Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs. The Cannibal Cop

Director(s) - Chris Rados (His Name is Clown Face) and John Renna (Vault of Terror II: The Undead)
Starring - Danny Hicks (Evil Dead II, Intruder), Sam Qualiana (Killer Rack, Snow Shark), John Renna (Porkchop 3D)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "You have the right to remain delicious"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love all horror.  Some sub-genres I enjoy more than others but I can usually find a film in each and every one if I look hard enough.  Hell, I typically dislike Italian jungle cannibal and giallo films but there are a few that I really enjoy and they more than make up for the ones I dislike.  With that being said, I love horror comedies.  I will go out of the way to check out a horror comedy.  I grew up on these types of films and was often getting in trouble in school for quoting them.  Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, Night of the Creeps, Monster Squad, and so on and so on.  These films brought scares and still was able to make me laugh with some simple one liners that are now iconic.  You can't go to a horror con and not see someone wearing a shirt with Wolfman's got nards and the like printed across it in big, bold letters.  Sometime ago I came across the Facebook page for Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs. The Cannibal Cop.  I found it around the time I was reviewing The Legend of Six Fingers which was directed by the film's star Sam Qualiana.  It looked like my kind of movie so I kept an eye on it.  When I saw they were sharing reviews from other sites I had to make my move and they were kind enough to hit up with a review copy.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows two police detectives Dick Johnson (Qualiana) and Tommygun (Renna) who dislike each other.  They are polar opposites.  Johnson is neat and keeps himself in shape while Tommygun is a slob who rarely changes clothes.  The respond to a call where a young woman was abducted and find a police dufflebag with an ancient book covered in human skin.  They soon learn that the man abducting women around town is a cannibal cop who believes that when he eats so many women he will be granted a special power.  Now these two detectives, along with their police chief (Hicks) and an informant, have to stop him before he can reach that number of victims but they soon learn that he is more than just a normal beat cop.
     I have seen thousands of horror comedies over the years and just when I think I have seen it all another one comes along and puts me in my place.  Dick Johnson and Tommygun was that movie.  Buddy cop dramas are a dime a dozen now, however, Dick Johnson and Tommygun took that tired, old cliche and somewhat made a parody of it.  The acting in this one is great.  The film's leads, Sam Qualiana and Danny Hicks, did an amazing job in their roles.  Hicks plays one hell of a convincing aging police chief who is sick of his mundane existence and is then tossed into the middle of  shit storm.  Qualiana is great as well but he has been fantastic in every film I have seen him in.  He is a solid actor that can easily adapt to any role.  He takes on the role of a police detective and almost makes fun of his own character.  With all that being said, what made the film for me was John Renna.  I had seen him in several other films, most notably the third installment of the Porkchop series where he plays the title character.  Most of you know how much I love that series since I have dedicated a portion of my arm to have him inked on my flesh.  He's  a solid actor but his characters never really stand out including his portrayal of Porkchop.  This film is different.  His character was hilarious and he really made the film fun.  I hope he was trying to channel his inner Uncle Buck because I saw a lot of John Candy in this role which I really loved.  This character, along with Renna, needs to find his way into another film.  The story for this one is a melting pot of other films from the 80s.  We get the buddy cop cliche that is almost a parody of itself.  It feels like the Odd Couple meets Lethal Weapon.  We then get the ancient book angle just like another Danny Hicks film Evil Dead II.  To top it all off we have some mobster/gangster action tossed in for good measure.  These all worked very well together and created one memorable horror comedy.  Finally, the film does have some on screen kills but they are the film's weak point.  The kills range from gunshot to stabbings but they use no imagination and offer no gore.  One would assume a film with cannibal in the title would have more than just a little bloodshed.  Overall, Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs The Cannibal Cop is laugh out loud funny.  It has some great one liners and offers up a ton of laughs.  The cast is on point and the story has everything fans of 80s cinema loves about the decade.  Check it out and laugh your ass off!