Cop Out

Ok, now that I've caught up I'm gonna be trying to post a blog about the film the day I see it. So anyway, I will have to warn you that I am a huge fan of both Tracy Morgan (Paul) and Seann William Scott (Dave)--not to mention, I have seen every single one of Kevin Smith's (director) movies, except for Jersey Girl and he is one of my favorite directors (though this is the first movie that he has directed but not written) so I will try not to be biased (even though I am neutral about Bruce Willis, who played Paul's partner, Jimmy). However, I loved this movie! It really was funny, despite other poor reviews that didn't like the fact that it was "another" interracial buddy cop flick. It seemed as though critics wanted some sort of initial antipathy that turned into understanding of each other. But what they do not seem to understand is that the actual friendship of the two cops (Morgan and Willis) was not at all the conflict. The partnership, and the movie, had nothing to do with race and misunderstanding--it had to do with trust and loyalty. I mean, they had been partners for 9 years already--what's not to understand?

The film is about two NYPD cops who get fired for being sloppy and unorthodox in their approach to crime fighting. In addition to that, they both have their own separate issues--Jimmy has to pay for his daughters 50 grand wedding without being shown-up by the girl's stepfather, and Paul is worried that his wife is cheating on him. Meanwhile, although they are not employed anymore, they attempt to pursue a Mexican drug gang bust to win back the valuable baseball card that Jimmy is going to use to pay for the wedding. Confusing? Not really--it all makes perfect sense when you watch it.

Seann William Scott plays a brilliant character, Dave, who Jimmy and Paul "arrest" and bargain with to help them on their mission. Dave is a sociopath, whose deadliest weapon is his power to annoy his victims to death.

Overall, the film ties together great! And once again, the friendship between Paul and Jimmy is priceless, and the fact that there is no conflict between them is what makes this film unique--unlike the critics say it is.

This is a terribly misunderstood film that critics decided to quickly judge without actually trying to see it for what it really is--much like how they wanted the main characters to be towards each other.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm