Top 10 Hilarious Movie Cops

Part of what makes this pregnant police chief so funny is her positive outlook on life. Despite constantly being surrounded by violence and mayhem, she maintains a strong sense of optimism and a chipper attitude. Wanting to see the best in people, Margie can be a little naïve and overly trusting. Being the smartest and most levelheaded character in “Fargo,” though, she’s able to crack the case and catch the bad guys. Even when apprehending a lethal criminal, Margie still acts as a ray of hope for humanity and a source of humor.

Like all buddy cop movies, “The Heat” largely succeeds thanks to the chemistry between its two leads. Over a decade after patrolling the runway in “Miss Congeniality,” Sandra Bullock plays another comedic FBI agent as the thorough, by-the-books Sarah Ashburn. She’s hilariously complimented by Melissa McCarthy’s Shannon Mullins: a hard-hitting, brash cop who doesn’t always play by the rules. While their law enforcement techniques couldn’t be more different, the two surprisingly balance each other out and combine as one awesome crime fighter. Together, they create the perfect recipe for justice and comedy.

The cops in all slasher flicks are, for lack of a better word, doofuses. “Scary Movie” takes this trope to another level by portraying one of the cops as mentally challenged. A takeoff of the incompetent Deputy Dewey from “Scream,” Doofy Gilmore brings a whole new meaning to the title, “special officer.” Sporting a backpack and a badge made out of paper, he looks more like an eight-year-old playing dress up than a real law enforcer. This is apparently a turn-on for reporter Gail Hailstorm, however. Although people might laugh and make fun of him, Doofy plays everyone else for fools when all’s said and done.

What happens when the super cops plummet to their untimely deaths? You call up the other guys! It’s not at all surprising that none of their fellow officers take Allen and Terry seriously. One is a nerdy forensic accountant who isn’t even allowed to carry a real gun. The other… well, he kind of accidentally shot Derek Jeter during the World Series. Regardless, both try to demonstrate that there’s more to them than meets the eye. The two not only prove themselves to be unlikely badasses, but also prove that most cop movie clichés are total BS. For example, walking away from an explosion is easier said than done.

The most immature characters in “Superbad” aren’t any of the horny teenagers, but these two reckless cops. Slater and Michaels aren’t exactly interested in upholding the law. They’re more interested in exploiting their positions of power to abuse it. Drinking on the job, speeding through traffic, and destroying police cars, these man-children practically get away with murder. Upon encountering the awkward Fogell, aka McLovin, Slater and Michaels decide to show him that cops can be cool. They don’t make for the best mentors, but Slater and Michaels do help “guide” Fogell.

While the “21 Jump Street” TV series was a standard police drama, the film reboot was essentially a satire of the original. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make for an endearing pair as Schmidt and Jenko, respectively. Just barely able to pass themselves off as teenagers, the two officers are enlisted for an undercover program. It would’ve been easy for Schmidt to simply be the dumpy dork and Jenko to be the thickheaded jock. Both are often required to step out of their comfort zones, however, to adapt to their environments. This makes for so many comedic possibilities and a bromance for the ages.

The “Police Academy” movies naturally have their fair share of funny cops, such as the timid Laverne Hooks . The franchise’s MVP, however, has got to be Larvell Jones. Michael Winslow is the only performer who could bring this character to life, being a one of a kind talent with a knack for sound effects. This cop of a million noises uses his incredible vocal abilities not only to trick criminals, but also to mess with his fellow officers. Even if this series is admittedly an acquired taste, nobody can deny that Larvell steals every scene he’s in.

A role initially written with Sylvester Stallone in mind, Axel Foley’s character went through some significant changes when Eddie Murphy signed up for “Beverly Hills Cop.” Murphy, who previously played Nick Nolte’s comedic foil in “48. Hrs.,” turned Axel into a wisecracking smartass with a badge. Although some question his methods, the streetwise Axel is much slicker than he looks. Loyal to his friends and always looking out for other officers, Axel was born to be a cop. Considering his foul mouth and countless one-liners, though, he could’ve just as easily been a standup comedian.

While Jacques Clouseau was arguably more of a supporting player in the original “Pink Panther,” this bumbling inspector quickly took over the entire series in subsequent installments. Clouseau’s clumsy and oblivious nature constantly results in disaster, not to mention ingenious physical comedy. In the event that he does actually foil an evildoer, it’s usually thanks to dumb luck. A master of slapstick and improvisation, Peter Sellers fashioned this character into a comedic force unlike any other. For our money, there’s only one true Inspector Clouseau and we ain’t talking about Steve Martin.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Starsky and Hutch
“Starsky & Hutch” (2004)

James Carter
“Rush Hour” (1998)

Nick Angel and Danny Butterman
“Hot Fuzz” (2007)

Martin Ward and David Bouchard
“Bon Cop, Bad Cop” (2006)

Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh
“Lethal Weapon” franchise (1987-)

The reason this member of Police Squad stands out as the most hilarious cop in film is largely because he’s completely clueless of his incompetence. The great Leslie Nielsen played this role with an unyielding straight face, never acknowledging the stupidity of his character or the absurdity of his circumstances. Whether driving a tank, starting a fire, or going undercover at a baseball game, Nielsen owned the screen in this career-defining role. When it comes to making us laugh, Frank Drebin never failed to get a bingo.


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