Review of Cop Out (2010) by John H — 27 Jun 2011

Two cops who engage in the schtick that only cops in movies engage in (I hope) pursue a drug dealer.

I didn't know that Kevin Smith could make a film this bad, and now that I've seen it, I can only hope that his next college Q&A session is filled with details and excuses. The plot is just as cliche as you would expect; if you've seen any of the Lethal Weapon films or Bad Boys, then you know what happens. But what surprised me most was the quality of the filmmaking. Smith's editing fails to highlight important elements of the plot. Apparently Paul's gun is stolen during a scene, but this event wasn't highlighting by the camerawork or editing. It was as though midway through the film they decided to add this plot twist with no preceding set-up. Even the character construction and dialogue, two of Smith's strengths, are pedestrian. Bruce Willis's character is Bruce Willis, and the same goes for Tracy Morgan. And with the exception of Morgan quoting random lines from famous films, there is none of the typically Smith pop culture references that give his films life. The only hook on which to hang one's hat is the fact that Smith didn't write this piece of shit, only directed.

Overall, avoid this this film at all costs.