When word hit the street that Kevin’s Smith’s R-rated buddy cop comedy would be called A Couple of Dicks, it became pretty clear that his new film would be one with balls. Eventually, marketing pragmatism castrated the title to simply Cop Out, yet the film’s vulgar reflexes and Smith charm thankfully remained intact. Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan star as the latest odd cop couple stumbling their way through investigation and drama, much like their “Chinegro” parallel, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker of Rush Hour. Despite their three films wearing thin this favor of mixed-race mash-up, Smith (and writers Robb and Mark Cullen) bring surprising energy and laughs to the formula. Chalk much of it up to Willis taking his Die Hard persona down a comedic path, and Morgan…well, being Morgan — the loud, shameless man-child audiences have come to love in “30 Rock.”

Scientific tales that take the thinnest threads of theories and stretch them to exotic ends can be a lot of fun. The Matrix taught us our world may not be as real as we think. Terminator warns of the dangers in advancing robotic technology. And Surrogates suggests that living life by mechanical-proxy may be a better way to go. Some of these stories are thorough and game-changing, and others like Surrogates, are just skin-deep. The Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3)-directed film, however, does get a knod for supporting the idea that people truly are ugly on the inside.