REVIEW: ‘Cop Out’

When I originally saw the trailer for “Cop Out” with Tracey Morgan and Bruce Willis playing an idiot and a worn-out cliché, respectively, my first impression was that it was a joke. Unfortunately there was no punch line, only a Warner Bros.-funded fiasco not worth two hours of your evening.

“Cop Out” Rated PG • 110 minutes Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Guillermo Diaz Directed by: Kevin Smith Written By: Robb and Mark Cullen RCC Rating: Worth Watching On DVD

I have a fondness for Kevin Smith because he innovated independent film in the early 1990s and wrote some scripts that, to this day, have no rival in originality (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma). While his latest films have not been game-changing (Zack & Miri Make a Porno, Clerks 2), they were at least full of witty banter. In other words, Smith may not have any originality left in him, but at least he was trying.

The film opens up with Bruce Willis (Die Hard, Pulp Fiction) and Tracey Morgan (30 Rock, SNL) working on an investigation of a drug shipment gone awry. Willis, while armed, gets tazered and Morgan is on the phone oblivious of his surroundings the whole time his partner is calling for help. This scene is representative of the whole film, in that, the lead actors portray complete stooges and have no chemistry.

The two are suspended from the force and go on a rogue mission to steal back Bruce’s prize baseball card—yes, I typed that correctly – his prize baseball card from an evil drug lord. Selling this baseball card was Bruce’s only hope to pay for his daughter’s wedding. This was his genius plan to upstage his ex-wife’s new rich husband played by Smith regular Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Chasing Amy). I was briefly excited to see Lee on screen but was quickly disappointed by the wasted role into which he was plopped.

I can only assume that Smith lost a huge poker bet after breaking the toilet at Laser Blazer and was forced by Warner Bros. to make this piece of garbage. The film was written by Robb & Mark Cullen, whose past works have been a long string of failed dramas (Heist, Lucky) and the wooden 90210-in-a-casino “Las Vegas”.

History has proven with the likes of Stevie Wonder & Elton John that we can forgive a once-great artist for his latter-day sins. But, just like Stevie & Elton, I would much prefer break out his past hits than watch anything of this caliber.