I copped out of Cop Out, the new buddy cop movie starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. It’s directed by Kevin Smith, a man who, in his day, new his way around a wisecrack or two. But what’s gone wrong here?
In 1984 I walked out of a screening of Hardbodies. Since then I’ve managed to sit through all the films I’ve been to see. But sorry Cop Out, you’re up there with a film full of women in bikinis that still couldn’t hold my attention.
Now, of course, a film with Joe Hallenbeck and Tracy Jordan in it should be a corker, but right from the first scene (the only scene I saw) it’s clear something’s up.
Tracy interrogates a suspect as Joe/John/Bruce looks on through a two-way mirror. And the big comedy idea is that Tracy interrogates using lines and characters from hip/cult films and Bruce fills us in as to what the film is and who the actor/character is. Yes, He has to tell us! At one point Tracey uses Bruce’s/John’s Yippee kaye aye motherfucker line and Bruce has no idea which film/character he is referencing. This should be funny. Could be funny. But the scene suffers from so much overkill of schtick that I found myself wanting to shout “Stop! Stop! You can’t just reference stuff and hope that will do! This scene makes no sense!”
I had to leave. If Bruce could have left I’m sure he would have. I could see it in his eyes. He looks like he hated making this film. He looks like a man questioning his own sanity and wondering if The Last Boy Scout ever happened.
The film may well get better as it goes on. I don’t know. I can’t say. I couldn’t stay. I felt too sad. I hear Sean William Scott puts in a good turn.
I’ve just tried to watch the trailer on YouTube but my computer, maybe sensing that something was up, refused to play it, jumping thousands of frames at at time, making Tracy and Bruce sound like the bastard offspring of Norman Collier. You might have better luck.
My computer was happy to play this, no jumps, no gaps. It likes this. it likes Shane Black.
Here’s the last film I walked out of. What was I thinking? Maybe I need to give Cop Out another go.
