FilmSnobReviews

Title: Let’s Be Cops
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Nina Dobrev
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins

What It Is: College buddies Ryan (Johnson) an ex-QB at alma mater Purdue, and Justin (Wayans Jr.) a video game designer are living fairly regular lives, albeit as losers. One night they are invited to a costume party. Or at least what Ryan assumed was a costume party. Instead of going as the ghosts they had planned they dress in the outfits Justin brought home from his latest game pitch which involves a real life cop simulator. When they put on the real to life cop uniforms they quickly realize that people truly believe they are LAPD. And after the inital glee of their newfound power they soon realize they’re in over their heads when they uncover some truths about a crime boss causing issues with a small Russian neighborhood.

What We Think: The chemistry between Johnson and Wayans Jr. is great and you can tell the two really enjoy hanging out with one and other. Therein lies the problem as well. It seems like they’re just hanging out and the film seems directionless particularly in the last third. With a better film and a better script the two leads could certainly have made a better film. I look forward to seeing what these two can do as they advance in their careers Johnson has really been good in his small sample size on the big screen.

Our Grade: D-, It commits the major sin of any comedy by not being funny in the least bit. All the jokes fall flat and even the Key in Key and Peele playing a ridiculous tattoo-faced cuba rican? Regardless of his characters nationality his sad attempts to humor us don’t work and neither does anything else…except that chemistry. There were flashes that this film wanted to be good but Greenfield just couldn’t handle the material and wasted a potentially very funny cast…except Nina Dobrev I have never really liked her. Note to everyone put Rob Riggle in your movie he’s really funny yet even he couldn’t help this!