Movie Review - 'Cop Out'

Cop Out Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, and Seann William Scott Directed by Kevin Smith Rated R

Here's a little trade secret: While movie critics hate it when they have to sit through a bad movie, they love writing the review. The truth is, if you watch a couple hundred films a year, over 100 are spectacularly average. There are 20 very good to great ones and a few more, maybe 30 - 35, that are bad to inexcusable. And those are the fun reviews. That's not universal, of course. Take Cop Out, for example. It's a bad movie. Very bad. But there's no joy in writing this review. Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith shouldn't make a movie this poor. Yes, that can happen accidentally, and many bad films are victims of those circumstances. But Cop Out appears to take pride in how awful, unfunny, and truly wasteful it is. Well done, guys: Go cash those checks. You can tell that neither Willis nor Smith is invested in this process just by watching how lazy it is. Tracy Morgan, who co-stars as Willis' over-the-top partner on the force, has to work at a frenetic pace to keep Willis from rusting. If, polygraphs performed, it turns out that Willis and Smith actually were giving their all, then that just makes Cop Out worse than it already is. Hard to imagine. What an appropriate title. The plot doesn't matter. You've seen these movies before, and Cop Out counts on that. It's supposed to be a riff on buddy cop movies, the ones that are more humorous unintentionally than this is on purpose. You've got that scene where the chief does the accounting of the cops' latest screw-up, threatening their badges. You've got the interrogation room scene, which is now the most famous part of the equation. Yes, it's a great innovation for Tracy Morgan to strongarm a perp by quoting other cop movies, and then when he's on a roll, by quoting whatever movie comes to mind, even Schindler's List. And it would be a very funny scene, if it hasn't been worked to death in the trailers and commercials because there is literally nothing else to promote here. It's curious that Kevin Smith is even involved. It screams of being a move by a guy who can't find his stroke; whether you believe Clerks, Dogma, or Chasing Amy is his best film, he's hasn't made a film as good as any of those in ten years. At this point, the discussion about Kevin Smith being overrated no longer contains a question mark. And even when he was making good movies, it was never his direction that was worth watching. Smith is a writer-director, and that emphasis is properly placed. But he didn't write this. Cop Out does have Smith's trademark and entirely wearisome adolescent humor, but even then, it has nothing interesting to say or finds a memorable way to say it. This is simply poorly written, poorly directed, poorly acted garbage. You may not expect more than that going in, but you'll definitely wish for more by the time it's over.

Comments

[Edward Louis]

I have never responded to a review online. With that being said, I just had to point out that you, sir, are a not a good critic and you missed the point of this film completely. Judging from your review, I'd guess you to be a twelve year old boy, or a ninety year old man. Either way, you need to thank God that someone actually lets you type your two cents somewhere on the internet...because you are a moron.

Have a nice day.

[knives]

While I often disagree with Colin you just went over the line. Even if this were a case of Colin being in a severe minority and taking down the people involved in a much harsher way, moron is excessive. As if he hasn't said anything else that others aren't saying which only makes you appear more like a goof.

[Leader Movie Download]

nothing puts a smile on my face quite like a kevin smith movie being trashed by critics. one thing though that reverses that smile into a frown---why is he still working? he makes the worst movies with the worst stories, even more terrible characters, and he never casts any actors that are worth a damn. why? at least southwest is on my side. ; ) and, drewbstew, are you serious, this thing was on the black list? yikes.

[Justin]

Edward Louis = Smith Fan boy..

It doesn't appear that Colin is the only one that feels this movie is bad.. I mean (as of this writing) 14 percent on Rotten tomatoes, 32 on metacritic.

Despite the reviews, I generally like Smith's work and the Cullen Brothers, so I think I'll still see this, but probably not in theaters.

[ramsay]

And yet, this blog is still plastered with a Cop Out backdrop, complete with theatrical trailer. Look everyone, I get irony. What's that you say? It isn't ironic? Oh, because you've sold out. I get that; that isn't ironic at all.

Lame.

[Emo]

@ Ramsay

Actually...I would say that completely trashing a film with your own honest opinion, that is ironically advertising on your blog....is NOT selling out. To sell out, would be to say that you thought it was awesome when you really didn't think so.

Kevin Smith isn't funny.

[Get The Big Picture]

Ramsay - This is a movie blog. Movies advertise here. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. Edge of Darkness was all over this site for more than two weeks. Wolfman had the same backdrop (or homepage takeover, as it's called) last weekend. You will see the same Cop Out ad on many other sites today if you look around, and that's because the studio's reps bought ad space through networks that do the bidding of independent publishers like me.

However, I have never taken money from a studio - directly or indirectly - in exchange for consideration of one of its titles. And if I did, as Emo points out, I would clearly not be very good at it.

As for Edward Louis - We disagree so I'm a moron. Boy, you really came here with the good stuff, didn't you?

[ethan]

why no crazies review and edwards a douch