Netflix has put out a recent crude comedy, “Coffee & Kareem” and this buddy-cop movie flick is delivering laughs and sighs with an array of predictable moments and the ridiculous banter between a cop and a child as they bumble about in a series of ridiculous scenarios in attempts to protect and save the kid’s mother, Vanessa. Officer Coffee and Kareem stumble into become spontaneous partners in crime as they attempt to work together to save the person dearest to them.
It’s certainly amusing to say the least as the pair bumbles around and you start to wonder how this defiant kid can get away with the defiant and rebellious retorts he keeps churning out. Kareem is a more crass, threatening and outlandish than your typical 12-year-old kid. They don’t really end up in realistic situations but it is indubitably ridiculous ones. It makes you start to wonder where this kid did his research or what kind of environments he grew up in because he never fails to deliver uncensored, outrageous retorts to adult authority figures.
There are moments where the dialogue and humor is a bit predicable and cringe-worthy but if you can overlook the lack of a deeply building plot and more for the entertainment factor between two very different and conflicting personalities that are somehow forced to work together in these situations then it can make for an amusing time.
I enjoyed how starkly honest and rebellious Kareem was and it makes you wonder how many kids are holding back their tongue about what they really want to say. I admired his ability to be a fearless, defiant kid because not all children can react so quickly in the face of violence, profanity and danger. He’s sarcastic and doesn’t fail at expressing himself. Whilst they were making one of their runs from bad guys, he proclaimed that he had his “first heart attack – we never had to run that long in gym class!”
I did not understand why the cop, Coffee managed to be a cop when he had such a hard time shooting straight and was not stealthy in the slightest. He bumbled around so perpetually so that his role as a cop was far from realistic. The violence in the film was also a little over the top for my liking at times.
It’s a decent, lighthearted chaotic comedy that I would give a rating of a C. It’s worth streaming if you’re looking for something playful and crass to entertain yourself with. There’s a 70s/80s nostalgic feel to it with the buddy-cop movie scenarios in creating a loosely drawn plot with crass banter and jokes at somewhat inappropriate times.
Coffee and Kareem has some messy comic relief that can certainly take your mind off things, perhaps distract you from any problems you are facing as you watch the pair stumble into unlikely situations and consistent fleeing from imminent dangers. I would suggest this as a possible film to critique and stream for your “Bad Movie Monday” tradition or if you’re looking for something to play that’s somewhat amusing but not something you can take very seriously.
