COP OUT (2010, Blu-ray released July 20, 2010 – MSRP $35.99)
Kevin Smith, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan—an unlikely working trio you say? Yes, well–It does work…in a weird way, anyway; however, this is not where the surprises end in the Warner Brothers release, Cop Out. The on-screen chemistry between Morgan and Willis is undeniable, too!
You can believe they’ve worked together, as actors, as long as their characters have in the film. On-screen and in interviews it is apparent that something clicked between them. Their characters are quite different, and it’s hard to imagine that they could ever actually work together, but then there are the moments where in true buddy cop fashion, one is there to pull the other’s fat out of the fire.
In an admitted homage to buddy-cop movies, Kevin Smith directs action scenes, but may have missed the mark on the careful balancing act between comedy, drama and action that make up the quintessential elements of the genre. The film is lacking a center to tie it all together. Either way, it could not have been an easy film to edit. Allowed to improvise once the scripted portions of a scene were covered, a cast made up mostly of actors that love an opportunity to change things up, went to town. The very funny Kevin Pollack even managed to slip in a quick DeNiro impression. Smith had a lot of footage to work with and had the actors try different lines on the fly; sometimes instructing via radio, carefully hidden out of frame.
Originally titled A Couple of Dicks, the studio wanted to avoid the problems Smith had with Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and suggested he try something else. To the chagrin of some cast members, he decided on Cop Out; however, he does at least have someone say “a couple of dicks” at one point. It happens during a scene that was part of the pick-ups shot a couple of months after principal photography had wrapped.
Cop Out is a buddy-cop movie tribute, but not strictly so. Whereas Hot Fuzz was goofier, Cop Out goes all out. If it’s classically been a part of the buddy-cop genre, it’s in there—the partners are chewed out by their captain; they engage in reckless behavior; they cause mass amounts of property damage; there is a rival pair of cops that are always ready to rub their noses in their mistakes; and let’s not forget the all-important ex-wife and over-the-top bad guys. There is action in this movie. This was challenging for Smith, and luckily he surrounded himself with a crack team that helped him pull it off. The action is at a comparable level to most cop movies out there.
Cop Out suffers from some technical issues, image-wise—the image quality is a little inconsistent. The problems may arise from issues with the source. None of this makes the film unwatchable. It just results in a transfer that isn’t what we’ve come to expect from Blu-ray releases. At times, the 1080p transfer looks fine, textures are apparent and the picture is clear with good contrast and colour. But at other times, the visual noise becomes distracting. The artifacts are perceived mostly in dark interior car or night shots. Black levels are passable, but again, not great–Some details disappear into the background.
Sound-wise, the disc’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround soundtrack features a lot of old-school tracks like Beastie Boys’ No Sleep til’ Brooklyn, among others, that pump out of the channels with bass-y goodness. The dialogue is always nice and clear, but there is minimal use of the rear channels, limiting the ambient sound field. The emphasis is on the dialogue.
The special features on this 2-disc edition (the second disc of which is a digital copy) of Cop Out are all bundled in Warner’s excellent Maximum Movie Mode feature included on the Blu-ray. The Interviews, focus points and “Wisdom from the Sh*t Bandit” piece are viewable separately; however, they are best viewed through what Smith refers to as Maximum Movie Comedy Mode. The regular running time of the film is 1 hour and 47 minutes. In MMCM, it’s 2 hours and 55 minutes! MMCM includes the previously mentioned features plus storyboards, deleted scenes and raw footage all delivered (and interpreted) by Smith, himself. He even interrupts his own commentary! Seann William Scott visits the multiple pictures-in-picture commentary “set” occasionally, seemingly still in-character. This feature is extensive and interesting to watch–A thorough look at the making of the film. It was clear that everyone had fun on the set and that “Hey, try it like this…” was a big part of the process. It is definitely worth a look.
Cop Out may not be for everyone–It is definitely a Kevin Smith film and he loves to remind you of that fact, especially when watching the Maximum Comedy Mode feature of the disc; however, the film is entertaining. Also, I’m going out on a limb here, but having seen Tracy Morgan in Death at a Funeral recently as well, I can see that he can act. By the accounts of other actors and having seen him in interviews, he may be “on” pretty much around the clock, but there is more to the guy than the zany, I-may-say-anything-next Tracy Morgan/Jordan.
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