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Cop Out is a 2010 Buddy cop spoof staring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. To date, it's the only feature Kevin Smith directed without having written.

Willis is Jimmy Monroe, a grizzled, no-nonsense cop, and Morgan is his partner Paul Hodges, a somewhat abrasive, feelings-on-his-sleeve cop. A botched undercover operation (which in turn jeopardizes a huge drug sting two other cops are organizing) results in the two getting suspended from the force just before Jimmy's daughter has a huge wedding that Jimmy was hoping to pay for. Frustrated, he goes to sell a prize baseball card to get the cash needed for the wedding. Of course, things go even further south for Jimmy when the card then gets stolen along with one of Paul's guns.

Not to be confused with the French movie Le Samouraï, which was released under the title Cop Out in some parts of the US. Also not connected to Writer Cop Out.


Cop Out provides examples of:

  • Advertised Extra: While by no means an extra, the trailer makes it look as if Seann William Scott is one of the stars of the film, when he really plays a supporting character.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Given how odd Paul acts much of the time, yet manages to be effective, it's likely his captain just looks the other way except (as in the beginning) when he majorly fouls up.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Literally. Paul is shown early on in the movie to keep a bunch of extra guns in his car. Just before the big shootout during the climax, he arms up with as many as he can carry.
  • Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Dave, the guy who steals Jimmy's baseball card and Paul's favorite gun. Played realistically, as it's shown just how freaking annoying someone like this would be to deal with.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Seeing as how it's a Kevin Smith movie, this is a given (although Smith didn't actually write the film).
  • Cowboy Cop: Both Paul and Jimmy. While Jimmy is a classic stereotype for this sort of character, Paul goes along readily with Jimmy's style and occasionally takes the lead.
  • Curse Cut Short: In a sequence when Jimmy is discussing what a homeowner should do while Jimmy and Paul apprehend someone breaking in to their house, due to the presence of her son. Resulting in Jimmy letting loose with a Cluster F-Bomb that's literally a cluster of "F"s.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Initially invoked when Dave is apparently killed when he falls out of tree and breaks his neck. However, the credit scene shows that he gets better when he plays a nasty prank on the coroner.
  • Geek: Po' Boy, The Leader of the drug cartel looking to expand in New York City, is a huge baseball fan. Also, Officer Hunsaker is really into boots.
  • Groin Attack: Paul takes one from an eleven-year-old car thief... then returns the favor.
  • Hannibal Lecture: A parody of this when Dave is in the police car with the officers. He drives Hodges crazy with some simple statements, mostly by saying that his wife is cheating on him.
  • Hero of Another Story: Hunsaker and Mangold appear to be in a more routine buddy-cop movie just off-camera.
  • Hero Stole My Bike: Paul (still dressed in a cellphone suit) asks for someone's bike by showing him his badge. After the guy disrespects him and refuses, he just pushes him off and takes the bike anyway. It doesn't really go well for him after they sic their dog on him.
  • Insult Backfire: When Jimmy and Paul are mocking Hunsaker and Mangold by saying they were played by Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro in a movie called "The Unfuckables", Hunsaker and Mangold admit that being played by Costner and DeNiro would actually be pretty cool.
  • Magic Floppy Disk: Averted - the MacGuffin sought by the bad guys is actually a thumb drive, disguised as a crucifix.
  • Memetic Mutation: Discussed at one point, as a kid explains "All Your Base" to his mother. Although why a mom would just now be asking about a ten-year old meme, to a son about as old as said meme, is another question entirely.invoked
  • Mood Whiplash: When Po' Boy does a round of You Have Failed Me, it's downright disturbing. Particularly the batting cage sequence.
  • Pocket Protector: Subverted. Po' Boy is shot in the chest, where he kept Paul's baseball card.
  • The Rivals: Officers Hunsaker and Mangold, to Paul and Jimmy. It's their investigation that the opening screwup ruins, and there's obviously some rivalry there throughout the whole movie. They don't let it get in the way of their jobs, though; they vouch for Paul and Jimmy when it turns out their interference saves their lives.
  • Rapid-Fire "No!": Tracy Morgan delivers a cluster.
  • Shout-Out: Any time Paul starts "acting" by quoting classic movies.
  • Stop Copying Me: Dave does this at one point.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jimmy and his ex-wife's fiancée trade speeches about who the real bad guy is between them.
  • Those Two Guys: Hunsaker and Mangold.
  • Title Drop: Subverted. Jimmy says "...couple of dicks" early in the movie. However, the title has been changed to Cop Out.
  • Two Lines, No Waiting: The B plot, about Paul's fears that his wife is cheating on him with the neighbor.
  • Uncle Tomfoolery: Paul skirts this a bit. He is quite buffoonish, but he does end up being oddly competent at police work.
  • Would Hurt a Child: A justified example. Paul hits an eleven year old thief in the groin after he did the same thing to him.
  • You and What Army?: Not invoked, but discussed afterwards.
    Po' Boy: Did you like that? We practiced it for, like, an hour!

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