What a shame that Cop Out doesn't quite work. It's a buddy cop thriller in the vein of Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon done in the style of Beverly Hills Cop and Kuffs. So you have the usual mis-matched partners (constantly bickering but love each other), a glimpse into their home lives and a routine crime plot that gets tangled up in their personal lives. Since this kind of movie was at it's peak in the 80's, Cop Out chucks in tons of tunes from that period as well as dragging Harold Faltermeyer (he who wrote Axel F) out of retirement, to create a new, retro score.
It's directed by Kevin Smith (Dogma, Mallrats), who for the first time, ditches one of his own scripts in favor of one by Robb and Mark Cullen. Good though it is (there's some great individual scenes and moments) it's not consistent enough in the entertainment stakes, and you can't help but think that Smith himself would have produced a far sharper rewrite. Tracy Jordan does fine in his movie debut, but he's not as funny here than on TV in 30 Rock, and he often descends into a shouty, rambling mess at times. Willis is on autopilot here (although likable as he's learnt how to smirk again recently) who needed a performance of David Addison standards to vitalise the narrative.
Smith does an adequate job as director and is becoming a glossier, more cinematic helmer with each project he takes on, but Cop Out still lacks energy in the action department. A fun, brisk and enjoyable piece of resurrected nostalgia. But like John Carpenter with Memoirs of an Invisible Man, or Tim Burton with Planet of the Apes, Smith needs to rediscover his voice instead of becoming just another director for hire.
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