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Review by: Katherine Kaminsky | Rating:
Two
DOUBLE whammy is when something so terrible happens, you're left
thinking, well at least things can't get any worse - and just
as you relax with that thought, something even more disastrous
occurs.
This twofold blow happens to one cop, Detective Ray Pluto (Denis
Leary).
The first one occurs while Pluto is buying his lunch in a fast
food restaurant, only to be confronted by a crazed gunman randomly
shooting the customers.
Just as Pluto pulls his gun on the man, his bad back gives out
and he manages to knock himself unconscious, as he falls to the
ground in pain.
By the time he comes round, his gun has been taken by a small
boy, who has shot the gunman and become a national hero.
Pluto, dubbed by the media as the 'Loser Cop', has his assignments
passed over to arch-rival and master of the stony stare, Chick
Dmitri (Chris Noth) and is put on restricted duty until his back
gets better.
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His partner, Jerry Cubbins (Steve Buscemi), is having his own
dilemmas, but concerned for Pluto, puts him in touch with chiropractor,
Dr Ann Beamer (Elizabeth Hurley).
In no time at all, the two fall for each other.
The second whammy happens while Pluto and Beamer are asleep in
his apartment.
Downstairs, his caretaker and friend, Juan Benitez (Luis Guzman),
is critically stabbed in front of his daughter during a very suspicious
attempted robbery.
Another headline for Pluto, ,Loser Cop sleeps while...'
Pluto's only escape is by getting stoned and watching a really
weird cheerleader workout video.
To turn things around he must risk jeopardising his already
shaky career.
Disobeying orders and disregarding Dmitri, he does his own investigation
into the attack on Benitez.
With the unexpected help of two would-be screenwriters, who live
upstairs from him, Pluto begins to piece together the crime as
well as himself.
If you enjoyed Leary's television comedy, 'The Job', you'll like
this, as it's the same sort of thing.
There are some funny moments but not enough to sustain a whole
film.
However, Leary is an engaging leading man and it's nice to see
Luis Guzman not playing a bad guy.
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