It Is What It Is, And That Ain't The Moon

Let’s Be Cops (2014)

A Review by Ben Hunter

3 Out Of 5 Stars

August 13, 2014

GET TO THE POINT BEN!

Uncross your arms in judgment and just have a few laughs in fun! 

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Power, control, the feeling of having respect because of the authority you assert into the room.  It’s an amazing feeling, especially, yet not exceptionally, for men.  To have a woman deem you worthy of her submission, to have a child look up to you in admiration, power, control, respect, but the real sensation here … is worthiness.  To TRULY be worthy of the power you’ve obtained and assert gives you respect.  This is a life lesson we all learn.  As sons, our fathers teach us to be men, worthy of the respect we earn as we inch along and progress.  As police officers, it’s the same, you have to earn the uniform to deem yourself worthy to wear it. 

Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) learn this lesson the hard way as best friends looking for a break in life in Luke Greenfield’s Let’s Be Cops.  Greenfield is no stranger to the comedy world (Girl Next Door, The Animal).  Having thoroughly enjoyed Girl Next Door, the home entertainment marketing alone sold me to buy the film before seeing it; I was curious to see if this would pale in comparison. 

I was wrong.

The concept, not the marketing this time, alone turned me completely off to this film as I feel it contradicts the strong message it delivers quite well upon its completion.  We all know it’s terribly wrong to impersonate a police officer, but this movie makes it look SO COOL!  I know I’ll never do this, my mature adult friends the same; but a couple of 14 year old, passable for fresh out of The Academy, looking boys searching for fun on a Friday night?  Telling them they’re too young to see this R rated comedy isn’t a good enough answer either.  I couldn’t help but think this will turn parents away taking their children firmly by the hand because of the obvious message problem. 

“Okay Ben, you know they’re not REALLY going to promote the irresponsible message right?  I mean, come on let’s be serious right?”  So you watch the film to find out how they promote the right message.  You laugh a lot, which is important.  But in this case what’s most important is they actually do promote the right message in a decent way. 

It is what it is, the writing’s amateurish which denotes the film A LOT of grades below excellent, which gives the film a feeling of “film student just learning”, which is kind of sad because the same guy did Girl Next Door.  But it is what it is so you let a lot of things go and just try to enjoy yourself.  It’s not trying to be something it’s clearly not, or win any Oscars.  It makes you laugh and have fun, which after the assurance of the right message is actually portrayed, is what’s most important.

Turn off your brain, uncross your arms in judgment, and share a few laughs in fun with your loved ones.  It is what it is, stop shooting for the moon.    

All while trying to stop being boggled with how much Damon Wayans Jr. is a spitting image of his father. 

Let’s Be Cops

Comedy, 104 Minutes, R

Written by: Luke Greenfield and Nicholas Thomas

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Cast: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle, & Andy Garcia