I'll admit I have a soft spot for these sorts of action character studies, the kind that Tarantino perfected, ensemble pieces featuring a lot of pulpy, morally grey characters that talk their way through usually one isolated event, leaving very few alive at the end, but along the way we get portraits of damaged individuals and usually a (tiny) bit of good triumphing over evil. Director Carnahan's Copshop is well within this tradition and although it remains rather predictable and has some questionable dialogue choices, manages to be an entertaining 107 minutes, mostly because of the character at the centre of this story.
Alexis Louder hasn't made much of a splash until now but here she steals the show amongst all the grubby men who are hell bent on shooting each other up. Her Valerie Young is the sort of earnest cop who we know we are to root for, outsmarting all the criminals and in the end refusing to give up until she gets her man. She is a cliche in a film of cliches, but through her performance she rises above it, as do most of the rest of the cast, all bringing more to this film that likely could have been there. Toby Huss is also just too damn enjoyable for words as the psychopathic hit man that sets her in his sights.
So Copshop doesn't rise to the heights of the genre but still manages to be a fun time. And as film came to the end I really wanted to see Copshop Part II. Let's hope Young gets a chance to continue her chase.
Copshop
Starring: Alexis Louder, Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Toby Huss, Ryan O'Neil
Director: Joe Carnahan
Writers: Kurt McLeod, Joe Carnahan
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