There are a million and half* “buddy-cop” movies. 'Let’s Be Cops' is the literal buddy-cop movie. Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans Jr) are 30-year-old best-friends trying to make lives for themselves in Los Angeles. Justin is an assistant video game designer who lacks the confidence and backbone to pursue his ideas and designs, while Ryan is a former college football superstar who suffered a career-shattering injury, leaving him a nobody who hangs out with kids all day, trying to relive his glory. Following a series of errors, the boys spend a night in genuine police uniforms, and after deciding they enjoy the attention received as they pretended to be police officers, they decide to take advantage of their newfound situation - both the good side and the bad.
SWITCH: 'LET'S BE COPS' RED BAND TRAILER
You’d be forgiven for mistaking this scenario as just a really long ‘New Girl’ episode, with both Johnson and Wayans playing similar characters to their television alter-egos - but you’d be wrong, not far off, but wrong all the same. The film is in a similar vein to the ’21 Jump Street’ series, only 'Jump Street' have produced a far superior product, inevitably damning any project that follows in its path (i.e. 'Let's Be Cops').
There are a few lines and moments that hit the right spot, but they are by no means golden, nor do they make up for the generic plot lines, script or on-screen relationship.
Difficult to genuinely laugh at, easy to forget - this movie’s success really depends on the mood you’re in when you watch it and your level of expectation. Here's hoping it's fairly low.
* = figure exaggerated for dramatic effect.