the buzz log

This weekend's new releases aren't for the highbrow theatergoer. One flick comes from the undisputed master of flatulence humor, Kevin Smith. The other's a zombie apocalypse thriller in which decapitation is the preferred method of execution. Award-winners? Probably not. But are they any good? Here are some thoughts from the leading reviewers on "Cop Out," starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, and "The Crazies," starring a whole lot of zombies.

"Cop Out"
Marking the first time Kevin Smith has directed a film he didn't write, "Cop Out" plays as a riff on '80s-style buddy-cop action-comedies. The cast is inspired, with Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, and Seann William Scott all hamming it up for the camera. Unfortunately, the critics aren't impressed. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gives the movie one and a half out of four stars and calls it "your standard idiotic story about buddy cops."

Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman had a similar take on the effort, calling it a "barely satirical homage." His grade: C-. Online critic James Berardinelli was slightly kinder, giving "Cop Out" two stars out of four. Still, according to Berardinelli, "It's tough generating much enthusiasm for a movie that does a lot of things but none of them well." And for those fans of "30 Rock" who would follow Tracy Morgan to the ends of the earth, critic Matt Pais has these words of warning: "Just because Tracy Morgan's in it doesn't mean it's funny."

"The Crazies"
Its title is ridiculous. The plot has been done to death. There are no A-list stars. And yet, despite those hindrances, "The Crazies" has, in the words of The Hollywood Reporter, "the makings of a certified hit." Ty Burr of the Boston Globe gives the horror flick, a remake of George A. Romero movie, three out of four stars, and calls it "extremely solid stuff."

Mr. Ebert is a bit less enthused, giving the movie two and a half out of four stars. "The Crazies" is "perfectly competent," Ebert writes, but after so many zombie flicks, he's lost interest in the genre. Geoff Berkshire from Chicago Metromix awards the movie three and a half stars out of five. He likes that "The Crazies" knows what works: "Scary set pieces and likeable characters." Oh, and gore. Lots and lots of gore.

Also hitting theaters...
Of the films opening in limited release, "The Yellow Handkerchief" is generating the most buzz. That's thanks in large to the star power of Kristen Stewart. Overall, the reviews are solid. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times applauds the "strong performances and nimble direction," while The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt commends the "painful honesty in all the performances."