Red band COP OUT trailer restores faith

By default, I’m supposed to look forward to a new Kevin Smith film. As regulars may know, I have a soft spot for the director, despite fair criticisms and past blunders (Jersey Girl, Clerks II), I cannot deny what an inspiration Kevin Smith is. I’ve been a fan since Chasing Amy (1997) and am always impressed by his public appearances and his simple yet effective filmmaking approach.

I was crushed with disappointment when I saw the original trailer for Cop Out, Smith’s upcoming buddy-cop vehicle which marks his first feature directorial effort that he hasn’t written. I found it insipid and unfunny, which was a huge let-down. Kevin Smith directing Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan in a buddy-cop comedy… what could possibly go wrong?

Thank heavens this recently released follow-up red-band trailer knocks the original trailer for six and actually creates an exciting tone for the film. I reckon I’d be lining up to see Cop Out even if Smith weren’t involved. What’s especially surprising is how the trailer made me laugh out loud when I was extremely sceptical going in. It had a lot of work to do in order to sway me from uninterested all the way to excited again, and to my surprise, it did.

I was going to see Cop Out regardless. I’m obligated, as a Kevin Smith mark, to see anything he makes, so the idea of it being a terrible waste of time (and money) was not sitting well with me. Thankfully my faith is restored.

Cop Out hits our screens 25 February 2010.

Here’s the official write-up from Warner Brothers:

Directed by Kevin Smith (“Zack and Miri Make a Porno”), “Cop Out” features two longtime NYPD partners on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card who find themselves up against a merciless, memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Jimmy (Bruce Willis) is the veteran detective whose missing collectible is his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, and Paul (Tracy Morgan) is his “partner-against-crime” whose preoccupation with his wife’s alleged infidelity makes it hard for him to keep his eye on the ball.

Kevin Smith directs “Cop Out” from a screenplay by Robb Cullen & Mark Cullen (TV’s “Las Vegas”). The film stars Bruce Willis (the “Die Hard” films), Tracy Morgan (TV’s “30 Rock”), Adam Brody (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), Kevin Pollak (“Tropic Thunder”), Guillermo Diaz (TV’s “Weeds”) and Seann William Scott (“Role Models”).

The film is produced by Marc Platt (“Rachel Getting Married”), Polly Johnsen (upcoming “Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore”) and Michael Tadross (“I Am Legend,” “Hitch”). Adam Siegel (“Wanted”), Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen serve as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography David A. Klein (“Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” “Chasing Amy”); production designer Michael Shaw (“August Rush,” “Boys Don’t Cry”); costume designer Juliet Polcsa (“The Sopranos,” “Jersey Girl”); and Academy Award®-nominated composer Harold Faltermeyer (the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies). As he frequently does, Smith serves as his own editor on the film.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, A Marc Platt Production, “Cop Out,” to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film is scheduled for release on February 26, 2010.