Ultimate Decades Blogathon 2022 Kick-Off: End of Watch (2012)

Hello, friends!

The 2022 Ultimate Decades Blogathon has begun! Yesterday, my co-host Kim got the festivities started with her review 1992’s of Porco Rosso. Today, I’m coming at you with part 2 of the kick-off. With my review of 2012’s gritty buddy cop film End of Watch. I’m excited for the entries this year! For the next two weeks, stop by here and Kim’s blogs to catch them all. Now, on to my review!

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Synopsis
Police officers Brian Taylor (jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) patrol the city of Los Angeles.

Review
To start off, End of Watch is not a movie for the faint of heart. There is so much cursing it would make Michael Scorsese proud and the violence is brutal and uncompromising. Now, if you can sit through all that, there is a wildly entertaining movie to be found underneath. I’m usually not a fan of the “found footage” or documentary style of film making but I actually didn’t mind it here; the style adds an affect that complements the story. Plus, it switches back-and-forth between a hand-camera and a regular camera so the whole thing isn’t unsteady, which makes it more bearable. In a buddy cop movie like End of Watch, the leading pair can make or break the film. Luckily, the two leads of Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are a perfect duo. The friendship the two of them display is authentic and spectacularly gritty. As the film progresses, you grow attached to both of them and their relationship that makes the Fast franchise’s family motif seem pale in comparison. All of the time spent with Brian Taylor (Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Pena) culminate in an emotional ending. When rewatching this film, I forgot that it starred America Ferrera. I am a huge fan of the series Superstore, where Ferrera plays the central character. It is a big shift to see her in a role so different than the comedy role I’m used to and she nails the part.

I thought End of Watch was GREAT 😀 It’s violent and unflinching, yet heartfelt and genuine. Gyllenhaal and Pena have unquestionable chemistry and brought the friendship to life. If you can make it through the brutality and vulgarity, you’ll find there is plenty of heart underneath.

Trivia
The word “fuck” is used 326 times, making this film tenth in the all-time profanity list. (via IMDb)

Trailer

Cast & Crew
David Ayer – Writer / Director
David Sardy – Composer

Jake Gyllenhaal – Brian Taylor
Michael Pena – Mike Zavala
Natalie Martinez – Gabby
Anna Kendrick – Janet
David Harbour – Van Hauser
Frank Grillo – Sarge
America Ferrera – Orazco
Cody Horn – Davis
Cle Sloan – Mr. Tre
Jaime FitzSimons – Captain Reese
Richard Cabral – Demon
Diamonique – Wicked
Maurice Compte – Big Evil
Alvin Norman – Peanut

My Fave Five Buddy Cop Films

Ah, February.  Home of Valentine’s Day, the day you spend with that someone special.  But that “special someone” isn’t necessarily always a significant other.  Your other half might possibly be your best friend. There are plenty of inseparable friends to be found in film.  Buddy cop films have some of the most memorable pairs in cinematic history.  Whether they were friends at the start of the movie or forced to work together, they are always the best of friends at the the end.  We realize they are two peas in a pod and they wouldn’t be the same without each other. In the spirit of love and friendship, here are my five favorite buddy cop films.

5) Bad Boys / Bad Boys II

Marcus (Martin Lawrence) and Mike (Will Smith) are long-time friends by the time we meet them at the beginning of Bad Boys.  Their friendship is without question, which is easily sold by the chemistry of the two leads.  Throughout the first film, we see how close they really are.  Even though their relationship is on the rocks in Bad Boys II, they clearly still have each others’ backs, as evident by the scene when Marcus’ daughter’s boyfriend comes by for a visit.  If the characters aren’t cool enough for you, these films are tried and true popcorn action flicks, very reminiscent of the classic 80s buddy cop films.  These are the type of films you can just sit back and enjoy.

4) End of Watch

End of Watch might be the most realistic buddy cop film on this list. End of Watch follows Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena), two beat cops in Los Angeles in a documentary style.  Despite the found-footage-esque camera style, the action is still very tight and crisp.  Normally I’m not a huge fan of it but it is well done and works for the story.  Also through this technique, the friendship can really be felt between Brian and Mike.  From patrolling in their squad car, to making a drug bust, to their home lives and everything in between.  Their friendship is displayed so well that the ending comes as a punch to the gut.

3) 21 Jump Street / 22 Jump Street

Based on a TV series from the 80s, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are tasked with bringing down a drug dealer by infiltrating a high school… as students.  Schmidt and Jenko start on opposite sides of the popularity ladder but become extremely close friends, almost inseparable.  One of my favorite scenes from the series is when the pair is talking to the counselor in 22 Jump Street about their relationship, where they sound like a married couple. The whole premise of the series is to parody reboots and sequels, to which it does a fantastic job, including many tongue-in-cheek jokes clearly aimed at said reboots and sequels. In the current day and age of Hollywood, it’s nice to see films that can poke fun at themselves.

2) The Heat

When I first went to see The Heat, I didn’t expect to fall in love with it as much as I have.  Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) come from complete opposite sides of the spectrum.  Ashburn is a very by the book FBI agent and Mullins is more of a do-anything-to-get-the-job-done detective.  Although this dynamic has been done many times before this film came out, Bullock and McCarthy make it feel fun and refreshing.  The two comediennes show that they can kick ass with the best of any 80s action male duo.

1) Lethal Weapon series

The best buddy cop films start with the two leads at odds with each other.  Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is a sergeant in the LAPD about to retire when he is forced to work with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), a seemingly insane narcotics officer of the LAPD.  Riggs and Murtaugh are absolutely nothing alike, at least they seem that way at first.  Although they are at each others throats in the beginning, they become very close friends.  Together they stop drug smugglers, weapon smugglers, and illegal immigrant smugglers.  They dealt with a lot of smugglers.  Lethal Weapon shows what a buddy cop film can be at the genre’s best.

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Honorable mentions include Rush Hour, The Other Guys, Starsky & Hutch, Hot Fuzz, and Tango & Cash.

What are some of your favorite buddy cop films?