Friday, July 23rd, 2010 | Posted by Matt

Review: Cop Out!

Over the years, director, producer and screenwriter Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma) has brought numerous films, comics and television series to life. Since he started, like anyone he’s had his ups and downs, but it’s safe to say that ‘Cop Out‘ is one really big up, despite what most critics are saying. ‘Cop Out’ stands out to be one of the funnier few films which this decade has provided, it’s a feel-good film which isn’t supposed to be taken as seriously as it has been. It’s evidently filled to the brim with hilarious skits and gags, which are silly but also memorable. ‘Cop Out’ effectively pays homage to a genre that always gives and never takes, but manifests itself as a guilty pleasure, getting less respect than Ronald McDonald at a clown convention. It’s a film which has been seriously under appreciated and underrated for what it is, the dorky, younger cousin to ‘Lethal Weapon‘.

‘Cop Out’ features two NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, ultra-rare, mint-condition baseball card who find themselves up against a merciless, baseball-obsessed gangster. stoic macho man Jimmy (Bruce Willis –Die Hard, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element) is the veteran detective whose missing baseball card is his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, and Paul (Tracy Morgan - SNL, 30 Rock, Death At A Funeral) is Jimmy’s “partner-against-crime” whose preoccupation with his wife’s alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.

With the likes of Adam Brody (Mr. & Mrs. Smith,Thank You for Smoking, Jennifer’s Body), Kevin Pollak(Ricochet, End Of Days, A Few Good Men) and Seann William Scott (Dude, Where’s My Car?, American Pie, Role Models), starring alongside Willis and Morgan whose chemistry is capitalized throughout the film and all of whom give fantastic performances, insures ‘Cop Out’ to be a laugh and a half. With a stable pace, plot line and cameos from those such as Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl, Vanilla Sky, Alvin & The Chipmunks) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Eurotrip, 17 Again) I’d say it’s well worth watching and certainly recommended! 4/5 stars!