The Super Cops

Based on true events, The Super Cops follows rookie police officers David Greenberg (Ron Leibman) and Robert Hantz (David Selby) as they make a name for themselves by going after and busting drug dealers on their own time. Filmmaker Gordon Parks, working from Lorenzo Semple Jr.’s screenplay, delivers a loose, briskly-paced endeavor that benefits rather substantially from the effortlessly compelling work of its two stars, although it remains clear, certainly, that Leibman steals the picture right out from his various costars with a performance that remains remarkably electrifying from start to finish. And while Parks ultimately makes good use out of real and exceedingly rough-and-tumble New York City locations, The Super Cops‘ episodic structure paves the way for a somewhat hit-and-miss midsection that doesn’t contain much in terms of forward momentum – which does, in turn, result in a third act that runs out of steam to a fairly distressing extent. The strong finale, at least, ensures that the whole thing concludes on a memorable and engaging note, thus confirming The Super Cops‘ place as an intriguing (yet erratic) portrait of two thoroughly irreverent figures.

**1/2 out of ****