Call it the new prisoner’s dilemma. OK, picture this: You are a police officer. You’re at the precinct, which now resembles a war zone. You’ve been shot. You’re bleeding, badly. For now, you are locked “safely” in the holding cell wing of the building; only one door separates you from chaos and likely death, but the door is bombproof and you hold the only key. Your communication has been cut off. If you wait there indefinitely, you’ll likely bleed out and die. You have the keys to the holding cells. The one on the left contains a guy who skimmed from the mob. He’s a killer and a bad man. The cell on the right contains the mob enforcer sent to ace the guy in the left cell. He’s a killer and bad man. If you unlock a cell and give one of the men your gun, there’s a chance you’ll live. If you do not, you will not.
What do you do?
This is the dilemma of rookie cop Valerie Young (Alexis Louder). Will she choose Door #1, Teddy (Frank Grillo), the mob double-crosser, Door #2, Bob (Gerard Butler), a professional assassin, or Door #3, a goat, (of course)? This is the key setup in Copshop, a decent homage to Assault on Precinct 13.
It takes a bit, but Valerie is the last of the blue standing at the precinct, which makes sense as she’s the only cop who got to have a personality. All the rest of the writing was concentrated on Grillo and Butler. This is one of those plots that slowly unravels. Teddy is on the run and when caught, he punches Valerie thus ensuring police custody … which would be great for him if his safety could be guaranteed. But police custody don’t scare the mob, and pretty soon multiple hitters find their way to Teddy. Bob disguises himself as a reckless drunk to get closer. And before long it’s Bedlam in Blueville.
Copshop hinges on this interplay among Young, Grillo, and Butler. And everybody gets notes here: 1) I’m excited to see Grillo getting bigger roles in the wake of Boss Level. Actors should be 
rewarded for investing in themselves and seeing as how Grillo served as both producer and star in one of the best COVID era watches, I’m happy to see more of him. 2) I think this is a breakout role for Alexis Louder. This woman is talented and ready for bigger things. I don’t know exactly how acting upgrades happen or where she goes from here, but don’t be surprised if she becomes an A-Lister one day. 3) I’ll support any film if it marks the end of Gerard Butler starring in romcoms. Yay, Copshop, if for no other reason than it didn’t include an awkward date with Katherine Heigl.
I think I enjoyed the details of Copshop more than the picture itself. Aside from Officer Young, pretty much every member of the blue comes off as incompetent or corrupt. I know part of this is so we can root for the mob guys with a clear conscience, but one has to ask, “Why does the director want us to root for mobsters?” I liked the dilemma and I liked some of the shootout tension. It’s enough for me to recommend the film … but don’t push it.
I’ve encountered a simple mystery, to wit:
What actor drives all romance to shit?
It isn’t that hard
Consider Gerard
And remember always that “the Butler did it”
Rated R, 107 Minutes
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writer: Kurt McLeod, Joe Carnahan
Genre: Whachagonnado?
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Fans of gunplay
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Fans of order
