My goodness it is fun to see a quick little action flick.
Boss Level on Hulu earlier this year was great and raised Frank Grillo to a new level (check it out if you haven't seen it yet). Here, he reunites with director Joe Carnahan in Cop Shop.
The movie begins by introducing us to Officer Valerie Young,
working at a police station in rural Nevada. Teddy Murretto is on the run from
the mob and punches her in the middle of a wedding brawl to get thrown in jail,
figuring he will be safe there. Over the
course of the evening, she gets to know Teddy, his pursuer, Bob, another hitman,
Anthony, and has to figure out what the right course of action is to make it through
the night.
This movie was such a pleasant surprise to me. The story is very straightforward and the setting is nearly claustrophobic. Everything happens in one night in the police station. Characters are given background and development through early conversations and actions. Carnahan knows how to direct action and where I have seen him go a little over the top before, everything in this movie mostly stays contained and helps push the story. The cast is wonderful.
Frank Grillo continues to have a strong string here as Teddy
Murretto. Teddy is a little different
than what I have seen him do in the past. First off, the wig is terrible, but
whatever – it’s a choice. And at no
point does he lose his shirt to demonstrate his 3% body fat, which I feel like
he started Boss Level doing. He does
seem to be maturing a bit and this role is a little more actor-y rather than
action-y. It is certainly within his skillset and he manages to make Teddy
layered with a shift at the end I was not prepared for.
Gerard Butler is better in this than I have seen him lately.
Probably because he is playing an assassin who will not stop in terms of
getting Teddy. He gets himself thrown
into jail so that he can get close enough to take him out and then both he and Teddy
work on convincing Valerie to take their side.
Speaking of which, this movie is definitely an Alexis Louder vehicle and I cannot wait to see the next one. While the trailers try to make it seem like Butler or Grillo are the stars, Louder is the centerpiece. She is perfect as a wild west gunslinger who is too smart to fall victim to any nonsense the bad guys throw at her. She is dealing with their stupid and the stupid of some of her co-workers throughout the whole evening, bound and determined to keep doing her job well. She’s a fantastic lead, great in the action, better in the quiet parts, and really steals the show.
Toby Huss plays the crazy killer Anthony Lamb and while he is a real threat, he also managed to bring some comic beats to his scenes. Ryan O’Nan and Jose Pablo Cantillo play other police officers, along with a cameo from Keith Jardine.
Overall, the movie is quick, contained, and very
entertaining. It feels like a throwback action movie with just enough think-y
bits to keep you guessing. Certainly good for an evening and big bowl of
popcorn.
8 out of 10
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