Summary
Twenty-seven years ago,Cop LandunitedSylvester Stalloneand Robert De Niro on screen for the first time. Although it doesn’t necessarily innovate on its tried-and-true genres, the neo-noir crime thriller is a solid entry, especially because of its stars. In fact, it’s probablyStallone’s most underrated movie. Joined by other crime-drama mainstays like Harvey Keitel (Pulp Fiction) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas),Stallone and De Niro bring a ton of charisma to their respective rolesof Sheriff Freddy Heflin and Lieutenant Moe Tilden. Still, it’s hard to believeCop Landwas their first joint outing.
Stallone, one of only two actors to have starred in box office-topping films across six consecutive decades, had his big break in 1976 with the pop-cultural phenomenonRocky.The Oscar-nominated sports drama launched theRockymovie franchise and opened the door for theRambostar’s rise as an action hero. De Niro, meanwhile, also hit it big in the mid-70s thanks to hisOscar-winning role inThe Godfathersequel. Although De Niro continued to pursue dramatic roles and Martin Scorsese collaborations,there’s no denying the intriguing overlap between the two actors' rather legendary careers.
Cop Land Starred Sylvester Stallone & Robert De Niro - Here’s What It’s About
Corrupt New York City Police Officers Take Center Stage In James Mangold’s 1997 Crime Drama
Most well known for directing genre-spanning films likeLogan,Walk the Line, andGirl, Interrupted,James Mangold’s best moviesalso include 1997’sCop Land. Although the film made a modest $63.7 million at the box office against it’s $15 million budget and received solid reviews from critics, it’s something of an underrated gem nearly 30 years after its release. InCop Land, Stallone plays Sheriff Freddy Heflin, a small-town New Jersey lawman. Exploiting a loophole,a group of corrupt NYPD cops, helmed by their ringleader Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel), live in Heflin’s Jersey town.
When Moe Tilden (De Niro), an Internal Affairs investigator, tries to build a case against the dirty cops, Heflin (Stallone) isn’t initially interested in helping him.
Deaf in one ear, Heflin is unable to join the NYPD, so he comes to idolize Donlan. When Moe Tilden (De Niro), an Internal Affairs investigator, tries to build a case against the dirty cops, Heflin isn’t initially interested in helping him. However, things take a darker turn when Donlan’s nephew, Officer Murray Babitch (Michael Rapaport), murders two Black teenagers. Donlan helps Babitch cover up his crimes and fake his death. Terrified of his uncle,Babitch tries to go to Heflin for help, which pulls Stallone’s sheriff directly into the corrupt cops' messy schemes.
Rocky Loses Best Sports Movie Of All Time To Martin Scorsese’s 1980 Box Office Bomb In 15-Year-Old Poll
AFI’s 2008 poll of the greatest sports movies of all time named a boxing film as number one, but many fans will be surprised to learn it’s not Rocky.
Cop Land Made Great Use Of Both Stallone & De Niro
The Movie’s Leads Play The Types Of Roles That Have Come To Define Their Careers
Cop Landplays to both of its stars' strengths in different ways. Still, the actors, both known for some of thegreatest portrayals of boxers in movie history, shine inCop Land. De Niro plays a character who is right in his crime-drama wheelhouse, though it is refreshing to see him on the just side of the law as opposed to playing a mob boss or gangster. Stallone, who’d just come off a string of comedic roles, received praise for his performance, with critics noting thatStallone successfully sheds his movie-star gloss to play a more everyday character.
This $44M Sylvester Stallone & Robert De Niro Movie Comedy Paid Off A 33-Year-Old Movie Dream
An under-the-radar comedy film featuring Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro actually pays off another 33-year-old sports movie dream for viewers.
Grudge Match Sees Stallone & De Niro Squaring Off In The Boxing Ring
Grudge Match
Directed by Peter Segal, Grudge Match is a Sports Comedy film starring Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, and Kevin Hart. The plot sees two retired boxers having a grudge match to settle a long-time rivalry.
In 2013, Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro reunited on the silver screen once more inGrudge Match, a sports comedy film that casts the duo as rival aging boxers who climb into the ring for one last match. The whole conceit ofGrudge Matchhinges on its stars' past roles as boxers: Stallone starred in theRockymovies, while De Niro nabbed an Oscar for Scorsese’s sports dramaRaging Bull. AlthoughGrudge Matchisn’t a great movie by any stretch, it’s worth watching for the meta link between its two leads, but only after the far superiorCop Land.
Cop Landis streaming on Paramount+;Grudge Matchis available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
