Cop Car (2015)

I'm sure there are many viewers who just do not believe this plot is realistic. I mean, why would a small town sheriff (Kevin Bacon) leave his cop car unattended while in the process of burying a man he just killed? No, I never did run into a similar incident but as a young boy my friends and I found ourselves in a few positions of opportunity that most young boys would run away from whereas we ran towards the trouble.

These two young boys named Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Hays Wellford) feed off of each others sense of adventure and as their respective parents are somewhat absent (Harrison is being raised by his grandmother and Travis has his mother and a stepfather) they stumble upon Sherif Kretzer's unattended cop car and like two kittens who start pawing at a ball of yarn, before they can say MEOW their next behind the cop car's wheel and rolling down them there hills doing 100 miles per hour.

This film takes place over a short span of a few hours and as most parents can attest to as well as any juvenile delinquent, it does not take these two particular ten year old mischievous boys long to find a little bit of trouble escalate into a whole lot of trouble. When the boys stop their joyriding they soon realize that there is someone in the trunk of the cop car who Sheriff Kretzer has certainly laid a pretty bad beating on. The boys untie the bloodied prisoner (Shea Whigham) only to have the man they just helped confiscate their rifles they have been playing around with and lock the two mischievous boys in the back of the cop car using them as bait waiting for just the right opportunity to get his revenge on Sheriff Kretzer.

It's a cat and mouse game and these two young boys did not deserve the fate bestowed upon them but nor did they have to initiate it either by stealing a cop car. The film is not without some faults but let's just say "that stupid is, as stupid does, and trash like this can and does happen from time to time." I liked the film overall and I give it a 7 out of 10 rating.

Fmovies: If Lloyd and Harry of "Dumb and Dumber" were ever kids, this could be a movie about them ! Two of the Dumbest kids I have ever seen on cinema, steal a Cop Car and go on an adventure. (The fact that the kids are young is not an excuse for such an amount of stupidity.) Calling this movie a Thriller,in my opinion is not an accurate category description. Maybe if they edit out the blood they can release it as a "Family" Comedy. That would make more sense... I am very disappointed to see Kevin Bacon "starring" in such a terrible movie after his great work on "The Following". The performance of the two kids was not good. This is definitely one movie you can live without...

The story at least is more believable than most. I think there are slight inconsistencies in the boy's ability to drive a car but the only clear example of that I saw was that one time they don't know how to use the brakes then just a minute later (their time; seconds for us) they use the brakes just fine.

I think there is not enough character development but at least you won't feel as if the movie spends too much time with character development. About the only character development in the beginning is that the boys use swear words and dare the other to say the same words. That is how the movie begins.

The story occurs in Colorado but only on large, dry plains and the only hills are far in the background.

There are many things that are not clear (many questions that are never answered) and be prepared for a sudden ending.

One thing that should be clarified is that in the beginning things are shown out of sequence. This is only at the beginning. They show the boys then they show someone else but part of what that someone else does happens before part of what the boys do. You will figure it out but it helps to be prepared.

Other than that it is a good story.

Cop Car fmovies. If you like the quirkiness of films like Fargo or Blue Ruin you will enjoy this film. I found the 2 kids to be absolutely adorable and at times hilarious.

There's not really much to the plot but it actually works for a film like this. The cinematography and music are excellent and really captures the small town feel of the film.

Solid acting all around especially by Kevin Bacon. There are quite a few unbelievable/illogical moments in the film but to me they are forgivable.

Original, quirky, beautiful, funny and crazy. Loved it.

When two boys take an abandoned cop car for a joyride, a sheriff, played by Kevin Bacon, desperately attempts to get his car back by any means necessary. Jon Watts directed this indie thriller which is just now getting a wider release after receiving positive buzz at Sundance. Cop Car is a fun, intriguing ride that left me wishing there was more gas in this tank.

Cop Car has a simple premise that is executed very effectively. The story is interesting and raises fascinating questions early on. Once you begin connecting some of the dots, Cop Car turns into a more stereotypical thriller. However, the director Jon Watts has very unique visual style which distances Cop Car from the rest of the pack. There's beautiful cinematography and great suspense throughout the film. I'm very interested to see how Watts does with the upcoming Spider-Man movie.

James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford play the two boys who steal the cop car. The two kids are fine; they aren't great, but they aren't 'Episode I Anakin Skywalker' bad. The best part about these two kids is they act exactly how 10-year-olds would act while on this joyride. They play with guns found in the car and roll each other up with police tape. Seeing the kids' innocent mindsets juxtaposed with the sheriff's dark actions make for an interesting dynamic.

Speaking of the sheriff, Kevin Bacon is great in Cop Car. Bacon and his disgusting mustache take the story in dark directions in his attempt to get his car back. His presence adds the star power that the film deserves.

While the story is dark, there are some subtle moments of comedy sprinkled here and there. The dark comedy works well in breaking up the suspense just long enough for you to catch your breath.

Cop Car ends rather abruptly, which some might find uneasy. While I can appreciate the creative decision to end where it did and not have a 'Hollywood ending,' there were just too many questions left unanswered for my taste. This is one of the few movies I wish were longer than its current 90 minute runtime.

Cop Car is a very solid edition to the thriller genre due in large part to Bacon's performance, and Watts' direction. While slightly too ambiguous, there is enough suspense and intrigue to warrant a ride for yourself.

If you liked this review, check out more of my reviews over at www.watsonmoviereviews.com

While many films use the device of a "real time" narrative for effect (ie, where the viewer is given the sense that he/she is a participant in real time in the story) very few films run the device for the full length.

For example, the Bourne films went into real time when the main character was on screen, but otherwise maintained a traditional narrative. Examples of standout real-time films would include Tom Cruise (amazing) in COLLATERAL; Dennis Weaver in DUEL; and the Canadian sci-fi epic, CUBE.

So now that you know first-rate films CAN potentially be made using the technique, the writer/director of this film (to be kind) did not set his sights quite that high.

Overall, it is not a bad film, it is incredibly engaging given how little is actually going on. However, while all films require a suspension of disbelief, the overall problem with COP CAR is that the two lead characters, boys of about ten years of age, are written as the dumbest children ever to appear in a feature film.

Seriously. In an age where even the Disney channel attributes 'tude, street cred, smarts and fast moves to 7 year olds (ask your child if you don't believe me) these two characters as written are so far removed from coherent thought that the audience starts to wonder if they escaped from "special class." To use the term "pig stupid" for these kids effectively slanders the pig.

Bacon is excellent. Would like to see more of him in features.