one. It won't change your life, but it will bring some laughter into it.