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One Good Cop (1991)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 7/25

GoodCop
7/25: One Good Cop?

If they say so. It's more like One Corrupt Cop or One Iffy Cop. Corruption and police go together very well, and here we have a perfect example with everybody being cool with it. How about some more hypothetical situations?

#1: My grandmother has no health insurance and needs a life-saving surgery done tomorrow.

#2: I just received an annual tuition bill of $45,000 for my four kids but can't afford to pay for it.

#3: The roof just caved in. I have no way of protecting my house right now. The roofer wants the money up front to start working.

#4: Three cats of mine are dying, but the veterinarian says he can save them all today if I pay this bill of $20,000.

So, what should the cop do? Say no or...rob a drug dealer for $100,000? Is that a crime or reasonable? Anyway, I doubt Artie Lewis would have done it. Say if he fails in his task? Then, his wife and three kids will be in a much worse situation than before, and he's the only one at fault.

Okay, suppose Artie succeeds. What if he's somebody who's mediocre at his job or truly disliked by everybody in his precinct? But yeah, the NYPD can be blamed for putting him in a shitty situation. I thought Artie should've explored the possibility of finding a job with a police department somewhere in New Jersey. I think it will pay better and make the cost of living more affordable than New York City.

Nonetheless, One Good Cop isn't bad by involving a topic that's almost never touched in Hollywood pictures. It has a very strong cast with some Miami Vice flavor. I like the acting, especially by Michael Keaton, Rene Russo, and Tony Plana. The problem is the final forty minutes. There are big jumps in the editing department, hurting the movie a lot. It's hard to believe the cops getting into fights on a daily basis and still recovering nicely the next day.

All in all, the only way to look favorably on One Good Cop is accept the premise that crime pays.