The Unseen Movie Review - Cop Out

By Robert Dixter Feb 26, 2010, 20:13 GMT

Two longtime NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster.  Jimmy (Bruce Willis) is the veteran detective whose missing collectible is his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, and Paul (Tracy Morgan) is his “partner-against-crime” whose preoccupation with his wife’s alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.  ...more

I am a huge fan of Kevin Smith’s work.  Ever since I was sitting in a small indie theater and I heard two black and white clerks spouting off obscenities that would have forced their mothers to wash their mouths out with soap. 

I even sat through Jersey Girl until the credits and that was more painful than listening to Drew Barrymore explain just about anything.  Smith’s films have always had characters that speak differently which is what I like about them.  Aside from the profanity, his characters use a vocabulary and cadence that you wouldn’t find in everyday conversation.  So when I heard he was directing a new cop film with Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan I was intrigued.

Kev has always written his own films which is a big part of his work since his directing would never challenge that of Marty Scorsese.  This new film, Cop Out, was written by Robb and Mark Cullen who have very little experience in film but have written for such stellar television shows as Las Vegas.  The film revolves around two partners (Bruce and Tracy) who are looking for a stolen baseball card. 

So to recap quickly, this film is about a stolen baseball card, is written by two TV writers, and is directed by a funny director better known for his writing.  On top of all this, the film used to be called A Couple of Dicks but was changed to Cop Out in what was a clear move to keep more people away from seeing it.  Cop Out sounds like such a generic dopey title that it would only fit a movie starring Casper Van Dien.  At least with the old title, the film seemed like it still had Kevin’s fingerprints on it and might be funny, but Cop Out is such a generic title.

Even though I have enjoyed Kevin’s work in the past, I was ready to write off this film faster than Malin Akerman sheds her clothing on screen.  Then I saw the red band trailer and I have done a complete 180.  This film looks really funny.  Tracy is in fine 30 Rock form delivering one liners that are hysterical including one about a chimpanzee and oral sex and Bruce comes across like he is having a great time in the film.  How many times have red band trailers actually saved a movie?  Check out the red band trailer for another upcoming movie called Hot Tub Time Machine and it will have you laughing out loud.

Obviously marketing plays a big role in the way studios sell movies, and a lot of times their hands are tied when they’re trying to sell a rated R film.  So thank you red band trailers for giving us a glimpse at what the film is really selling and just how funny it can be.  I still think the title sounds like it came out of a room of monkeys trying to write the great American novel, but I am definitely on board for seeing this film after getting a real sneak peek at it.

Check out the trailer.