Denzel Washington has starred in his share of cop flicks: Training Day, The Bone Collector and The Siege, to name a few.

His newest cop film, Out of Time, is not a departure from his usual roles, but it will satisfy his fans. Washington takes on the cop character with ease, but an average plot keeps him in familiar territory.

Washington plays Chief Matt Whitlock, who is divorcing his wife (Eva Mendez) while involved with Anne (Sanaa Lathan), the wife of Whitlock’s friend (Dean Cain). When Anne is found dead, Whitlock is framed for her murder.

While covering the tracks of his love affair and hiding incriminating murder evidence, Whitlock searches for the truth.

When the walls start closing in on Whitlock and his colleagues are on the verge of uncovering his secret, the mood of the film shifts from playful to intense and then back again.

The movie offers laughs, producing a sigh of relief from the audience and a way for the movie not to take itself too seriously. The majority of the film’s clever dialogue is between Washington and Mendez.

His wife just happens to be the detective on the case, so they are forced to work together to solve the crime.

Washington gives his standard performance. Compared to other involved or challenging roles he has taken on, this one’s a piece of cake.

When he is supposed to be nervous, he’s “Denzel” nervous, an award — winning nervous.

Since the ladies get Washington, the guys get Mendez. As the detective searching for murder leads, she causes trouble for Whitlock with every clue she finds.

The chemistry between Whitlock and his former love definitely keeps the audience interested.

In addition to Mendez, the supporting cast includes John Billingsley as Chae, the town’s medical examiner.

Other than providing most of the comic relief, Chae plays an important part in hiding Whitlock’s association to the murder.

There are many crime dramas out there, most of which blend together by way of a big city backdrop, but the setting of Out of Time is special. It’s set in Banyan Key, Fla.

The sunny atmosphere is familiar and gives a nice setting for the movie. The film also takes advantage of the small town’s location outside of Miami, where the characters take a quick road trip.

The usual plot twists are thrown in, leading to the obvious, things-aren’t-what-they-seem theme.

For some people, the outcome may be clear, but that doesn’t dismiss this movie as a crowd pleaser. The suspense of Whitlock’s evasions will keep the people happy.

The end result is an average cop flick that doesn’t further Washington’s established acting technique, but will remind you of how he got to where he is.