Film Review – Copshop

“Copshop” is the second directorial outing this year for Joe Carnahan, who provided solid, violent entertainment with “Boss Level,” his homage to video game mayhem and time loop frustration. It was glossy work from the helmer, who’s known for gritter endeavors, but “Boss Level” remained within Carnahan’s control, delivering huge action and snarling masculinity, which is prized most highly by the filmmaker. “Copshop” returns Carnahan to his early creative efforts, presenting a tribute to crime pictures from the 1970s, only it’s sold with more of an interest in extreme violence and chatty participants, while the action rarely steps outside of a single location, keeping things intimate as matters get ugly. The screenplay (credited to Carnahan and Kurt McLeod) is big on character interplay with periodic explosions of savagery, offering a theatrical-style presentation of threats and backstory, creating an absorbing examination of hidden motives in a feature that could use a tighter edit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com