Let the cops get 'em

| Friday September 19, 2014 14:45

 The big screen seems to be on a mission to amuse us with a whole new different summer experience full of laughter and thrills.

Already the month of August has enticed us with Think Like A Man 2, Tammy, Chef as well as Sex Tape. 

Meanwhile, September is proving to be a funny month too as two more comedies, Let’s Be Cops and Mom’s Night Out have premiered. 

Arts & Culture got to check out Let’s Be Cops starring Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, and came out in stitches from the humour that was on point.

This was simply because the movie had all the right ingredients to make it spicy.  First of all it was directed, produced, and written by Luke Greenfield who is always innovative in his works.  Greenfield is best known for creating films that are unpredictable and surprising to audiences such as hit comedies The Girl Next Door played by Elisha Cuthbert (2004) and The Animal starring Rob Schneider (2001).

Let’s Be Cops has quite an appealing trailer and the movie lives up to that clip, as it takes one to whole dimensions of fantasy beyond reality with scintillating heroics. 

Also the movie idea is quite simple as it revolves around two buddies, who decide to dress up as cops, which then brings in the fun missing in their miserable lives. 

The stunts are also way better compared to those in other movies and they correspond well with the music to create a great combination that brings out the drama and comedy.  Introduction of the movie is precise and delivers a strong punch line when it opens with a classic Westlife song.

 The song creates an explosive grand opening for the movie when the two main characters Ryan and Justin sing along to a karaoke, which seems hilarious when done by grown men.

Still on that note both stars Johnson (Ryan), Wayans (Justin) brought together their comedy experience in style for Let’s Be Cops.

Johnson also a film producer and writer played the carefree role of Ryan who wanted to just have fun of which he did with his naughty idea to dress up as cops.

During the movie, the audience including myself was quite entertained by this funny lad when he realised that everyone was buying into the idea that they are cops and started acting like one in a more extreme way.

Hilarious moments of this film include instances when the two self-proclaimed police officers ridiculed the fierce Russian gang lead by Mossi (James D’ Arcy), which built steam for other events to follow. 

One other funny moment was when these two new enforcement members infuriated a house call situation by reading aloud the phone text messages that had started the conflict rather than dealing with the matter diligently.

This film is regarded as comedy, however in the movie when things start to heat up one senses a lot more action there.

Also worth noting was that Damon Wayans Jr’s role as Justin was not as much vibrant as that of Ryan. I felt as if his character was weak in terms of adding more value, which he should have as he comes from a family of comedy. 

Lastly also not taking away from the movie, it brought to mind films like Bad Boys, Blue Streak and Big Momma.

The storyline for this movie is that two struggling friends Justin, a reject video developer and Ryan, a washed up college football quarterback dress up as police officers for a costume party and become neighborhood sensations.

Ryan decides to take the hoax further than one night and learns official procedures on the internet. But when these newly minted  ‘heroes’ get tangled in a real life web with mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.

This newcomer has had its fair share of the market, on its opening weekend.  Let’s Be Cops accumulated $17.8 million dollars and by end of its first week in cinemas it had amassed around $26.2 million, which is not bad. It is outshining other latest releases like Into The Storm, which is on its second week with a cumulative sum of $31.5 milllion and dramatic/sci-fi The Giver is yet to pick up steam as is underperforming with a mere $4million on week one. The stats prove that Let’s Be Cops has been well-received at cinemas as it has raked in $73.3 million already and stood at number five last weekend.

In my books I would rate this action comedy with an 8/10 performance.  It is way much more than comedy.  It is funny and action-packed.  Let’s Be Cops is on its sixth week worldwide and locally is on its first week.  Make it a date to get a glimpse before screen time is over.

Bakang Israel