Cop Land (1997)

Sly holds his own among some of the finest actors out there

Sly plays a human being for a change--and I dug the hell out of it. He only raises his voices once--during a shouting match with the always convincing Ray Liotta.
Entire cast is amazing. You know who they are, so there is no need to list all the names.

Smartly written and directed by the talented James Mangold. This is a real movie (for grownups) and not some mindless shoot-'em up.
Mangold, as writer, first and foremost, understands the importance of strong character development and the stories he tries to tell (usually) have substance and are about something. June 8, 2008

Sly

If you like Sly you might not like this one. If you like Film, and dislike Sly for the most part, you might want to check this one out. Copland is a fresh flick with a strong cast. Special Features are good, soundtrack is kinda fresh too.

Buy used at least. March 25, 2008

Stallone's finest

Mr Stallone is fantastically successful and, I'm sure, needs no praise from me. But for me, this is his best work. The all-star support cast are good and easily dislikeable, and Liotta is on form, but although the film is not perfect, that is precisely what makes it so good. Stallone's regretful, never-quite-good-enough Sheriff is the best character of all. Well worth a look. I wish he'd made more films like this. Take it for what it is and you won't be disappointed.

Yours,

Baby Cromwell, Nottingham, England March 10, 2008

Copland review

If I were not a Stallone fan, this might have been a good movie. Stallone's character in this film doesn't have the edge most of us love in his other films. Here, his character is less aggressive and less intelligent. Still, it was an okay movie. It reminded me of t.v. cop shows/t.v. movies in the late 70's and 80's. My mom is not a Stallone fan. I lent her the movie and she really enjoyed it. She didn't have the Sly expectations going into it that I did, and I think that made the difference. It was inexpensive to buy, so I'm still glad to add it to my Sly collection. February 18, 2008

Fantastic urban drama backed by an all-star cast

Cop land seems to be under appreciated now after being out on the shelves a few years, and it is truly a shame. This movie has some shock value in a couple of areas, and those dynamics were crucial for its initial success in telling a compelling, character driven story that is wrought with suspense and action. The first of these things is the performance of Sylvester Stallone as Sheriff Freddy Heflin. Despite dominating screen presence as a muscle bound brute, Stallone's character in this film is a laid back, easy going type whose big heart is often overlooked by his own shy demeanor. The writer and director of this film did a superb job and what is amazing is that it was only his second venture, the first one being the film "Heavy". James Mangold assembles an outstanding cast, which includes such great actors as Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Peter Berg, Robert Patrick and Michael Rappaport among others.

Cop Land centers on a town called Garrison, New Jersey that happens to have a ton of members of the NYPD living there in order to raise their families in a better, safer neighborhood. When one of their own gets caught up in a controversial shooting that leaves a trail of blood, he and others are soon suspected of some pretty high profile crimes themselves. A trail of dead cops and closed cases arrives at the desk of Moe Tilden (DeNiro) it seems all to familiar, but as the stakes of the game starts to rise, so do the doors of opportunity to advance any investigation into the case. Freddy Heflin soon realizes that nothing is as it seems in this grandiose "cop land" of Garrison, and his only key to finding answers is just as elusive to him as it is to the guys playing the law into their own hands for their own gain.

Compelling characters and intrigue all seem to come together intricately, while still keeping all points of this film strong and fresh. As far as scripts go, this one could not have been better, and it is all topped off by an excellent portrayal of a climatic ending seen through the eyes and ears of Heflin. The special features part of this "collectors edition" is a bit disappointing, and although there are some great interviews with the cast and director, I found it lacking when it comes to extra features of a "collectors edition" DVD. Regardless, Cop Land is an excellent "Urban Western" that has all the grit and style for a NY/NJ style crime oriented film.
July 18, 2007

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