The good thing about the film Cop Out is that the term “coonfest” does not completely describe this film. The bad thing is everything else. I admit when I first saw the trailers for the film I said to myself “…but I’ve seen the 48 Hours films already.” Unfortunately, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) did not have a lot to work with regarding the script brothers Robb and Mark Cullen (Heist) wrote and gave him.

The story is about two police officers in California who have been together for nine years. Jimmy Monroe performed by Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Paul Hodges performed by Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, First Sunday) have formed a “unique” way of attempting to solve crimes. Yet, their crime-fighting capabilities lead them to a 30-day suspension. While Jimmy worries about how to pay for his daughter, Ava’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) wedding, Paul is preoccupied with the possibility that his wife, Debbie, performed by Rashida Jones (I Love You, Man) may be having an affair with the neighbor. Instead of agreeing to have Ava’s stepfather Roy, performed by Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl), pay for the wedding, Jimmy chooses to sell a baseball card he’s had since his childhood. Upon attempting to sell his card the store is held up, his card stolen, and he convinces Paul to search for the missing card with him. This search leads them to a drug cartel run by (who else?) a Mexican crew led by Poh Boy performed by a very tired looking Guillermo Díaz (Weeds).

How many stereotypes can you fit into a script for a film produced and released in “post racial” 2010? All Latinos are Mexican, they all believe in g-d, are Catholic and go to church. Oh, and we can’t forget the fact that all of the Latinos/Mexicans given screen time sell narcotics or are armed with guns they have no problem using. The women in the film, especially the women of Color, are over-sexualized. The one Latina with a speaking role, Gabriela performed by Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre), who is smuggled into the US because of information she is believed to have that can help Poh Boy’s agenda, eventually can’t keep her hands off Paul. Debbie, the only Black woman in the film, is accused of having an affair and several jokes geared towards Paul center on her alleged promiscuity. Only Ava is redeemed from this characteristic as she is getting married. She is also represented in what looks like a different lens to make her look “softer” and so white that it was almost impossible to see the difference between her wedding dress and her skin. I don’t think that was a coincidence. Then there is the desire and need for Black men, i.e. Paul, to find approval and affirmation from White characters, i.e. Jimmy. Their “partnership” was one of the most uneven friendships (working or otherwise) presented.

The odd part is that every Latino character who was speaking in Spanish (accompanied by huge white subtitles) can’t really speak Spanish as we are led to believe. They are clearly characters who have either been trained to “lose” their accent or did not speak the language in their community. Don’t get me wrong, they were not as bad as Bloomburg when he speaks Spanish. Yet, the cameo with Mark Consuelos, made him Latino actor number 497 in the film whose accent was terrible. Nobody acted like they had ever spoken Spanish before.

However, you have to watch this film with the knowledge that there is a formula that works and that is what Hollywood is going to continue to use. The formula usually includes a White man “winning” in the end, men of Color being murdered, women of Color stereotyped and fetishized, and White women protected. The film successfully met all of the aspects of the formula.

This film is categorized as a comedy. Now, there were people who were laughing so hard in the theater that I’m sure they had a good time. However, I’m not one to laugh at (another) Latino man being murdered, or a joke I’ve heard over and over for the past 15 years (as you get older you realize new material is hard to come by), or the juvenile humor often found in several Seann William Scott (American Pie, Mr. Woodcock) films. Scott portrays Dave, the suspect who stole Jimmy’s baseball card, yet who somehow becomes friends with Paul and Jimmy and attempts to help them reclaim his missing baseball card from the Mexican drug cartel.

The highlight of the film was the first 7 minutes where Paul interrogates a suspect, after Jimmy approves it, using lines from various films throughout the years. The one time I actually laughed out loud was with his rendition of a scene from The Color Purple. The other lines were predictable but the monologue was entertaining. My popcorn was also tasty.

The soundtrack offended me on levels I really can’t even share with you right now. The arrangement and score was so poorly selected, I mean why are we listening to Cypress Hill circa 1993, Beastie Boys circa 1995, and System sing Don’t Disturb This Groove at a wedding? The music that was heard during “action” scenes was so awkward I was completely distracted. Interestingly, I forgot the title of one song and tried to see what was included on the official soundtrack and NONE of the songs I’ve mentioned are included. Only the final song as the credits roll is included: Soul Brothers by Pattie LaBelle.

I’m not making this up. Go see for yourself.

Ultimately, there are many fans of Morgan, Willis, Smith, and of comedy in general who will see the film and may enjoy themselves. For me, there were moments where I asked myself, “is this film targeted towards me as a viewer” and I have to honestly say that I don’t think it was. Yet, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t created with you in mind, unless you are Mexican, or Latino, or a woman, or someone who values $12.

VL Verdict: Save your $12