Fans of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are still mourning the loss of their favorite cop comedy and the sitcom’s absence has been hard to fill for many people. There are lots of premises and subject matter that’s routinely turned to for comedic gold, but it can be much trickier when it comes to properly blending police procedural elements with broad comedy.
There aren’t many comedic cop series on TV as a result, but it’s material that can work in the self-contained framework of a feature film. The metrics for what makes a comedic movie a success can occasionally be at odds for what works on television. Nevertheless, there are some strong police movies out there that should quickly bring the antics and characters from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to mind.
10 The Naked Gun Is The Peak Of Police Parody
Police Squad! may have been so ahead of its time and iconoclastic in terms of the landscape of television comedies that it could only produce six episodes, but it was able to successfully bottle that energy into a trilogy of delightful Naked Gun movies. The Naked Gun caters towards absurdist sight gags and sublime wordplay that perfectly parodies police procedurals. Much like with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Naked Gun exists at the intersection of hilarious and thrilling as comedy and action tropes seamlessly blend together and create something special.
9 21 Jump Street Is A Brilliant Takedown Of Action Franchises And Excess
Phil Lord and Chris Miller have proven themselves to be genre masters who can effortlessly subvert simple ideas into something special and unique. Many had reservations over a big screen adaptation of the popular 21 Jump Street cop series, yet Lord and Miller’s movie is one of the best comedy-action blockbusters of the decade, with a sequel that’s even stronger. 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street cleverly lean into the stereotypes of the increasingly explosive realm of action blockbusters. The action delivers, the writing is sharp, and the chemistry that’s present between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum is undeniable.
8 Hot Fuzz Accentuates The Absurdity Of Action Blockbusters
Edgar Wright is one of the most ambitious and fearless modern filmmakers. Many of the director’s movies are passionate love letters to diverse genres and Hot Fuzz is his brilliant deconstruction of buddy cop content & Michael Bay action spectacle. The effortless energy that’s present between Wright and his stars, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, allows Hot Fuzz to excel at every moment.
The growing bond that forms between the characters is incredibly sweet, just like the relationships in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the beginning of Hot Fuzz is filled with many silly and low-level civil disturbances.
7 Beverly Hills Cop Is Still A Masterpiece Of Action And Comedy Hybrids
Eddie Murphy is an absolute revelation in Beverly Hills Cop. The movie and its sequels prioritize action over comedy, but Murphy's dialogue is sublime and his performance as renegade cop, Axel Foley, is some of his best work. Foley may be more reckless than Jake Peralta, but there's a lot of the same DNA shared between them both while they apply their own unconventional approaches to police work. With word that a Beverly Hills Cop 4 is finally on the way, the parallels between the film series and Brooklyn Nine-Nine may grow even more apparent.
6 The Other Guys Plays With Stereotypes To Construct An Unconventional Cop Comedy
Adam McKay is responsible for some of the most formative comedy movies of the past two decades and Will Ferrell is frequently at his best when he's collaborating alongside McKay. The Other Guys plays with cop archetypes as it focuses on two less-than-stellar police officers who are pushed into the spotlight for the first time and struggle with the pressure. At its core, The Other Guys often operates like a standard cop comedy, but the use of Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as contrasting partners is such an easy recipe for success.
5 Super Troopers Celebrates The Chaos Around Those Who Serve And Protect
Jay Chandrasekhar and his Broken Lizard comedy troupe are responsible for some fantastic comedies, including the new television series, Tacoma F.D., but it’s routinely Super Troopers that receives the most acclaim from their fans.
Super Troopers follows the slacker impulses of a group of Vermont State Troopers who seem to be embarrassments of law enforcement more than they’re pillars of stability for the community. It’s very easy to see parallels between the freewheeling fun of the characters in Super Troopers and the off-duty hijinks of the crew in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
4 The Cop Camaraderie In Police Academy Would Make The 99 Proud
There are seven entries in the Police Academy series, which was an absolute staple of the 1980s and still represents one of the longest running franchises of police movies. Police Academy feels most akin to Brooklyn Nine-Nine due to how they both focus on large casts of characters who begin promising careers in the police force. The cops all grow and advance through the ranks across these seven movies, like Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s cast. Not all of the Police Academy movies are winners, but the affable friendship that ties the characters together is pure Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
3 A Shot In The Dark Finds Comedic Gold In A Murky Murder Mystery
If a Brooklyn Nine-Nine movie ever gets made, it might look a lot like something that's similar to A Shot in the Dark. Technically an entry in Peter Sellers' clumsy detective series, The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark pairs Clouseau together with an unlucky French chambermaid who Clouseau is convinced is innocent – despite the string of deaths that seem to follow her wherever she does. The perfect mix of mystery, suspense, and comedy, A Shot in the Dark is still a delight more than 50 years after its release.
2 Rush Hour Set The Framework For The Decade’s Run Of Buddy Cop Films
The 1990s were ripe with movies that focused on the utility of when opposites attract, with a number of these ventures specifically looking at unconventional combinations of cop partners. This can be subtle, like in Lethal Weapon, or become the entire theme of the movie, like in the Rush Hour trilogy. The characters that Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan play are huge stereotypes and the Rush Hour movies are guilty of being products of their time, but they ultimately push acceptance and understanding. Many of the wilder set pieces in Rush Hour feel like they could turn up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
1 Let's Be Cops Is A Chaotic Combination Of Friendship And Police Work
Let's Be Cops largely coasts on the energy of its New Girl co-stars, Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr., who wind up pretending to be police officers after a misunderstanding gets out of hand and leaves them feeling unprecedented respect from their peers. There's not much to Let's Be Cops' story, but the irresponsible behavior of the film's leads quickly brings Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake Peralta to mind. The characters in Let's Be Cops are far from proper role models, but the film's tone and sense of humor shares a lot in common with Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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