Cop Out

The unlikely matching of Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan and director Kevin Smith works like a charm. Willis plays Jimmy, a divorced detective whose daughter is getting married soon, and Morgan is Paul, Jimmy’s longtime partner. A botched drug bust sends the pair onto probation, without pay. Jimmy decides to sell his prized possession (a collectable baseball card) for the money he’ll need to pay for his daughter’s wedding. That’s when all hell breaks loose, putting the pair in the middle of a world of drug dealers, thieves and kidnappers. Let the car chases and hijinx ensue. All this drama is delivered in a perfectly cheeseball manner (down to the ’80s synth-music), an homage, if you will, to all buddy-cop movies. Morgan, his usual oddball self, is crazy-funny here, especially when countered by Willis’ more mature, calm demeanor. The pairing shouldn’t work—it’s ridiculous, really—but the script (written by Robb and Mark Cullen) is strong enough, and Smith is smart enough, to pull it off. Feather River Cinemas, Paradise Cinema 7 and Tinseltown. Rated R