A Lot of COPping OUT in This Trailer

If you want a movie where Tracy Morgan plays Tracy Jordan, Bruce Willis plays a shelled version of John McClane, and, somewhere in there, there’s a Kevin Smith film that’s just screaming to be let out, then COP OUT is the flick for you.   It’s the first of its kind, a film directed by Smith that wasn’t written by Smith, and it shows.   Writers Rob and Mark Cullen also wrote the pilot episode of MANCHILD, the male bonding comedy that was never picked up for a full series and also starred Smith.

Having said that, the new trailer released today over on Apple doesn’t feel like the new film directed by one of the most fan-followed writer/directors of our time.   It feels like precisely what it is, a director for hire working from a buddy cop screenplay that’s giving about as much effort as an uninterested child in a geography class.   Let’s just say this is no HOT FUZZ.

I can’t help but think A COUPLE OF DICKS, an imaginary, buddy cop movie written and directed by Smith would have played much better.   Some credit might be taken away from COP OUT simply based on the choice to water down the name alone.   We have Warner Brothers to thank for that, and Smith’s admitted quick acceptance to that fact.   I guess pandering to afternoon sports fans is pretty important to the guy.   At least it’s not called A COUPLE OF COPS.

Head on over to Apple, check out the trailer in HD, and shoot back with some comments on what you think.   Who knows?   The film could prove us all wrong when it hits theaters on February 26th.   We’ll just have to wait and see.