Cop Out Review

Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop, Turner and Hooch… The infamous “buddy cop” movie genre has been worked from every possible angle, with its most recent installment coming in the form of Cop Out.

Cop Out is a comedy about two New York police officers who team up to take down a Mexican gangster. Jimmy Monroe, the older, more stoic of the pair, has decided to sell his most prized possession to pay for his daughter’s costly wedding: an unbelievably rare baseball card. When it gets stolen, Jimmy and his partner, Paul Hodges, become entangled in a scheme much bigger than petty theft.

The buddy cop genre has been seen countless times, from hits such as Lethal Weapon to absolute flops such as Starsky and Hutch. Cop Out falls somewhere in between the two, though which side it sways closer to is unclear.

Bruce Willis (Die Hard) has established a career for himself as the foul-mouthed action icon, but playing Jimmy, what is seen is more of a grumpy old man who uses that grumpiness for humor. Had this been tried in any other instance, this tactic most likely would not have worked. Cast alongside Tracy Morgan (TV’s 30 Rock) and his loud, eccentric style of comedy, however, the duo’s on screen chemistry is surprisingly strong, and the both of them compliment each other quite well.

There are several points where the movie loses its way, the most notable being the scenes from the protagonist’s perspective. It is understandable that there would be a slight dip in humor when seeing what happens in a ruthless Mexican gang, but the complete lack of any comedy and the sudden dark tone the movie gains is a strange departure from what the rest of the movie tries to be.

The shining beacon of hope in the humor-confusion that is Cop Out is the thief who steals Jimmy’s baseball card, played by Seann William Scott. Teenagers will most likely know him by his infamous late 90s role, however: Steve Stifler. That’s right; Stifler from American Pie saves Cop Out from being another forgettable buddy cop movie. He plays the acrobatic, ADD-stricken thief who doesn’t know when to shut his mouth, leading to absolutely hilarious exchanges with every single character he communicates with. Scott is the King Midas in this story: every scene his presence graces turns into pure, cinematic gold.

Cop Out debuted right behind Shutter Island in the number two spot at the box office on its opening weekend, but it did not necessarily make waves with critics. Kit Bowen of TheMovieKit.com says, “Is it a Cop Out to make a throwback to the ’80s buddy cop comedy instead of doing something original? Maybe, but at least it’ll make you laugh out loud a few times.”

Despite reveling in its 1980s genre and being a bit confused as to what it truly wanted to be, Cop Out is an enjoyable trip to the movies, granted one is not looking for a deep and profound experience: Tracy Morgan assures the audience of that.