Copshop opens with a snappy, energetic feel with cool music and visuals. I thought this was going to be a fun time at the movies within the first minute. And, hey, for the most part it was. But it was also a little sluggish sometimes when it needed to be snappy. But it’s good enough, in the long run, to recommend.

Copshop stars Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo as a pair of opposing lowlifes who manufacture a way into a local police lockup. Alexis Louder is a local cop who wants to figure out what their game is… but first she has to contend with crooked cops, a gleefully psychotic assassin, and ricocheting bullets.

The funny thing about this flick is that it doesn’t have a single active protagonist for its full runtime. I’m sure that’s intentional and it certainly gives the movie its own personality… but it’s just weird trying to figure out which of these people we are mainly following and/or rooting for. It’s also odd that Butler and Grillo spend so much of the movie locked in separate prison cells. Maybe this was a COVID production…

Either way, the movie kind of cooks and but also just kind of simmers for a little too long. Given its style, its dialog, and the cool tunes, it kind of drags a bit too much in the second act. I got a little antsy wishing something more interesting would happen or at least some snappier dialog and faster editing. But the final act – in all its chaos – was a lot of fun and I came away thinking a sequel would be very cool to see.

All the actors are having fun. It’s nice to see Grillo so prominent in a better elevated B picture. I don’t think Butler is doing much more than his usual solid work… though it is interesting to see him locked down for so long. Alexis Louder plays strong and confident and is a real find as an action star. The psychotic assassin played by Toby Huss was particularly fun and a great, original character.

So this is a positive review for a surprisingly fun and funny action flick. It’s not top tier dramatic importance… it’s basically just a slick, fun pulpy action flick and that’s more than ok. It doesn’t always work at the top of its game but it usually gets there eventually. Fun.

Score: 81