Just 11 minutes into Cop Out, Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan's shambolic, middle-aged police duo are ordered to hand over their badges and guns, after receiving a month's suspension without pay. But guess what? They don't let that stop them from going after the bad guys.
Despite starring a perennial action hero and a former Saturday Night Live comedian in the lead roles, Cop Out isn't witty enough to be an effective spoof of Hollywood cop movies, nor is it sufficiently well-executed to work as a direct homage. Instead, it takes a recognised framework and adds a heavy layer of juvenile humour and some offbeat comedy performances - with, however, surprisingly enjoyable results.
It sees Jimmy (Willis) and Paul (Morgan) - partners for nine years in the gang-ridden streets of Brooklyn - suspended for bungling an arrest and thwarting an ongoing police investigation. As well as being mocked by colleagues, Jimmy needs money to pay for his daughter's wedding - or face the shame of allowing his ex-wife's gloating new husband to foot the bill.
He plans to raise the cash by selling a valuable baseball card - but just as he hands over the item in a collectables store, the outlet is robbed. With his hapless and almost constantly drooling (literally) partner, he is forced to enter the world of the city's Latino gangs to retrieve the card and preserve his honour.
This means coercing wise-cracking petty criminals by handcuffing them to his car, recovering a stolen vehicle from an 11-year-old thief and babysitting the beautiful widow of a murdered drug lord - all the while avoiding the watchful eyes of his police department bosses.
Directed by Kevin Smith, Cop Out is a departure for the filmmaker in a number of ways. After he emerged in the 1990s with the indie gems Clerks and Chasing Amy, he spent the next decade making a succession of duds - including the infamously poor Bennifer team-up, Jersey Girl. This is not only Smith's debut movie for a major studio, but also the first film he has directed but not written.
Although rarely lauded for his visual prowess, Smith manages to pull off some surprisingly stylish scenes and gives the movie a strong sense of pace.
The film's unrelentingly coarse dialogue wasn't penned by the director, but some of its funniest moments (such as those between Morgan and a petty thief played by Seann William Scott) are the parts in which Smith has encouraged the actors to improvise.
Most of the jokes are beyond puerile and it often feels odd to see leading man Willis engage in such a base form of comedy - but thankfully, that doesn't stop much of the movie from being laugh-out-loud funny. It's a good thing too. While it's easy to chuckle along to Willis, Morgan and cameo appearances by a host of other comedians, the story is remarkably thin and easily forgotten.
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
