User reviews

It doesn't rate MUCH higher than that, but Norman D. Golden II is so preciously precocious as to wax reminiscent of Shirley Temple's early performances.

Burt is great here, though his character is quite irascible and curmudgeonly, but he plays those parts very well. This film features some decent action, a story and plot line which is quite cliché, and some good elemental twists, which balance out the many clichés throughout.

It was muddled in that you had to suspend belief to an extreme level in order to embrace the work, but once done, there is a lot of heart and entertainment to be had. I'm not saying this is "great" or even "compelling," but I did derive some level of enjoyment from Norman D. Golden II's performance.

It rates a 5.2/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Burt Reynolds has shown a subtle comic flair in films like "Sharky's Machine" and "Shamus" (or even in "Stick"), but his work here, in a broader kind of comedy, is joyless. The kid does show some spirit, but as a "buddy" team these two rarely click. The film was probably supposed, among other things, to satirize the most familiar cop-movie cliches, but it's one big cliche itself, and has a rather erratic tone. (*1/2)

I actually worked on this movie (not a film).

From top to the bottom and beginning to end this one never had a chance.

Burt seemed to be having a bad day - every day. Winkler had trouble keeping Reynolds under control - Burt seemed determined to direct. Every other shot Burt would try to include yet another corny gag - usually one that had worked in one of his previous flicks. Stunt Coordinator/second unit director Glen Wilder did an excellent job but could not make up for the general lack of focus.

The movie is a series of lack luster scenes with characters that no one cares about, spouting lines that should make a third grader cringe. Even a corny gag can work if it is woven into the story but that doesn't happen in this movie.

Absolutely the funniest scene wasn't even filmed - Burt walked in while a fake gut was being strapped on his stunt double - his reaction was...priceless.

I think I'm being generous giving this a 3 out of 10 score and possibly a bit defensive - retch.

WHY?? Why would anyone read this script and then agree to make this film. Did it look good on paper? OK, so that's another question, but if someone needed a tax write off, just think of all the charities that could have used that money for the betterment of mankind.

Did someone say 'paycheque' because I can't think of another reason Reynolds would be in and deliver a piece of junk like this!

Who ever came up with the idea to make this dumb, unfunny movie. I know Burt Reynolds didnt have much of a movie

career when he made this awful film, but I still cant believe he assoicated himself with something this terrible. If you want to see a much funnier, and well scripted movie with Cops and kids, see Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwartzanegger. I give Cop and a 1/2 one 1/2 of a star.

Another triumph for Henry Winkler, actor, comedian and directer par excellence. Burt Reynolds has never been better than in this carefully, cleverly crafted gem of a movie. Consider this the 'Persona' for our time: a complex, polylayered psychological work. A combination of humour, drama, action, suspence, mystery, science fiction, horror, documentary and the occult carry this film to a shocking and incredibly moving conclusion! A cinematic event on the grandest scale.

You can make all the excuses you want: Burt needed the money, the kid was a novice, The Fonz isn't the best director in the world.... But none of those facts can save "Cop and 1/2" from one glowing truth:

THIS MOVIE IS NOT FUNNY.

Now, what I have printed above this paragraph. In the big letters, there. See? Okay, here's what I want you to do: Print out this review, cut out only the sentence where it features the big print letters, go to all the video stores in your area, wait till they're not looking and tape that sentence over top of all the copies of "Cop and 1/2" you can find.

There, I've protected future generations.

One star and a half.

Prophetic, eh?

You people are crackpots, just insane with arrogance. This movie did what it intended. Golden's performance was incredible given his age. Not very funny, but witty and cute. Here's a clue people: Most 8 year olds over-act! And Burt--well, Burt is Burt, not even one dimensional...The only fault I can find is the Hollywood by the numbers script, which is plenty dreadful. That's what Hollywood does. You knew you were getting a kids movie, right?

When I saw this as a kid, I really liked it. So, for me, it did what it was supposed to--capture a child's imagination. Not an adults petulance.

Recommended for kids.

COP AND A HALF Release Date: 4/2/1993 Runtime: 97 Minutes

STARRING: Cop and a Half is a 1993 family/comedy film directed by Henry Winkler, and starring Burt Reynolds and Norman D. Golden II. Cop and a Half was actor Ray Sharkey's final film.

SUMMARY: Meet the Tampa Police Department newest recruit: He's fearless. He's relentless. He's…eight years old! Director Henry Winkler serves up a hilarious, action packed treat the whole family will love, starring Burt Reynolds and introducing Norman D. Golden the second. Young Devon Butler is obsessed with being a cop. Whether he's memorizing lingo from Miami Vice or tailing suspects on the playground, this kid knows all the moves. In addition, when Devon witnesses a murder, he's eager to share what he knows with the police-for a price. In exchange, Devon demands to be made a cop-complete with badge, handcuffs and cool shades. Saddled with a pint sized squad car sidekick, hard-boiled detective Nick McKenna is not happy. However, when the crooks come gunning for the boy, Nick and Devon become real partners as they race against time to bring the bad guys to justice. This arresting comedy from Imagine films promises to capture the imagination and tickle the funny bones of parents and children alike…repeatedly!

QUESTIONS: There weren't questions to ask

MY THOUGHTS: This movie was really bad and I give it 1 weasel star

Watched it all the time as a kid. And just watched it again as an adult. Devon is an adorable kid.

This is one of my childhood favorites! Yes, the plot is pathetic and unbelievable. Yes, the boy is no Dakota Fanning. But Cop and a Half is a very enjoyable movie for people between the ages of 4 and 10. I mean, this movie wasn't marketed towards art school graduate students. The situations are very light-hearted and the jokes corny enough for the young age demographic.

This is also a good movie if you enjoy making fun of B-movies (especially with your friends... and beer). There are numerous plot holes and the man-boy love undertones are hilariously disturbing.

Do not watch Cop and a Half if you are a cantankerous old geezer!

I saw this movie when I was about 11 during a free afternoon at school. Burt Reynolds made a lot of trash in the 90's and this probably isn't his worst film but it's still very bad. Reynolds, looking really old, tired and grouchy, is a veteran cop teamed with a Dennis the Menace-like little kid (Norman D. Golden II), who's obsessed with becoming a police officer, after the little brat witnesses a murder. It's probably a little unfair to bash the little kid's performance but he's horrible in this this thing. Reynolds takes the kid on a couple ride-along trips and starts to care about him. The forced sentimentality wasn't enough to stop me from cheering for the bad guys. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert argued pretty heavily in their review of it. Siskel ripped it apart and called it one of the worst films of 1993 while give Ebert gave it a thumbs up. It's actually pretty funny to watch (a lot funnier than this film) and worth watching if you have time to look for it on Youtube.

I have trouble thinking of a worse film. Somehow, this strip of celluloid manages to be both less interesting and more mundane than a poorly videotaped, second grade production of "The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving." And the Pilgrims may have even had better writing. The jokes are flat and can be seen coming from miles away, allowing the viewer to both not laugh and prepare not to laugh at the same time. The movie seems to pin all its hope on the cute factor of the "1/2" in the title (Norman D. Golden II).

Golden's performance is lackluster and painfully unfunny, but it puts the rest of the cast's performances to shame. In Golden's defence, I have a hard time seeing Macaulay Culkin, the Olsen twins and Shirley Temple (in their respective primes) combined, mustering enough endearing "awwws" to make this dog successful. The ending accomplishes absolutely nothing, and at the same time shatters any attempt the film had at considering serious issues, reminding us all why Key Grips should not write screenplays. I hope that all original prints of this film have been burned, save for two copies: one to be shown at a mandatory lecture on the first day of classes at NYU Film School, with the same deterrent intent as such Driver's Ed classics as "Blood on the Highway," and the second to be saved as a record of just how low The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and The Fonz (Henry Winkler) sank before their eventual semi-resurrections in "Boogie Nights" (1997) and "The Water Boy" (1998), respectively.

Cop and A Half is not a materpiece. It isn't something remarkable or memorable, but there is a significant difference between a bad film and a masterpiece. Although not a terrific movie, Cop and A Half is an entertaining and good comedy, with some really funny moments. With great performances and an above-the-average production (it was produced by Imagine, Ron Howard's company), this is a fast and simple motion picture. Burt Reynolds is charming and excellent as Nick Mkenna, the solitary cop who turns out to be a better person in the end, by living the most exciting adventures with the kid Norman Golden Jr. (who is very funny and talented too!).Despite all said about Cop and A Half, despite the reviewers who claim that this is a stupid picture, rent Cop and A Half, because at the same time it isn't a terrific work, it is a good and simple comedy about friendship, forgiveness and love.

With all due respect to the memory of Burt Reynolds... I saw this movie back in 1993. So I'm only going by that. I'm not trying to insult his memory.

What was this anyway? A cop vs. Bad guys drama? A cop with a heart of gold comedy? A kiddie-eyed view of crime & punishment? Movie Makers insulting our intelligence one time too many? Yeah, that's it! I have never been so duped & let down as when I saw this!

I was certain that Reynolds and anyone associated, had come up with a good idea (well, kind of copied it from Kindergarten Cop). Make a movie about a cop who has to protect a child and his mother. Sounds good. So far.

The trouble is, it seems like the people behind this film couldn't decide on whether it was an action / drama - action / comedy or a sentimental / silly family film that's "a little scary". Whatever it was supposed to be, was lost long before they finished filming and it shows.

I couldn't tell what I was supposed to be feeling here. It wasn't suspenseful, it had comedy but being kid like comedy, it didn't match up with how this movie was advertised then.

Trailers and TV ads made it look more serious than really was, so it ws no wonder I left the theater feeling I wasn't sure what I had just seen. It figures though, when studios aren't 100% sure they have a winner, they exaggerate in their advertising.

So grateful there wasn't a sequel, but I would n't have seen it anyway.

1 star. (END)

If all cop/buddy movies were like "Cop and 1/2," the genre would have died years ago. This is a spoof of the formulaic cop/buddy picture with a surprisingly exhausted-looking Burt Reynolds playing a detective teamed up with an unctuous, would-be-suave brat who dreams of wearing a badge. The kid is played by Norman D. Golden II. This is the first and only picture that I have seen him in and judging by this performance, I think he made a wise decision in leaving acting and taking up music for a career. Even if his performance was anything apart from irritation, I think a movie this devoid of fun and laughs would have scared him away.

Mr. Reynolds has been a great actor before, but here he looks just as bored and fatigue-stricken as I was watching this unfunny debacle. He has to team up with young Mr. Golden because the latter is a murder witness and he won't share his information unless they let him do what he's always wanted to do: be a cop. So, yeah, you've got the devoid-of-manners, ostentatiously ambitious brat following the grumpy, withheld detective around and a chain of gags and relations that are neither charming nor funny.

The movie as a whole is nothing more than over-the-top make-believe buttered with a pretentious, "please-like-me" attitude. You've got lame moments such as the kid having his head dunked into a toilet by a pair of school bullies, the tiresome punch-in-the-groin gag, and a villain played by Ray Sharkey who would rather sing 50s jazz than deal drugs. Here are moments where the movie even tries to live up to the silly mob comedies of the 1930s and 40s. Joe E. Brown must be turning in his grave. And then there is an incredibly lame and all-too-obvious to Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" that makes any loyal film historian groan. The picture is also unfunny because it's badly directed and frequently missing key shots so that the would-be jokes are not even fully registered and we have to think a little bit before we catch on to what the writers thought would be funny. The only chuckle from me came when the female police captain walked into the mens' room and nobody took half a notice.

The central problem, however, is that there is zero chemistry between Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Golden. The follow-through of their relationship is predictable from the start, the dialogue between them is mechanical. Mr. Golden seems enthusiastic, but I've already touched on my opinion of his acting competence. Mr. Reynolds seems just too tired and bored to put up much of an effort. It's not one of his finest hours.

"Cop and 1/2" is hokey tedium for adults and I think it's fair to say it would leave younger audience members restless. And then perhaps it's not a movie for little kids to see for it does contain some profanity, violence, and images of drugs. Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Golden are not strong contributors and the supporting performances by Ruby Dee, Ray Sharkey, Holland Taylor, and Frank Sivero are outside their comfort zones. I think everybody was happy when the making of his movie was over. They were probably even happier when it faded into obscurity. Is there anything that works? Hmm...Alan Silvesti's score and that's about it.

This movie is obviously lame, and for some reason it seems to be oriented towards kids. Some adults seem to think that kids like to see other little kids beat up stupid adults and drive speedboats. I give kids more credit than that - I think they still know a bad movie when they see it. And most of all, I feel sorry for the kid in this movie - if I was him I would change my name as soon as I turned 18, in the hopes that no-one would ever associate me with this movie again.

Tampa, Florida police detective Burt Reynolds (as Nick McKenna) must partner up with eight-year-old Norman D. Golden II (as Devon Butler) after the latter witnesses a murder. This is the only way the tyke will reveal what he knows. Young Golden gets to be a cop, but also gets in trouble with both bad guys and a couple of his lines. The lad does have more natural hair than either Mr. Reynolds or Ray Sharkey (as Vinnie Fountain). This was, unfortunately, the last appearance of Mr. Sharkey, who scored well in "The Idolmaker" (1980) and memorably on television. With some good camera angles, director Henry Winkler and cinematographer Bill Butler attempt something for the kids, but the stars and script drag it down.

** Cop and ½ (4/2/93) Henry Winkler ~ Burt Reynolds, Norman D. Golden II, Ray Sharkey, Ruby Dee

A bit puzzled why the rating is THIS low (3.8 currently).

What exactly did you expect from a movie called 'cop and a half' about a tough cop who reluctantly has to team up with a 8 year old kid?

So it's not gonna win any awards for best original script, but it's a buddy-flick! Filled with cliche's of course but these movies always are and I think Burt Reynolds and Norman D Golden II make a pretty entertaining couple.

Watched it as a kid (which is the main audience for the film) and enjoyed it, watched it today almost 20 years later... and enjoyed it still.

I mean sure it's not perfect, but it entertains and that's all I ask of these kind of movies.

6 and a half out of 10.

"Cop & 1/2" never fails to hit the spot. It actually gets better every time I see it. This is not coming from someone who saw this movie for the first time when he was a child and is filled with nostalgia. I first saw this movie in the theater with my then girlfriend (now wife) when we were both nearly thirty years old. I liked it then and I still like it now. It has a lot of laughs and a few almost laughs. Both Burt Reynolds and Norman D. Golden II are very good in this movie. Burt does not mail it in in this movie (like he sometimes did in his later years). I give director Henry Winkler a big thumbs up for keeping Burt in the game. "Cop & 1/2" is solid entertainment. It's also a must for fans of Burt Reynolds, like me. (Fans of Henry Winkler need to watch this movie, too.)

Nick (Burt Reynolds) is a cop who has been around the block a few times. He is a grouchy old coot to boot. Devon (Norman Golden II) is a young neighborhood lad who loves police shows and dreams of being a patrolman. One day, he witnesses a murder in a warehouse and goes to the precinct to tell the officers what he saw. However, he won't sing unless they make him a junior cop in the process. Wanting the information the little boy has to offer, they agree to put him "on the force". After that, they pair him with Nick to investigate and solve the crime Devon observed. Nick, however, hates having the youngster as a partner, even though Devon often has ideas that work, such as his strategy for getting a peace-disturbing, quarreling couple to calm themselves. But, can Nick and Devon figure out the warehouse murder without taking a few bullets themselves? I had a great time with this much-maligned movie. Reynolds is a joy, for his dry wit and facial expressions are on constant display. Young Golden, too, is talented and humorous, charming the audience in every scene. In addition, for those who like chase scenes, shoot-em-up action, and dimwitted bad guys, this one has those in abundance, also. In short, pay no attention to the harsh criticism that this flick has received and try it yourself. I believe you will "half" a very good time with Burt and his half-pint partner.

Burt Reynolds stars as Nick McKenna a rough and tumble cop who teams up with an eight year old kid named Devin(Norman D. Golden II) to nail a mobster. Seems that Devin witnessed the murder so he needs police protection, however McKenna hates kids. There is but one genre that I despise most, it is the kid friendly actioner. See they water down violence so it's more consumer friendly for the kids. This is repugnant because kids are better off watching Rambo or something because at least there it makes no pretensions about what it is. It's a repugnant genre and Cop and a 1/2 is another clunker. Of course this was rated PG, so we get to witness comic murders. I mean after all isn't it a little funny to see a guy get a piece of chicken stuffed in his mouth before he is then drowned in a lake? I mean what kid wouldn't find that funny? Or how Reynolds threatens to beat up a little child. Hilarity. The point of the prodigal is this, there is no difference between showing this to your kids and Rambo, Rambo is at least a legit R rated movie and therefore it wears it badge of violence with honor, when stuff like this is made for kids well this is morally repugnant. Still the movie is hideously boring with no unintentional laughs either. It's just terrible.

* out of 4-(Bad)

It's great to see Burt in a comedy, even though he's terrible as a long wolf cop, with a short fuse, who's now saddled with a not so normal partner, an 8 year old kid, who's seen Miami Vice too many times. He likes to play cop on the school grounds with his friend, and like all 8 year olds, likes to get lost in fantasy: pretend. This all changes, when he's witness to a murder committed by these dumb goons with low iq's headed by Ray Sharkey, this the last film he did, before he subsequently died, and we can see his sick form showing, which is sad, as he turned in a last great, bad dude performance. His character's hobby besides murder101, is he likes to sing 60's rock songs, in his sound proof booth, as thinking he's the re-inventive Elvis. Nothing can be further from the truth. Norman Goldstein 2n'd is a sheer revelation, bringing in such a natural acting performance, which is engaging, is it's bloody entertaining. Watching Burt and him go off at each other is gold. The premise has him agreeing to give Burt the plate number of the thug's vehicle, on the condition he rides shotgun with him. And of course, the kid gets his way, but this natural actor is such fun to watch. Cop And Half has a few funny bits, the same bits, which had me laughing again, the second time, around, but it's not overly funny. It's a very entertaining family film, and there's real cheese in a few places. The film has heart too, Reynold's becoming a possible father figure. As a police captain, a familiar Two And A Half Men face, was wonderfully warm, bringing softer more, understanding moments. One image you'll never forget are many flying Twinkies.