Cop and a Half is a 1993 American criminal-comedy film directed by Henry Winkler. It was released on April 2, 1993 by Universal Pictures & Imagine Entertainment.
Plot[]
Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) is a tough, fearless, solitary and resentful cop from Florida. After his partner dies in an operation to apprehend drugs, he takes the responsibility of the tragedy. Devon Butler (Norman D. Golden II) is an 8-year-old kid who is obsessed with cop-movies and dreams of becoming a policeman some day. One day, while snooping around in a warehouse, Devon witnesses a murder & goes to the police but he refuses to give them information it unless they make him a cop. They team him up with McKenna and together, they team up in a comical series of events to find the killer. The two of them eventually come to a mutual understanding in order to bring the killer to justice.
Cast[]
- Burt Reynolds as Det. Nick McKenna
- Norman D. Golden II as Devon Butler
- Ruby Dee as Rachel
- Holland Taylor as Captain Rubio
- Ray Sharkey as Vinnie Fountain
- Sammy Hernandez as Raymond Sanchez
- Frank Sivero as Chu
- Rocky Giordani as Quintero
- Marc Macaulay as Waldo
- Tom McCleister as Rudy
- Ralph Wilcox as Det. Matt McPhail
- Tom Kouchalakos as Det. Jenkins
Reception[]
Box Office[]
"Cop and a Half" debuted at number one, but during its second week, it dropped to #3. In its opening weekend, it grossed with $6,027,285.
Critical Reception[]
The film received generally negative reviews from critics and audiences.
It currently holds a 17% "rotten" rating at the movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, where only two reviews out of the twelve polled are positive.
Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin wrote: "A hemorrhoid-and-a-half to whoever sits through this abjectly painful comedy, which does for Burt Reynolds' career what Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot did for Sylvester Stallone's."
Critic Gene Siskel also excoriated the film, seeing it as indicative of "artistic bankruptcy" on Burt Reynolds' part, and singled out Norman D. Golden II's performance as "awkward." Siskel later called it the worst movie of 1993.
Siskel speculated that NBC thought little of the film when they aired it in its broadcast-network debut, pointing out that they scheduled it opposite the 1997 Super Bowl.
However, Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review, giving it a thumbs up. He also gave it 3 stars out of a possible 4 saying:
"There isn't much that's original in "Cop and a Half," but there's a lot that's entertaining, and there's a winning performance by a young man with a big name, Norman D. Golden II, who plays little Devon Butler, a kid who dreams of someday wearing the shield."
Awards[]
| Awards | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst Picture | Nominated | |
| Worst Actor | Burt Reynolds | Nominated | |
| Worst Actor | Norman D. Golden II | Nominated | |
| Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Actor | Burt Reynolds | Won |
| Worst New Star | Norman D. Golden II | Nominated | |
| Young Artist Award | Best Actor Under Ten in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
Theatrical Trailer[]
Cop and a Half (1993) Movie Trailer