Attempting to capitalize on a film trend that became popular with "Lethal Weapon," Ernest Dickerson's new action-comedy "Bulletproof" is an uninspired variation on the buddy-cop genre. Despite a few humorous sequences and a couple of interesting characters, the movie fails because of lifeless action scenes and a typically dull plot.
Best friends Rock (Damon Wayans) and Charlie (Adam Sandler) are a pair of small-time criminals in Los Angeles who make their living stealing cars, selling drugs and taking part in other offenses. But when a huge drug deal is busted by the police, Rock reveals his true identity as an undercover officer. In the ensuing madness, he is accidentally shot in the forehead by his former best friend.
A short time later Charlie, in Arizona, turns himself in, and agrees to supply the authorities with incriminating evidence against the mastermind of the drug deal, for whom he had been working. The only catch is that he wants Rock to be the one to arrest him and bring him to jail.
But as Rock is leading Charlie away in handcuffs, snipers try to pick the witness off so he can't testify against his former boss. Consequently, the two old friends must work together so that they both aren't killed in the process of transporting Charlie back to Los Angeles.
Surprisingly, the strong suit of this film is the subtly effective presentation of the friendship between the two main characters. Sandler's Charlie, despite his line of work, is a caring and loyal person, who merely seems to have had some unfortunate luck in his lifetime. He loves Rock like a brother who understands him, and consequently does not judge him. The last thing Charlie would ever want to do is harm his friend.
Rock, on the other hand, finds it hard to resist Charlie's compassion and sense of humor. He feels that somehow he can eventually provide Charlie with the guidance he needs to get back on the right track. Even after he is shot, he shows concern for his old friend, and deep down in his heart knows that what took place was accidental.
Together, Sandler and Wayans have a good chemistry that makes their friendship very convincing. Of course, they bicker throughout the film, but there are a few moments where they reveal their tender sides and display their feelings toward each other. The fact that a lot of effort was put into explaining the source of these affections keeps this bond from being overly cheesy.
And there are some extremely funny scenes involving the two lead actors. However, if you are not an Adam Sandler fan: Beware! You will not find anything humorous about the film. The former "Saturday Night Live" star offers an over-the-top performance that is successful only because of his delivery, not because any of the writing is particularly witty.
Ultimately, the movie does not work because of a plodding pace and action sequences that aren't even as stimulating as the opening credits of some of the recent summer blockbusters. "Bulletproof" features your basic car- and foot-chase scenes and a few shootouts. This sorry excuse for excitement becomes even more insubstantial when the lack of creativity is considered. After all, how many times can we watch a police car pursue a speedy red sports Ferrari through the streets of downtown, as we do at the beginning of this film?
Among the central themes of this film is the notion that life cannot always be defined in black and white terms - a large gray area exists as well. For example, Charlie often criticizes Rock for only seeing things in a discrete manner and for not realizing life's ambiguities. Ironically, "Bulletproof" also defies concrete classification. It isn't really an action movie, nor is it a comedy. It isn't really stimulating, nor is it completely mindless. It isn't good, nor is it bad - just somewhere in between.
Who would you rather be stuck in the desert with?