LET’S BE COPS
FILM REVIEW
Release Date: 27th August 2014 (Ireland)
Running Length: 104 minutes
Cast: Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Nina Dobrev
Directed by: Luke Greenfield
Written by: Luke Greenfield, Nicholas Thomas
Cinematography: Daryn Okada
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
``weak sauce``
Before the opening title card of Let’s Be Cops has had a chance to fade from view, our two protagonists start straight in with the exposition. They needn’t have bothered, because if ever a title told you everything you need to know about a movie, it’s this one. Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Ryan (Jake Johnson) are a pair of 30 year-old children. They have no focus or career prospects, but this all changes when they decide to impersonate cops. Hijinks ensue. If you are unable to see where this is going within the first 15 minutes, then you haven’t seen enough of this type of stuff, and for that I envy you.
Let’s not dwell on this one for too long shall we? Suffice to say that the premise is so weak that it would barely sustain a three minute Saturday Night Live sketch. Justin seems to be the one with sole custody of the pairs’ shared brain, but is still goaded into acts of escalating stupidity. Weak stabs at humour depend solely on the delivery of Wayans Jr. and Johnson rather than scripted dialogue or, you know, actual jokes. It’s a project that screams “contractual obligation.” Let’s Be Cops is very weak sauce indeed.