Cop Land (1997) User Reviews

Stallone's Finest performance

[CharltonBoy · 8/10 · 7 December 2001]

Copland is one of those film that gets better and better the more you watch it. The story is gripping and the acting in straight from the top drawer and top of the performances is from Sylvester Stallone. Not normally known for his acting ability, Stallone pulls out his finest performance .To say he is the best in this film is a massive compliment considering the company he performed with in Copland. Robert De niro , Harvey Keitel and Ray Liotta all put in memorable displays , of which you would expect but Stallone still stands out. He plays the sheriff of a sleapy town called Garrison who's occupants are all members of the New York police Department.Because of an accident while saving someones life he is unable to pass the medical to get in the NYPD therefore as a sheriff he is not respected amongst the population of the town.He learns that an influential group of cops are crooked and are planning to kill to save their own necks. Totally Gripping. 8 out of 10.

Finally, a role that shows Stallone's true talent

[Predator-11 · 8/10 · 28 May 2001]

Many people see Silvester Stallone as just another action movie hero who can't do anything but that. However, unlike other action movie stars, (Schwarzenegger, Van Damme, Seigal etc..) Stallone made his breakthrough with a movie that wasn't really an action movie at heart. He gave forth an excellent performance in Rocky and set a standard for himself that just seemed to fall and fall as his career progressed. He starred in cheesy action movie role after cheesy action movie role until finally people began associating him with nothing but that. Now finally, over twenty years after Rocky, Stallone comes back and shows people that he can be more than an action hero if he wants to. Stallone's performance in Cop Land shows vulnerability, anger, admiration, fear and many other emotions that were rarely present in any of his movie except Rocky. I'm sorry to say that I was one of the many people who took Cop Land for granted when it came to theaters simply because I didn't believe Stallone could do anything but cheesy action movies. Today, I finally rented it out of pure curiosity and was shocked at how far I was from the truth.

Cop Land is a very well made film about a small town that corrupt New York City cops have made their haven. Stallone plays the sheriff of the town, Freddy Heflin, who wanted to be NYPD but couldn't due to a hearing disorder. When Murray 'Superboy' Babitch (Michael Rapaport) shoots and kills two drugged up teenagers when he mistakes a steering wheel club for a gun in a high speed chase, his friends come in to help him. But their far-fetched plan starts to come down on them when Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) from Internal Affairs begins investigating Superboy's alleged suicide. Things begin to go seriously wrong from here and Freddy is caught right in the middle. I thought that Stallone would have been upstaged by all his great co-stars like Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro, but I was wrong. Stallone comes out perfectly as an aging cop with smashed dreams faced with a moral dilemma he doesn't know how to solve. In many ways he idolizes these big time New York cops but he knows that many of the things they do are wrong. In many ways Stallone's performance is far superior to that of his co-stars as he exhibits more depth and character development than any of them.

Cop Land is a somewhat unknown gem that many people overlooked for the wrong reasons. If you have any interest in the genre I would highly recommend it. Cop Land is probably the second best police murder/crime drama I've seen, only behind L.A. Confidential. At times the story has something to be desired and unlike L.A. Confidential is drags in some parts but the fantastic performances by every cast member more than make up for these minor flaws. I give Cop Land 8 stars out of 10.

My God! Stallone can act!

[fiozinho · 7/10 · 5 January 2000]

Sylvester Stallone is excellent in this slow-moving, absorbing film about cops on the take. Sly goes through what must be one of the longest slow-burns in movie history as the dumb, passive sheriff who only has his job thanks to the grace of crooked cop Harvey Keitel and protects him and his gang because of it. When it finally dawns on him, as it was inevitable it would, that he's been played for a fool, the results are explosive. It's well written, with a strong storyline, great dialogue and excellent performances all round (especially from Robert de Niro, Keitel and Ray Liotta). But it stands or falls on Stallone's portrayal of the central character, and he rises surprisingly majestically to the occasion. A very restrained, sensitive performance in a cracking good film.

The run of the place

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 13 January 2017]

In their only joint film Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro star in Cop Land, a story about Garrison, New Jersey a small town where an overabundance of NYPD officers reside. So much so that the place is called Cop Land and they have the run of the place.

As the official law in Cop Land the boys in blue have selected a wannabe. Sylvester Stallone who lost the hearing in one ear saving a drowning woman Annabella Sciorra is the police chief. Other than rescuing cats and issuing speeding tickets, but never to the NYPD residents of his town all Stallone does is stand in awe of the people who have the career he wanted.

This whole set up comes tumbling down during a shootout at the George Washington Bridge where Michael Rappaport shoots two black teens, two stupid ones I might add who point something at him he mistakes for an automatic weapon. The NYPD citizens of Cop Land do what they can to cover up the incident, but it all blows up in their faces.

Robert DeNiro who is an internal affairs detective has been looking into the cop residents of Garrison for some time. He tries to recruit Stallone, but Stallone has to see for himself what his 'friends' are really like.

Stallone does one of the best acting jobs in his career. He most assuredly is not playing super hero Rambo or even working class hero Rocky in this. He's a flawed man physically and emotionally and the Garrison NYPD colony don't take him seriously at all. That's part of their downfall.

Besides those already mentioned I would single out Harvey Keitel as the unofficial head of the Garrison cop colony. The more the story unfolds the more frightening Keitel becomes. Cathy Moriarty-Gentile as Keitel's abused wife, Ray Liotta who develops a conscience about what is going on and Frank Vincent as the police union head who is the ultimate target in the Cop Land probe from Internal Affairs.

But it's Stallone who is the real revelation here. It's a different Sly than fans of Rocky and Rambo know.

Underrated to say the least

[nomoons11 · 7/10 · 10 July 2011]

I can see this one with a little bit better ratings than it has. At least it deserves it imo. It was definitely worth its 2 hours of time.

To start off, Liotta and Stallone are the stars of this one....Hands down. Keitel and Deniro aren't in it enough to get high praise. Ray Liotta got all the lines and Stallone played..well...Stallone...in a dramatic role. To me Stallone has 3 films he can stand by when he gets done with acting...Rocky...Rambo...Cop Land. Why Cop Land? Well...cause it's easily his best dramatic role and it's in a darn good film. Not everyone was ready to see Stallone in a dramatic role but I think by this time his career was on fumes. I read somewhere where he said this film ruined his career for 8 years. Couldn't get any roles. I think at this time eh was pretty much washed up to film goers and this was a last gasp. To blame this film on his lack of roles, I think he should re-watch it and see that he did a good job.

Ray Liotta is one of those actors that's criminally overlooked. He's done so many good dramatic roles that I think that he just mixes in with what's out there now and you don't get to see him anymore. With anything worthwhile anyhow. His lines are the best in this film. His hyper personality and down on his luck persona in this one just flat out works.

Don't see this one just for the all star cast. See it for Liotta and Stallone's performances. They really are stellar in this little gem.

Nice movie with great actors

[HunterDK · 7/10 · 3 January 2002]

I didn't really know what to expect from "Cop Land".

You have some expectations when actors like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel star in this movie - but could Stallone be the quiet Sheriff? The answer is yes, Stallone did well in this movie, he showed that he isn't just an action star, he is a great actor.

"Cop Land" had a nice story, but I think it had more potential. The movie could have lasted for 20-30 minutes more. It was a nice movie anyway, I will rate it 7/10.

A better film than many reviewers originally thought

[Wakanohana · 10/10 · 27 November 1999]

I saw this file when it first came out and enjoyed it on a fairly superficial level. Now, after I've seen it again, I think it is a much better film. Not quite great, but excellent on many levels. Another reviewer has commented that Stallone's character is like in the first Rocky film, before all the Rambo BS. I agree. I think this is a showcase for great actors in an above-average script, with excellent directing. This is not a Stallone film, other actors could play this part, but he plays it to a T. Keitel is fantastic, as usual, De Niro and Liotta are okay. The subplot between Stallone and Sciorra, Freddy who once saved Liz from drowning when he was a kid, but he lost his hearing in one ear as a result and could never join the NYPD -- that's a powerful subplot that could have been more fully explored, but only at the expense of the main plot. All in all, a much better film than reviewers thought when it first came out, IMO.

Well played, if unlikely thriller

[bob the moo · 28 January 2002]

Freddie Heflin is a sheriff in a New Jersey suburb mainly populated by NYPD cops seeking a break from the big city. Freddie lives in awe of the cops, unable to join due to deafness in one ear. However he is forced to confront Donlan and his colleagues when an IA officer Tilden begins to investigate the killing of two unarmed black men by, and subsequent suicide of Donlan's nephew Murray Babitch.

This `independent' thriller boast a deep cast and certainly had a lot to shout about in the run up to it's release. The problem is with the actual story that the film has to work with. The start is exciting with Babitch's killing of two black motorists but it is also quite stretched. Similarly the denouncement is exciting but is quite easy to see it coming. However the middle section is good, as it relies on the characters and the actors to develop the story - although there is probably too much history to squeeze into a short time.

Stallone proves that he can act, being excellent in a particularly unglamorous role, carrying extra weight for the part and looking like he took lessons from De Niro. The rest of the cast would find it hard to be bad - De Niro and Harvey Keitel rekindle their Scorsese partnership and both are good here. Liotta, Rapaport, Patrick and Sciorra are all excellent in smaller roles. Even small roles are played by heavyweights - Emmerich, Moriarty, Spencer, Vincent and Garofalo (who only seems to have 2 scenes!)

Overall the film benefits from a fantastic cast but needed a much stronger plot to justify the depth of the performances.

Sylvester Stallone presides a star-studded cast giving fabulous interpretations in this thrilling and interesting movie

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 27 February 2020]

Overweight Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone in a rare character role) is the not-too-bright sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey, a small town that is home to a number of New York cops that many NYPD officers call home. He was barred from NYPD service because of his partial deaf in one ear. His little town is a satellite suburb for N.Y. policemen , the more crooked of whom render it rife with a sinister Mafia . But when an officer (Michael Rapaport) breaks the rules , being responsible for a violent incident involving two African-American civilians , Freddy leads his own investigation and uncovers a racially-charged conspiracy within the NYPD. As Freddy is now investigating on this case, then Internal Affairs officer (I.A.) Mo Tilden (Robert De Niro) is also on the issue and asks Freddy for help, but Freddy could not. No One Is Above The Law.

An exciting and moving film about police corruption , though hard to follow , at times , but thrilling enough for crime aficionados . Sly gives a good acting as a honest New Jersey sheriff who suffers deafness in one ear , he has divided loyalties when a criminal investigation could implicate his department and the cops he idolizes , as he finds out that some of his heroes may have feet of clay . Here Sylvester's Rocky of the cop world blissfully unware of most of the crime on his patch and after realising the New York's finest cops have become New Jersey into a twisted nest of corruption and badness , as he carries out an expeditive solution . Stallone wanted to play a ¨first-class actor¨ film back on his resume after his Rambos and Rockies and he made his ultimate sacrifice of his physical appearance for the character by gaining 38 pounds and letting his muscles go . An all-star-cast movie but curiously cheap-looking picture, it results to be a crossover of High Noon wake Western into the world of Goodfellas , including a dark police corruption in Film Noir style of the Forties . Main starring Stallone is excellently accompanied by a great cast such as : Ray Liotta as a good/bad policeman , Robert De Niro as an Internal Affairs agent , Peter Berg as an abusive cop , typecast Harvey Keitel who leads the corrupt bunch along with Robert Patrick , Michael Rapaport as an officer who causes a deadly accident , breaking the rules , being threatened with elimination by his senior colleagues , Janeane Garofalo as Deputy Cindy Betts , Annabella Sciorra as the mistreated wife Randone , Noah Emmerich as a Deputy Geisler , Cathy Moriarty , John Spencer , Frank Vincent , Malik Yoba , Arthur Nascarella , Edie Falco, Paul Calderon ,John Doman , Debbie Harry , Vincent Laresca, among others .

It contains a suspenseful and emotive musical score by Howard Shore. As well as an evocative and colorful cinematography by Eric Edwards . The motion picture was well written and directed by James Mangold who grew up in an upstate New York , providing a Western feel enhanced by a magnificent main and support cast , giving them a chance to do what they do best . While the film garnered decent reviews from critics, it didn't do well at the box office, making a few money during it's opening weekend , and dropping down five slots on it's second weekend. However , nowadays , it is considered a pretty good film and highly deemed . Writer/director James Mangold is a fine American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. Frequently provides strong lead female characters and regularly casts Dallas Roberts and usually his characters become unlikely couples . Mangold has directed 3 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Angelina Jolie in Girl , interrupted (1999), and Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in walk the line (2005). Both Jolie and Witherspoon won Oscars for their performances in his films. Films he has directed include Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk the line (2005), which he also co-wrote, the 2007 remake Train 3:10 to Yuma (2007), Wolverine (2013), and Logan (2017). Rating . 7/10 . Better than average . The picture will appeal to Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro fans .

Stallone's comeback not for the ignorants

[atzimo · 10/10 · 20 April 2001]

I know that everyboby's laughing about a movie that Stallone's starring in. His name is an easy target even to the most ignorant ones; they immediately put him under the 'action movie' label, like Arnold or Jean-Claude. What people forget (or don't know) about is that Stallone differs from all those action movie actors, in that he turned into this icon we all know by making a series of (really) bad choices. Do you know that Sly's the one who wrote the script of the Oscar winning Rocky? Do you know that because his face is half paralyzed (from birth) he speaks in that weird way that some people find difficult to understand what he's saying (and always joke about it)? Do you know that he was paid only $60.000 for his acting in Cop Land, while he had to gain 30 pounds for his role?

To me Cop land is the kind of movie Stallone should have made after First Blood. The director knows what Sly's really capable of so he gives him this role of the cop that is so fair and just, but inside him a burning past lives on. He's a hero and because of that he's lost half of his hearing to save the woman he loves, but she went on to marry another man. He can't be promoted because of his hearing, and while he wants to stay integral, he has to face the deeds of his fellow police officers.

The movie showcases the struggle of a man to overcome his past, the temptation of corruption and the triumph of one's will to remain true to what he believes in. The final sequence is similar to the one's of The Unforgiven or Taxi Driver and it provides a hymn to the human spirit. Stallone's perfomance is unforgettable and he should be nominated for an academy award. Do you think that it's an accident that his performance overshadows De Niro's and Keitel's appearences?

I believe that if Stallone did a movie like that right after his first 2 triumphs he could be leading a career similar to the one of De Niro's. But unfortunately, to all of us Sly's only capable of throwing hand grenades. Right Leonard Maltin?

The Good & Bad Of 'Cop Land'

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 11 February 2007]

This star-studded cast was more impressive than the story, which is probably one reason this film wasn't a big box-office success. The names might draw people into the theater but it just wasn't a good enough story to attract more fans.

Only small-town sheriff "Freddy Heflin" played by Sylvester Stallone, is a good guy while the others, all New York City cops, are shown to be crooked. You can overdo the bad-guy thing, too, which Hollywood does and then probably doesn't understand why the movie isn't appealing to the masses. With Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra and others, this should have done better.

Having said all that, I go on record as saying I enjoyed the film, finding it intense in parts and it kept my interest. Could it and should it have been better? Yes. It's too hard-edged, profane and too sleazy. But if you like a tough crime film, here is one. I would watch it a second time.

I gave you a chance to be a cop and you blew it.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 15 August 2010]

Cop Land is written and directed by James Mangold with an ensemble cast featuring Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, and Michael Rapaport. Distributed by Miramax Films it features a musical score by Howard Shore.

Freddy Heflin (Stallone) is the sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey. A small satellite town across the river from the Big Apple where many of the big city cops reside. Freddy always wanted to be a big city cop but due to partial deafness was unable to make the grade. But when a hero white cop shoots dead two black youths it sets off a series of events that make Freddy realise that the big city cops in Garrison aren't as honest as he is. Thus Freddy must decide if he should get involved.

It was heralded as the film to break Stallone on to the A list of serious actors, and the film where a fine ensemble had gathered and worked for a basic scale wage-such was their faith in the material. Yet in spite of making a considerable profit at the box office and receiving generally favourable reviews, Cop Land seemed to vanish without trace before it could make its mark in the cop/drama genre. A lot of that can probably be put down to the sheer weight of expectation, considering the cast involved, for something out of the top draw. However, revisiting the film now, over ten years post its release, Mangold's movie shows itself to be the tight and intelligent picture it is.

From the off it's evident that there's very little good about the town of Garrison. The coppers drink and drive, cheat on their partners and the sheriff looks like an out of work, overweight slob. Mangold clearly is more about the bleak than the beautiful. As the narrative and characterisations move forward, a multitude of strands start to dangle on the screen-where it at first appears a bit too chocked-but ultimately unfolds with ease as the story progresses. Here's where Cop Land excels, it could so easily have just been another good cop/bad cop movie, one where the doofus partially afflicted guy saves the day. But Cop Land is more intimate in detail of its characters, intimacy that is boosted by a pretty flawless cast (notably Stallone & Liotta). There's healthy helpings of action and drama, but it's the dialogue driven confrontations that entertain the most; where we get the pleasure of watching acting heavyweights battle for supremacy.

With a slow burn sense of doom hanging over it from the off, Cop Land very much feels like a throwback to the adult westerns and film noirs from the 1950s. There's nothing wrong with that of course, in fact it's a compliment. But this deserves its own little niche, that of the contemporary crime thriller with urban western overtones. A damn fine film with a great thoughtful script, that is acted accordingly and directed without flab and pointless filler. 8/10

Surprisingly good movie from action Stallone

[vithiet · 7/10 · 30 May 2020]

Why were some reviewers surprised Stallone can act; have you guys seen the original Rocky? But at a time when Stallone was at the height of his stereotypical uber action hero, he decided to put on some weight and play this highly unusual character for him and what a great decision that was. Interesting story, great performances across the board, this is another one of the many gems the end of the 90s brought us and hasn't really aged 23 years later. Recommended!

Great cast, too many plot holes

[dd4781 · 3/10 · 21 February 2010]

Too many unlikely unrealistic occurrences--like the corrupt cops would openly parade the hidden cop at a party. Reality would demand that you would hide him like Ann Frank. That when the Stallone character wished to transport his witness to NYC, he would do it alone and not call the State Police, newspapers, the FBI etc., to cover and protect him and the witness. In the shootout scene, Stallone's shotgun jams. The cop attempting to shoot him, with his pistol already drawn, apparently waits for Stallone to draw his pistol. What's he doing, fighting a formal duel? Not the action of a hard-boiled, ruthless, corrupt cop. Even the original premise is a bit false, INTENTIONALLY trying to run you off the road into a wall, even though the media does not like it, is usually reason enough to justify the officer's use of deadly force. And the deadly weapon doesn't have to actually be one. The courts usually rule that if a "reasonable man" perceives it as a deadly weapon, the shooting is justified. As in the poor schmo who robs with a realistic-appearing toy gun. If the officer had the view we had, The Club sure looked like a firearm of some sort. Then you couple that with the exploding tire and you have a reasonable man perceiving a justified threat.

The officer's shooting skill was like that of movie cowboys. After apparently imbibing a few, he's able to shoot, from a moving platform, at a fast-moving vehicle, with a short-barreled weapon, thru steel, rubber, upholstery, etc. well enough to kill two people. Sure. The reason for the animosity between the Keitel character and the DeNiro character is never explained. Too bad all this great acting talent had to be wasted on a swiss cheese story.

Give it 7 of 10, good story of some bad cops brought to justice.

[TxMike · 26 August 2000]

I suppose what I liked most about Cop Land was the role Sly Stallone played, as the half-competent town sheriff who was expected to look the other way when shady dealings involving the NYC cops who lived there came around. Turns out he is quite a good shot, although he can't hear worth a damned out of his right ear. Some shooting, much use of the F-word, but all-in-all a good story with a "feel-good" ending as the bad guys get what they deserve. Actors include Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Isabella Sciorra.

Saw the DVD version, fine picture, great sound, especially during the various crashes, good use of "surround" sound. Worth a look if you like intense cop films. 7 of 10.

Proof that Stallone can act

[aistipetic · 7/10 · 13 October 2019]

I only watched this film as I was told by the film critic, Mark Kermode, that it shows the Stallone can actually act. Stallone is brilliant throughout the film, and I was amazed by his performance. The moral of the story is that at some point you have to stand up for what you believe in, and you can't bury you head in the sand forever

Cop Stallone's good acting

[videorama-759-859391 · 7/10 · 27 February 2017]

I'll be honest. Copland is not a great film. It's a better watch the second time around, where it entertained me much more. Stallone is in his element, and will surprise you, especially people doubting his acting ability, as a beaten cop, who got the bad end of the stick. He works in this town on the other side of the Jersey river, that offers a much more prosperous future. In his own town, he just discovers police corruption which runs a deep path, headed by old colleague (Keitel, in a tight performance). The police force here, is a front for drugs, and other things, where we meet a few bad apples like T2's Robert Patrick, an actor who always brings something to the table. A supposed jumper, cop Rappaport disappears, and later on, becomes a liability, where the only cop he can trust is overweight, apathetic Stallone, who's just so good in this film. Copland does have some original and fresh touches about it, regarding plot, one scene borrowing, or resembling that one in Striking Distance. De Niro as a tough, hard as nails IA detective, of course, does us solid. A beefy Liotta is also very good, as Stallone's good friend and partner, adding a kind of doubting menace regarding his standing as a honest cop, which I liked, as well as his excellent talent at demonstrating very real anger, but apart from Stallone, Keitel was the other one who really impressed me. There's nothing but good actors in Copland, Cathy Moriarty, worse praising too, as a Keitel's haggard wife, doing a younger cop. The movie does keep falling to patches of ordinary, as it's not the best pick off the shelf, but definitely watch this good acting over story, especially when the films heralded by Stallone's really impressive acting you gotta witness.

Too Much and Not Enough...Above Average Police Drama

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 12 December 2016]

An Impressive Cast with Sly Stallone Playing Against Type as a Brooding NYPD Wannabe Hampered by a Hearing Deficiency. It's a Complex Story of Police Corruption on a Large Scale Set in a Small New Jersey Town where New York City Police Officers Reside.

Everyone, it seems, is Lapping Up the Gravy and the Local Sheriff (Stallone) just Looks Powerless and is Unable or Unwilling to Match the Onslaught of Crooked Cops doing Crooked Deeds and Flaunting it in His Face.

The Story is Full of Characters and Back Stories so Loosely Woven as to be Lousy with Plot-Holes and Question Marks. The Stellar Cast all have Their Moments as Everyone is On Edge along with the Audience.

It's a Tense Film that is Ultimately Unsatisfying even though the Ending Narration Assures Everyone that Justice Prevailed and Virtually Everyone Gets What's Coming. It's too Tidy to be Believable and too Packaged Considering all that Happened.

Worth a Watch for the Cast and Stallone's Attempt to Alter His Image. An Above Average Drama/Thriller that is Filled with Too Much and Not Enough.

Note...For Star-Watchers the Cast includes....Sylvester Stallone...Harvey Keitel...Ray Liotta... Robert DeNiro...Peter Berg...Janeane Garofalo...Michael Rappaport...Robert Patrick...Annabella Sciorra...Noah Emmerich...Cathy Moriarty...All working for scale.

Underrated thriller with Stallone at his best

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 14 May 2016]

This heavyweight thriller seemingly slipped under the radar, but offers enough top casting, excellent scripting and twists and turns to rival Oscar-acclaimed films such as LA CONFIDENTIAL. It's a film with a small, central cast of characters and a number of plot threads which eventually converge into a big conspiracy. The film aims for a low-key, realistic approach throughout, and the characters emerge as the most important elements; these are real, recognisable people, and the corruption running throughout the movie seems all too believable.

Stallone gives what I believe to be his personal best performance as the somewhat slow, dim-witted, mild-mannered sheriff who solves the riddle, and he is ably supported by star turns from Keitel, De Niro (in an extended cameo) and Liotta. A bunch of other notable actors fill out solid, more minor roles, like Michael Rapaport, Robert Patrick and Peter Berg. Everybody is great here, right across the board from Keitel to Sciorra.

I loved this movie due to the suspense and the intrigue, and mostly the likability of Stallone's leading character, who really is an unconventional chap, deaf in one ear, with no muscle, just a load of flab. Stallone is really touching in this part and definitely should have received an Oscar, but hey, just watch the film and enjoy watching, knowing that he gives his all. The film culminates in an amazing shoot-out which puts an atypical soundtrack effect to brilliant use, although short, I preferred this to more grandiose shoot-outs in the like of OPEN RANGE. The film as a whole can't be faulted – crime fans will love this one to bits.

A 7 that should have been an 8

[lavaside-60237 · 7/10 · 17 July 2023]

This movie is littered with great actors; with Sly Stallone stealing the show; playing a completely different personality type than one has grown accustomed to seeing from him.

The problem?

Someone really thought it was a good idea to cast Michael Rapaport - who is a D actor, on his best day.

I have no clue what they were thinking.

He lowers the whole film a grade.

But everyone else is great.

Also, the sub story of the abusive husband and wife didn't need to be in it. Relationship drama is always a drag in any film.

No one likes their own drama - much less wants to spend their off time watching fictional relationship drama. Lol Think about it - when a couple starts to argue in real life, what do you want to do? Leave.

So why would anyone think it falls under 'entertainment'?

They fix those 2 things, and this movie goes from good to great.

Stallone Was Robbed!

[sanosito · 10/10 · 28 June 2005]

I just saw Cop Land for the first time this evening. I watched the "Exclusive Director's Cut" DVD.

This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. Sylvester Stallone, who I've never thought was much of an actor, gives the performance of his career - a performance that deserved the Academy Award for Best Actor. Incredible. I owe the great Stallone a big apology for not seeing his gift of acting before now.

Everyone in this film, including Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Janeane Garofalo, and Ray Liotta, gave stellar performances as well. I guess paying all the actors just scale brought the best out of everyone. Why this modern day "High Noon" doesn't have a higher rating from the IMDb voters like me is way beyond my comprehension. Cop Land deserves, at least, inclusion in the Top 250 films. Perhaps this cut that I just saw is much better than the original theatrical release.

The acting made all the difference.

[lovecedu-647-415631 · 7/10 · 16 July 2023]

It's a good film. If you're not sure what to watch this will defo keep your attention.

It's so refreshing watching actors who actually know how to act.

They make all the difference in being able to get lost in a film.

Yes the writing is not great but the acting and directing is and that makes all the difference.

It's a hidden gem of that era and a film that passed me by at the time.

Would be great if films these days had so many big actors in the same film. It's truly art watching great actors act together and something which is dearly missed in today's films.

Story: nothing special Acting: 9/10 Directing: 8/10 Nostalgia factor: 9/10.

One of the most underrated of the 90's

[panduh · 8/10 · 10 March 2002]

I loved this movie when I first saw it in 1997 in the theaters, and I have recently bought the DVD. I still love this movie. This is definitely one of the most underrated movies of the 1990's. Stallone puts in a really understated and sympathetic yet still powerful performance as an out-of-shape, half-deaf sheriff of a sleepy New Jersey town populated almost entirely of corrupt NYPD cops. The cast is magnificent, with such powerhouses as Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro and Ray Liotta. Liotta, especially, is superb as a coked-out, morally ambiguous former right-hand man to Keitel who is trying to get out of this circle of corruption.

I realize that many people have found the shoot-out ending to be a tad distasteful, but I argue that it actually fits the movie quite well. Stallone's Heflin character is by no means a Sherlock Holmes. He is a simple man with a heart of gold caught in a very tough situation. He doesn't have the brains nor the resources to solve his problem with a brilliant plan -- but he's got balls, and most importantly he's got heart. His solution is direct, and unfortunately, dangerous. The fact that he is going to butt heads directly with the corrupt cops in his town is inevitable. Much like Billy Bob Thornton's character in the movie Sling Blade, we are expecting it. We are hoping for it.

Absolutely powerful and thrilling. I heartily recommend it to everyone who also enjoyed movies like Goodfellas, and Serpico, if just to catch the top-knotch performances by Stallone, DeNiro and Liotta.

Badge of silence...

[fmarkland32 · 7/10 · 19 May 2007]

Sylvester Stallone plays Sheriff Freddy Hefflin, a half deaf cop who brings down corrupt cops (played Harvey Keitel, Robert Patrick and more) in his small town where corrupt cops seem to get away with anything due to Hefflin's looking the other way. Hefflin is aided by Robert DeNiro and Ray Liotta in his quest to prove that nobody (even if they have a badge) is above the law. Cop Land in my opinion is truly Stallone's most underrated. Even among his fans, the overall impression from people and their reaction to this movie was that this was only so-so. I however disagree. Cop Land is a complex and riveting drama that doesn't have lots of action but does have an interesting story with three dimensional characters that make the overall movie far more interesting than what you would expect from a 90s Stallone movie. I do admit that i'll always prefer Stallone's Rocky and Rambo persona due to my nostalgia but I for one think that this movie deserves to be remembered as one of Stallone's best moments. Not only in the 90s but overall. There are of course flaws, such as Robert De Niro's underwritten character, Stallone's subplot involving the girl he saved when he was younger etc but these are minor flaws which never detract from the overall momentum of the story. Cop Land deserved to be a hit at the box office.

* * * Out of 4-(Good)

meh

[bernie-122 · 5/10 · 28 March 2021]

I have to strongly disagree with all the 9 and 10 star reviews here. In spite of the fact that it contains some of my favourite actors, the fact is, there is an excess of soapy drama, which is more remeniscent of a TV series than a serious movie. And the gushing praise for Mr. Stallone is misplaced; although his acting isn't as wooden as we're accustomed to, it's hardly oscar material. The only way I could watch this film was in little sessions of half hour or less. So, it took days to finish it. I wouldn't have been able to do even that without there being, as I said, some of my favourite actors. Some of them seemed a little bored, and weren't up to the usual standard. All in all, this is a fairly mediocre movie, and not very coherent. Something is obviously wrong, because I am usually an avid consumer of all manner of cop films, even without the excellent ensemble cast of this one.