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?

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.

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.

of a small town in New Jersey called Garrison. All seems fine and well with the town and Freddy himself until an incident occurs on the George Washington bridge that connects the New York and New Jersey police departments. After the problems arise, Freddy is challenged on his thoughts and beliefs that he had never considered before. This is where things get interesting and dangerous simultaneously. As time goes on, Heflin begins to dig and as he digs, he discovers that everything is not as he thought.The writing is something to behold here. Directed and written by James Mangold, the same man behind Walk the Line 2005 , 3:10 to Yuma 2007 and most recently The Wolverine 2013 , created a screenplay that not only defies the normal typecasts that most actors have, but also adds depth to the main character of Freddy Helfin. If it weren't for any of the background given to Stallone's character, the audience would have no idea about Heflin's past and why he acts the way he is in the movie. When it is revealed though, it's a heartfelt story that contains a lot of emotion. Even more interesting is how little Stallone uses a gun. Not only is Stallone overweight but he barely even raises his voice - which is rare. The character of Heflin is very self contained and covers it up well.Also playing a role that is out his usual casting role is Ray Liotta. For anyone who's not familiar, Liotta frequently plays scumbags and creeps. A good example of this is from Unlawful Entry 1992 and a bad example is from Turbulence 1997 . But what wasn't seen coming was Liotta playing not only a supporting character but also a tactical one. There is one scene where he explains to Stallone's character how he should take on convicted felons and the advice he gives is extremely noteworthy. Liotta, you should be doing this more often my friend. Along with him are Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, future director Peter Berg, Robert Patrick, Noah Emmerich from The Truman Show 1998 how coincidental! , and just for laughs Mr. RoboCop 3 1993 himself, Robert John Burke. All the actors, even the ones not mentioned do a fine job.What also makes this movie a fish out of water role for Sylvester Stallone is how human the story makes him look. This isn't a movie where Stallone mows down villains with a rapid-fire gun without taking any hits. Stallone's character is flawed and limited, humanizing him for the entire running time. That's something serious. Adding to the realism of the story is the cinematography where most scenes take place in the suburbs or along the shore outside the city. Finally what helps complete this feeling is Howard Shore's score to the film. It isn't the strongest of film music but it does contain some very simple themes that help bring out the emotion of various scenes. Overall a very strong drama / thriller.It's not your regular Stallone shoot 'em up and that's fine. The entire cast in the movie performs great. The music isn't complex but is well supported by a strong cast and character driven story.

undermined by the town full of cops that he polices. This is Stallone's best work, playing a broken down guy who's had it with life. When a rookie cop called Superboy Michael Rapaport accidentally commits double homicide, the crime is covered up by his veteran uncle Harvey Keitel and his gang of bent up blue vests. It's a suspicious event that incites an investigation by Moe Tilden Robert De Niro , and raises Stallone's desire to put things right, as well as more than a few painful memories of the woman he loved Annabella Sciorra who married one of Keitel's goons Peter Berg . It's a dirty kaleidoscope of many characters and subplots weaving in and out, but held together like superglue by the outstanding screenplay, penned by Mangold as well. At times the characterizations are so vivid that we feel like we're in a western. Keitel is the picture of evil as a guy who's justified his crooked actions for so long that he really believes he's doing right, which makes him very dangerous. Ray Liotta, in the best performance of the piece, plays a disgraced ex cop with a fiery temper and a few bones to pick with Keitel himself, as well as a flawed, cowardly side. The actors chow down on Mangold's delicious, rich dialogue and keep you locked to the screen. There's nice work from Robert Patrick, Janeane Garofalo, Noah Emmerich, Cathy Moriarty, John Spencer and Arthur Nascarella as well.

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.

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.

featured more. The scenes between these two characters are worth the viewing alone. Harvey Keitel as well, plays an excellent cop/quasi-crime boss.It's a little soppy at times but overall a stand-out in it's genre.