Cop Land (1997)
A movie review by Michael J. Legeros Copyright 1997 by Michael J. Legeros
(Mirimax)
Directed by James Mangold
Written by James Mangold
Cast Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert
DeNiro, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Rapaport, Robert
Patrick, Peter Berg, Anabella Sciorra, Cathy Moriarty
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for violence and profanity)
Running Time 107 minutes
Reviewed at Mission Valley Cinemas, Raleigh, NC (15AUG97)
==
COP LAND is surprisingly underwhelming. Neither a meaty cast nor a meaty plot can do much for writer-director James Mangold (HEAVY). His epic-flavored movie-- about big-city police corruption that spills over into the small town where most of the cops live-- is missing *some- thing*. Maybe it's the pacing, which is as sluggish and slow-moving as Sylvester Stallone's dimmer-witted hero. Maybe it's the abundance of characters, which renders the first hour more than a little difficult to follow. (I still don't know who the victim of the fire was.) Maybe it's the plot, which veers toward implausibility when the bad guys throw a party for someone who is supposed to be dead. (The party as a symbol for the cop's ever-increasing arrogance? Maybe.) Whatever the reasons, COP LAND amuses but never entirely entertains. Even the big finale, admittedly a kicker with its nifty use of sound and silence, lacks enough emotional punch. With Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Harvey Keitel, Michael Rapaport, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Cathy Moriarty, Annabella Sciorra, and Peter Berg.
Grade: B-
-- Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell
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