Featuring two actors you would never imagine working together in a combination of what each one does best, comedy and action, "Cop Out" is definitely not bound to feed your intellectual appetite. But it might be fun just to sit back and enjoy the jokes or watch Bruce Willis' hilariously bad attempt at comedy.
Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis play the roles of two cops that have worked together for nine years and, due to a failed attempt at catching a Latin gang, are suspended for 90 days. On top of this, Paul (Morgan) thinks his wife is cheating and Jimmy (Willis) can't afford to pay for his daughter's wedding. Jimmy then decides to sell a baseball card he's had since he was little to pay for the wedding. The card had been kept in perfect condition, and could therefore be worth up to $80,000 — except, when he's selling the card two amateur robbers come into the shop, tase Jimmy and the shop owner and steal the card and everything in the cash register. Jimmy and Paul both set out to find this robber and get back the baseball card.
Morgan's comedy background and Willis' affiliation to action movies made for an unusual duo. Although the film was quite funny at times, it would suddenly shift to violent scenes right after the funny ones. One or the other genre would have been fine, but the two together didn't flow too smoothly since it's usually unexpected for a joking, rather ridiculous scene to precede a gang leader executing two frightened subjects point blank.
Willis didn't do that bad of a job at comedy, although the true comedy lies in seeing him make an effort to be funny. Not to mention, he hasn't been involved in any good projects lately — for a while, actually. Not since "The Sixth Sense" has Willis had the opportunity to stand out in a role, and "Cop Out" won't be of any help. Out of his element and in a relatively weak movie, Willis continues on his search for the next big thing in his career. On the other hand, Morgan shines in "30 Rock" but should be working on getting roles in better movies if he wants to see his career continue to rise. In "Cop Out" Morgan sometimes tries too hard to be funny, and it can go from amusing to tiring really quickly. The first scene makes this very clear, but the rest of the movie keeps up a good pace and doesn't over do its own jokes.
"Cop Out" also counts on the appearance of Adam Brody and Seann William Scott, the latter being one of the main sources of laughter. Brody plays one of the rival officers that Jimmy and Paul work with, and still has that slight awkwardness that made audiences first love him in "The O.C." Scott also does a hilarious job as a hyperactive drug addict that robs houses to sustain his habit. His participation accounts for some of the funniest scenes. The combination of different characters and the way they interact with one another, each in their own very unique style, adds a lot of fun to the movie.
Definitely more of a "dude movie," "Cop Out" combines inappropriate jokes, foul language and violence in a police-versus-drug dealer setting. The auxiliary characters also contribute by adding a touch of ridiculousness to the overall plot. Not even close to being the best movie of the year, "Cop Out" is an unintelligent comedy with predictable jokes. However, if you feel like letting your brain rest (and if you're a dude), grab a beer, sit back and enjoy.
