Copshop Movie Review

 

Copshop is definitely one of those films that has been flying under my own radar. I had seen a few ads start to pop up for it in the last couple of weeks while watching TV, but other than the fact that Frank Grillo & Gerard Butler both headlined this film, I was still getting the sense that this will be another throwaway action film that everybody quickly forgets about after its release. However, once surprisingly strong early reviews came pouring in and I also realized that director Joe Carnahan was helming this one, I knew this was one that I had to ultimately see. Carnahan has always been a solid director and certainly knows how to make a ridiculously entertaining action film. And while Copshop is no game changer by any means, I'm thrilled to report that it is indeed yet another ridiculously entertaining feature from the filmmaker. He's batting a 2 for 2 in 2021. 

Something that stood out to me with this one that I happened to really like was just old school it felt. Sure, on paper it's a generic premise that we have seen done before, where our main character is running not only from the law, but also a professional assassin out to get him purely to collect money. But it's rare these days to see a much smaller scaled and self-contained action film that is confined to almost just one location through its entire duration. This harkens back to action films we definitely would see more frequently in the pre 2000s era, the best comparison I could think of being the great John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 (which of course also had a 2005 remake that was actually pretty good). The action is intense and also quite over the top, but Carnahan also makes sure the film never takes itself too seriously which I definitely appreciated. Not all of the film's dark humor lands, but I was definitely laughing a lot more than I was anticipating. The story even surprised me quite a few times and I never felt like I knew exactly where the film was going to go next. 

The cast is ultimately what really helps sell this film though. Frank Grillo has for many years been such an underappreciated actor so it's always great to see him get a huge starring role like this and for this one he could not have been more perfectly cast. He's pretty fantastic here and also plays off Gerard Butler wonderfully. This might honestly be one of my new favorite performances from Butler, he's so great and just too much fun here. The back & forth between Grillo and Butler is the film's best asset. As awesome as both leads are, the biggest surprise for me definitely has to be Alexis Louder as the rookie cop assigned to watch over both crooks. I was unfamiliar with Louder prior to this, but now she's definitely a name on my radar as she really commands the screen well here and is easily the character you get behind the most. I also must give a big shoutout to Toby Huss who plays another hired assassin and literally just steals every single moment he has on screen. 

This most definitely isn't a perfect film by any means though. The story is still relatively paint by numbers and certainly not very original in the slightest. There's also lots of cheesy one liners, some of which do work to amusing effects, but others do fall a little flat and come off more awkwardly. And I think my biggest issue here might even be the film's length. It's never ever once boring certainly, as it is paced very breezily, but this premise could've been just an easy 90 minutes and I don't think much would've changed as a result. There's also just a few too many telegraphed double crosses which I think is what made the ending here feel a little dragged out. 

Copshop certainly isn't a film that will change your life or win any awards, but if you're just searching for a outrageously entertaining time at the movies then look no further with Joe Carnahan's latest. With a trio of fantastic leads and solid action, this is definitely one of the more surprising films I've seen this year and it's even some of the most fun I've had watching any film in some time as well. Just shut your brain off and maybe grab some popcorn, you'll have a good time too. 

Final Grade: B