Blu-Ray Review: Kevin Smith’s ‘Cop Out’ Lives Up to Its Title

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CHICAGO – Perhaps “Cop Out” wouldn’t have tarnished Kevin Smith’s reputation so much if he had simply changed his name in the credits to “Kevin Smithee.” This is the dreariest comedy made by a gifted filmmaker since “Year One.” It’s an entirely derivative picture from one of the most distinctive and original voices in modern movies. To quote Fred Willard in “A Mighty Wind,” “Wha’ happened?”

Judd Apatow’s raunchy-yet-relatable comedies are the popular successors to Smith’s classics of the mid-90s (particularly “Chasing Amy”), though Smith’s latest humanistic sex farce, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” failed to find an audience. After a string of flops and a bout of depression, the disillusioned director decided to shoot a script that he didn’t write, without feeling any tangible connection to the characters onscreen. The result is “Cop Out,” a film so lazy and colorless that it could’ve been made by any Hollywood hack.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 1.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 1.0/5.0

Bruce Willis has rarely looked more tired and detached than he does here, playing opposite a fatally unrestrained Tracy Morgan. Though “30 Rock” has shown that the comedian can be funny when given intelligent dialogue to deliver, “Cop Out” proves that Morgan is hopelessly lost without a decent script. His performance is so insufferable that it would make both Chris Tucker and Jar Jar Binks run for the hills. He’s loud, obnoxious, and shatteringly unfunny. And yet the audience is supposed to buy the conceit that he and Willis are Brooklyn cops who’ve been friends for nine years. The complete lack of chemistry between the two stars becomes more conspicuous with every scene. Morgan indulges in spastic, nonsensical improvisations while Willis simply stares at him, half-bemused and half-asleep. He’s not riled up enough to be a straightman, so he merely functions as the straight-faced stiff, too cool to possess a personality.

Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis star in Kevin Smith’s Cop Out.
Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis star in Kevin Smith’s Cop Out.
Photo credit: Warner Home Video

Though “Cop Out” pretends to be a hip send-up of 80s buddy comedies, and includes a fittingly evocative score by “Beverly Hills Cop” composer Harold Faltermeyer, the abysmal script by Mark and Robb Cullen is essentially a retread of outdated formulas. Smith struggles to inject spontaneity into the structure, but fails on an epic level. Scene after scene provides a self-conscious framework for sketch-based improv, yet in order for any good improv to work, the characters and scenarios must be at least somewhat credible. Unfortunately, “Cop Out” shoots itself in the foot right at the very beginning. Morgan interrogates a guy by shouting a series of pop culture quotes taken from movies that Willis helpfully identifies. This scene operates on the mentality that movie references are funny in and of themselves. Smith carries this mentality throughout the rest of the picture, referencing everyone from Michael Mann to Michael Bay, without a twinge of satire. That’s why “Cop Out” is a film destined to be referenced in every “worst of the year” list.

Cop Out was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 20th, 2010.
Cop Out was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 20th, 2010.
Photo credit: Warner Home Video

“Cop Out” is presented in 1080p High Definition (with a 2.4:1 aspect ratio), accompanied by English, French and Spanish audio tracks, and includes a digital copy of the film. The central supplemental attraction here is Warner’s excellent “Maximum Movie Mode,” which is still the most comprehensive behind-the-scenes feature offered on Blu-Ray. It combines visual and audio commentaries with deleted scenes, featurettes, storyboards, extended interviews, outtakes, and pop-up trivia that are seamlessly interwoven throughout the film. The director often functions as a host, guiding the viewer thorough the various stages of the film’s production. This mode offers an ideal way for film buffs to dissect a truly great picture that is actually worth analyzing.

In the case of “Cop Out,” there’s very little to analyze, apart from what possibly motivated Smith to take the job. His nonchalant, self-deprecating presence is a welcome diversion from the film’s monotony, though it’s clear that the filmmaker approached this project as little more than a work-for-hire, though he tries to make it seem like a lark. The cast’s awkward riffing during the film’s extended footage seems motivated less by comedic inspiration than sheer boredom. And if you thought the film’s 107-minute running time was an excruciatingly tough sit, then it’s probably a good idea to steer clear of Smith’s “Maximum Comedy Mode,” which drags on for an unwatchable three hours. Smith has a typically charming presence, especially while interviewing one of the film’s production assistants, but he simply can’t sell this dud.

There isn’t a shred of insight to be gleaned from the disc’s 21 minutes of isolated featurettes, which consist of little more than gushing actors and laughing montages. Willis calls his co-star’s nonstop improvisation “indescribable” and “colossal,” and claims that his chemistry with Morgan “began on the first day” (it must’ve ended before take one).

‘Cop Out’ is released by Warner Home Video and stars Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Guillermo Diaz, Kevin Pollak, Adam Brody, Ana de la Reguera, Cory Fernandez, Jason Lee, Rashida Jones, Michelle Trachtenberg, Susie Essman, Fred Armisen and Seann William Scott. It was written by Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen and directed by Kevin Smith. It was released on July 20th, 2010. It is rated R.

HollywoodChicago.com staff writer Matt Fagerholm

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

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