Search - Bon Cop Bad Cop on DVD

Another fine example of Canadian humor...that you'll never s

Veggiechiliqueen | 05/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first read about Bon Cop, Bad Cop while riding the train to Montreal. There was a bilingual featurette on the film in VIA Rail's magazine, and I was instantly intrigued. I'd seen Colm Feore at Stratford four years ago, and I was familiar with Patrick Huard from the Les Boys 1, 2 and 3 (Box Set) hockey film franchise. I studied at Laval University in Quebec City for two months, and specialized in Quebec Studies (history, literature, and cinema) as an undergraduate, so I was intrigued to see how the film would balance both the bilingual and bicultural aspects of living in Canada. The issue of Quebec is a contentious one for a number of political, social, and cultural reasons. Bon Cop, Bad Cop attempts to use humor in an attempt to defuse volatile issues between the Two Solitudes (English- and French-speaking Canada).

A series of brutal murders in the Canadian hockey community pairs together two very different cops: Torontonian Martin Ward, (Colm Feore) a by-the-book, prim-and-proper intellectual, and rough-and-tumble David Bouchard, a shoot first, ask later detective from Montreal. Naturally, the two despise each other at first sight, and the rapid-fire bilingual one-liners between Martin and David are fast and furious from the get-go. Some critics panned the film for a seemingly forced, unnatural balance of bilingual script, but as someone who's trilingual, I frequently switch languages when speaking to other bilingual friends; nothing unnatural there.

Much of the comedic humor comes from the culture clash between Martin and David, Ontario and Quebec; there are numerous in-jokes regarding Canadian law, stereotypes of Quebeckers (diehard smokers, dangerous drivers, womanizers) and Torontonians (cold, boring, workaholics) and nods to popular Canadian culture (Rick Mercer of This Hour Has 22 Minutes-Season 1 does a great Don Cherry impression, Uniprix commercial spoof, cameo by Nanette Workman). There are some hilarious scenes involving tortured translation between the Quebec police chief and his Ontarian counterpart as the two (fully bilingual) detectives watch in disbelief. The secondary characters really shine, from a speed-talking coroner (Quebecois comedian Louis-José Houde) to Martin's glamorous, hip sister who's hot for David, as does the bilingual script. The special effects are very well done considering that the film had an $8 million budget.

In the vein of earlier Canadian comedies like Strange Brew and Men With Brooms (a curling "comedy" from Paul Gross aka Constable Benton Frasier of Due South: Season One (4-DVD Digipack)), Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a sendup of that great Canadian pastime, hockey. Of course, beer, curling, beavers, and the fleur de lis make prerequisite appearances, as does marijuana (there is a priceless scene involving a self-destructing marijuana greenhouse that brought to mind the British comedy Saving Grace). Romantic interest? Check. (You'll never think of "Vive le Quebec libre!" quite the same way again...) Action? Car chases? Explosions? Check. The weakest part of the film is the villain, who is never really developed; we never know, or care, why he turned psychotic. There is also a gratuitous amount of violence and swearing (nearly all in French) that seemed over-the-top, but it's obvious from the start that this is a film that has no intentions of taking itself seriously.

Looking at these elements separately, Bon Cop, Bad Cop would appear to be another shallow attempt at creating a uniquely "Canadian" comedy. But there is an unexpected depth and tenderness in the character development between Martin, David and their respective families (both men are divorced single parents), and the bilingual dialogue really shines. Huard and Feore give standout performances, and I felt right at home in that strange limbo between Quebec and Ontario from my experiences in both English- and French-speaking Canada. This is a gem that deserves to be seen!"

What a surpise-Canadian Cop Movie-actually really good!

Some Guy | Oakland, CA USA | 09/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I started watching because there was nothing on, and wow, what a hit I stumbled upon. This movie is sharp with it's humor,fast-paced and just all around great."

Buddy Cop Film - Canadian Style

R. Sohi | 06/30/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A murder victim is found on the Ontario-Quebec border...and I mean right on the border. The cops from each of the provincial jurisdictions arrive and after a brief pissing contest, are assigned to work together. The eponymous couple of the title are a rule-breaking Quebecois and a preppy Ontarian, each representing some of the stereotypes French and English Canadians have about each other.

More dead bodies start turning up and we quickly learn that a serial killer is at work. The motive is related to the game of hockey, Canada's national obsession. It seems someone is not happy about the sport being taken over by American money and the people responsible for this betrayal of the Canadian people are going to pay. Of course the two cops mix like oil and water and we go through the cliched sequences of them finding a way to work together, sort of like "Beverly Hills Cop" or "Bad Boys", but with a uniquely Canadian spin. Like the other mentioned films of this type, "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" effectively blends tense action scenes with goofy humour. Some familiar faces (especially to Canadians) fill the roles and generally everyone looks like they're having fun - which is what you'll also have if you can suspend your critical judgement for a couple of hours and forget you've seen this all before.

This is an entertaining but formulaic action film. I'd recommend it if that's all you're looking for.

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