Review of Cop Out (2010) by Sam C — 15 Jul 2011

Cop Out has possibly one of the most-fitting movie titles I have ever come across in my movie-going life (other titles that are nearly as perfect: Valentine's Day, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, and/or any single-word title named for a person/place/thing [yes .

.. I'm aiming low now although both Milk and Salt fit their respective movies nicely]). Everything about Cop Out fits it's title because it is ALL a figurative cop out --> it's not really a cop movie; it's not really a buddy flick; it's not really a comedy (unless groaning equates to laughter); it's not really action-packed; it's not really a good guys/bad guys crime caper; it's not really a parody of all-of-the-above; etc.

It "cops out" on every single one of them and is deliriously unfunny and unsatisfactory. I briefly found myself wondering if this was all part of a joke thrown at the audience by director, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma), who has given us some very good work in the past.

I wanted to question whether or not Smith was fully aware that the movie comes-up short on every aspect and/or level making it all a COP OUT of a movie? Was all of it a joke pulled on the audience?! I'd have been able to defend Smith's mind (if this WERE the case) a few years back; but after he knowingly gave us Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (gag) and Clerks II (gag-squared) he can no longer be defended (honorably).

Since Smith has such a shoddy record anymore, I thought that the film's actors might shed some light on the possibility of the film being a grand-scaled joke; but ... alas ... they, too, have un-dependable resumes.

Bruce Willis (Pulp Fiction, Die Hard, The Sixth Sense) and Tracy Morgan ("SNL", "30 Rock", The Longest Yard) play our bumbling suspended-cop duo who bicker like a married couple. Seann William Scott (American Pie, Role Models, Mr.

Woodcock) and Jason Lee ("My Name is Earl", Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous) are always in comedy and so they don't help clarify this Cop Out mess. ALL of them are supposed to be funny ... but "supposed to be" doesn't mean that they are.

Other casting choices -- Kevin Pollak (Casino, Grumpy Old Men), Michelle Trachtenberg ("Gossip Girl", EuroTrip), Fred Armisen (SNL, Easy A), Rashida Jones ("Parks and Recreation", The Social Network), Francie Swift (All Good Things, Two Weeks Notice), Adam Brody ("The OC", The Joneses) and Mark Consuelos (The Great Raid, My Super Ex-Girlfriend) -- just further confuse it all which proves the muddled point of mine -- COP OUT!!! This was a spring 2010 release (!) and it came out on DVD/BD almost an entire year ago (July 20, 2010) .

.. so why has it taken me so long to actually watch it? I don't know ... but now I wish I had waited even longer before doing so.