VOD Spotlight: “Cop Out” captures that New York state of mind

By Elaine Bergstrom

Cop Out is the story of two partners in the New York Police Department on the trail of a rare mint-condition baseball card stolen from one of them, just before he plans to sell it to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding. It’s the sort of buddy story that Bruce Willis, who plays Jimmy Moore, the card’s rightful owner, is perfectly at home with. His partner, Paul Hodges, is played by Tracy Morgan, whose comedic flair is perfect for a film blending comedy and action.

The story takes place in Queens and Brooklyn, where the police are dealing with increasing violence and robberies by a Mexican drug cartel. Shooting in the outlying boroughs meant that the familiar skyline of Manhattan could be shown in the distance, implying that the neighborhoods are far removed from the upscale glamour of New York. “We were so happy to make an outer boroughs movie,” says Smith. “Everybody romanticizes Manhattan, but how many people romanticize Queens?”

One reason for filming in the boroughs may be due to Manhattan’s crowded streets, director Kevin Smith noted in an interview with the New York Daily News. “I talked to film crews who had worked in Manhattan and asked what it was like and they said it sucks because everyone hates you when you shut down the streets in Manhattan,” says Smith. “We didn’t have that in Brooklyn. We’d shoot a sequence and people would line up on the streets to watch us shoot. They were so sweet to us, and we shot something we wouldn’t have been able to do in Manhattan. It was just so much easier.”

“Cop Out” is now showing on Video On Demand. Check your cable system for availability.

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© 2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Credit: Abbot Genser