COP OUT (2010) backpedals, gives the slip, has an alibi, revokes, uses pretext, welshes, withdraws

Posted by Daniel Metz

Kevin Smith’s most recent film, his first with a script that is not his own, is his best film since Clerks 2. That hilarious statement is much funnier than most of the jokes in this film that is part pastiche, part homage, and all train wreck.

The film is a teaming of Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan as a pair of cops who crack wise and don’t play by the book. Sounds familiar? It’s because it’s an ’80s buddy cop film. I have no nostalgia or warmth for those films, so this genre-rehashing left me as cold as the title suggests.

Lookin' pretty generically tough there, guys.

I have written recently about a trend in the past few months of films recreating 1980s genre films, a la The House of the Devil and Hot Tub Time Machine. I am sorry to say that this is the same thing. As I said before, why are we remaking the shitty movies from that decade? Why remake Beverly Hills Cop when we could remake Videodrome, or Hannah and Her Sisters, or Down by Law?

The saving grace, as we all expected, is Tracy Morgan. That man is very funny, and he lights up the very dimly lit scenery around him. That said, he is clearly not as hilarious as he used to be. This was made especially clear by the Alamo pre-show playing before the film. Clips of Morgan as Astronaut Jones, Brian Fellows, and early “30 Rock” had the whole audience in stitches, and were much, much more enjoyable than Morgan’s turn in the film.

I wonder what kind of crazy costumes they will be wearing in the sequel...

There is a piece of wisdom hushed around Hollywood, that America can only stomach one black comedian at a time. In my lifetime, that meant Chris Rock, who was overtaken by Dave Chappelle, who was beaten by Tracy Morgan. The tide has turned, Tracy, and it is time now for you to bow to Craig Robinson. It’s unfortunate to say, but the truth is, Tracy Morgan is over.

Oh, and wasn’t this movie already made a few years ago, titled Hot Fuzz, much funnier and much more artfully? I like making movie references as much as the next guy, but this movie is weak and unoriginal to the core. Kevin Smith, I yearn for the days when you made good movies. Clerks, that is a good movie. Chasing Amy helped me develop when I was a young teen. Mallrats is probably a hilarious piece of camp, I just don’t remember.

You have lost your bite, and I suggest you re-evaluate your career. As it stands, with last year’s stinker, Zack and Miri and now this, you are not helping anyone, and you are only making things worse. Maybe you should bring back Jay.