Title – Copshop (2021) 

Director – Joe Carnahan (The Grey) 

Cast – Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Alexis Louder

Plot – Cops, con artists and hitman collide on a fateful night inside a small town police department building that will end in bloodshed and bullets for all. 

“Bullets before prayers”

Review by Eddie on 27/04/2022

Unquestionably the type of action oriented feature film that use to litter the shelves of local Blockbuster stores on Friday nights (trust me I use too work there), appealing to those looking for a mindless piece of bullet riddled entertainment that just so happens to star washed up or imposter A-lister Hollywood stars, Copshop is an 80’s/90’s lite production from director Joe Carnahan that provides the exact type of experience one would expect from judging the cover and synopsis of this easy to watch throwaway fare. 

One of the most intriguing writer/directors working in the industry today, with a filmography that is littered with the great (Narc/The Grey), the mid-tier (Smokin Aces) and the bad (The A-Team/Boss Level), you never quite know what you’re going to get from Joe Carnahan as either a writer or a director but the action focused filmmaker is clearly having a blast here (both figuratively and literally in some instances) as he rips of John Carpenter’s work to unleash a film that should carry a mandatory requirement to be enjoyed with a pizza and cold beverage of your choice. 

Throwing the long given up hope of being anything more than they are as actors currently Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo as warring crime figures under the eye of Alexis Louder’s rookie cop Valerie Young (a star making turn for the up and coming actress) in a small town police station that becomes the battleground for past and present grievances, Copshop is a familiar feeling action thriller with a typical Carnahan dark sense of humor but its playfulness and willingness to accept what it is without trying to add more is refreshing in today’s climate and makes for the perfect Netflix kind of release. 

Released in some territories such as the United States and U.K via a typical cinema path to middling results, Copshop has appeared in most countries via a Netflix streaming acquisition and when compared to many of Netflix’s original action centric offerings Copshop is a much better genre offering that benefits from Carnahan’s long experience with guns, violence, larger than life characters and tense exchanges and is going to appease any fans of late 80’s Bruce Willis action flicks and 90’s action events that just so happened to star Steven Segal, Wesley Snipes or Mel Gibson. 

Unmemorable in almost all instances, there’s room in the world for films such as Copshop, a perfectly adequate time-killer for those seeking action fueled kicks, with no filler and no threatening to outstay its welcome or enhance its messaging, sometimes simple mindless features like this are exactly what the world needs more of. 

Final Say – 

A very old school action film that delivers the type of experience presented to us via its marketing and synopsis, Copshop is slight stuff but undeniably fun and a nice return to form from Joe Carnahan after a few lean years behind the camera. 

3 balloon deliveries out of 5