Third World Cop, first-rate flick

>> Chris Browne's latest feature takes it to the streets

by SCOTT C

Let's just say I love Jamaican movies. What a Jamaican production lacks in big budget flair, excellent cinematography and star power, it always seems to make up for in hometown feel, yardman sincerity and colourful language. This is definitely the case with Third World Cop. Made by the same production team that hatched 1997's Dancehall Queen, it has all of the aforementioned plus a healthy dose of Kingston back-alley action and gunplay.

The movie features Jamaican star Paul Campbell (The Lunatic) as the hard-edged cop Capone, transferred back to his childhood stomping grounds where his unorthodox methods of crime-fighting are most needed. There, he is reunited with his old friend Ratty (Mark Danvers), who he soon learns is running guns for the local crimelord or "Don," played magnificently by veteran Jamaican actor Carl Bradshaw (The Harder They Come). The story basically puts the two at odds with Capone, sworn to uphold the law, and Ratty trying to make his way out of the ghetto any way he can.

Although peppered with dramatic scenes and several ghetto gunfights, Third World Cop stands strong on the hilarity of Jamaican patois itself. Whether it's the comedic blurtings of Capone's bumbling partner Floyd (Winston Bell), or the robotic straight-talk of bad bwoy-turned-flunkee Deportee (Ninjaman), it's all pretty funny.

All of this is set quite nicely to a soundtrack that compliments every part of the movie. Employing the talents of reggae legends Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare was no accident, making for an excellent musical backdrop to the rough backstreets of Kingston.

My only qualm with this movie was that it was too short. Maybe it's me, or maybe I just got into it after a while and wanted it to continue on, but I swear it all wrapped up way too fast. I still recommend checking it out, though. A little note to those of you who have trouble understanding Jamaican patois: there are absolutely no subtitles in this movie. :

Third World Cop opens Friday, May 26