@bluersun said:

Sly shows again how he his massively under rated as an actor and not just an action star - I really think he held his own against Keitel, DeNiro and Liotta in every scene he had, but that scene with Sciorra where she (Liz) asks Sly (Freddy) how come he never got married and he replies "All the best girls are taken..." This was up there with any Oscar winning performance.

This movie is so underrated its almost criminal. Stallone says this movie derailed his career. I think its one of his best. Not sure why so many people didn't like this movie

Maybe some are upset because they thought Stallone was punching above his weight or holding his own against "serious" actors..?

Anyway, a great film.

I liked him in rocky, creed, rocky balboa. How does his performance here compare? I want to see Copland someday...

@catmydogs said:

I liked him in rocky, creed, rocky balboa. How does his performance here compare? I want to see Copland someday...

It's up there with Rocky easily... I'd say better than Creed or Balboa imo.

Okay, I watched Copland over the weekend. Stallone offered a great, subtle performance. I think he is underrated as an actor, partially due to his own fault, as he chose to go the "action hero" route. But in his dramatic roles, one can see that he is capable of doing a fine job.

Yes I'd agree if he had stuck to more dramatic and or serious roles he might be regarded in the same league as DeNiro, Pacino, Hoffman... It's just some of his better known roles - Rambo (although First Blood was awesome) Cobra, Judge Dredd... They really didn't do him any favours in these terms.

Anyway, glad you liked it!!

I thought he was excellent too!! In fact the whole film was under-rated. It was gritty and realistic.

This was a good film but I'd say Sly's best performances are his First Blood and Rocky Balboa monologues.

Plus I wouldn't feel too sorry for him not being considered a "serious actor". I'm pretty sure he's more than happy with the career he's had - I mean he is Rocky and Rambo after all!

@The Midi-chlorian Count said:

This was a good film but I'd say Sly's best performances are his First Blood and Rocky Balboa monologues.

Plus I wouldn't feel too sorry for him not being considered a "serious actor". I'm pretty sure he's more than happy with the career he's had - I mean he is Rocky and Rambo after all!

And just look at the toss DeNiro is piling out lately - I had to turn Bad Grandpa off... The Family was awful... No, I was just saying that when Stallone is required to 'act' he can really pull it out the bag... Like you said, the monologue in First Blood was perfect... I doubt many could have gotten into that head-space and emptied themselves with little thought for their ego like he did.

I'm 30 minutes into my first viewing of this movie and Stallone is spellbinding in his portrayal.

His demeanor, mannerisms - there's not a hint of the biggest action star of the 80s not named Arnold.

I'll circle back for a fuller review when done watching it - if the first half hour is any indication, it looks solid.

Yep, this movie is definitely among Stallone's finest.

My favourite Stallone movie is most likely Rambo (2008), and The Specialist is one of my guilty pleasures.

Cop Land, however, showcases Stallone's range while sharing the screen with a stellar cast including De Niro, Keitel and Liotta (and, it's nice to see Liotta not playing a nutcase, for a change).

Bravo.

The Specialist was good, mostly because of Eric Roberts and James Woods (in that order).

Don't EVER bash Cobra!!!! One of the finest pieces of film-making ever! I think it's time for a "Things I learned from Cobra" thread over there. Enough time has passed.

Cop Land is a good movie, but I didn't think Stallone's performance was anything special. He did fine with it.

Now, the Expendables movies are a different matter. Can we all agree that these are all terrible and should never be spoken of again?

@Rickers said:

The Specialist was good, mostly because of Eric Roberts and James Woods (in that order).

Not to take anything away from Eric Roberts, but Id' reverse your order - I much preferred James Woods' performance. But, having mentioned them, I'll share a few tidbits:

• James Woods wasn't acting much. It's quite common to hear people say about him that he's a fine actor but not a very nice human being.
• Eric Roberts is actually orders of magnitude closer to the centre of Hollywood that Kevin Bacon!

Don't EVER bash Cobra!!!! One of the finest pieces of film-making ever! I think it's time for a "Things I learned from Cobra" thread over there. Enough time has passed.

I have not (yet) seen Cobra. Will add it to my watch list, a viewing is way overdue. BTW, you do know the background of that movie and why it got a poster in Beverly Hills Cop 2, right?

Cop Land is a good movie, but I didn't think Stallone's performance was anything special. He did fine with it.

It's ok for us to disagree, differing opinions makes conversations more interesting.

Now, the Expendables movies are a different matter. Can we all agree that these are all terrible and should never be spoken of again?

We can all agree that Stallone has a knack for creating memorable - if not iconic - heroes. Rocky and Rambo are Hollywood royalty. As for Barney, let's just say while not a giant on the level of the aforementioned two, he did become the foundation for a franchise which is saying something; and bringing together so many big names is no easy accomplishment, as making a movie with the kind of budget required to do so is extremely risky; but a big budget is something Stallone has been known for (see previous comment about Cobra/Beverly Hills Cop).

@DRDMovieMusings said:

@Rickers said:

The Specialist was good, mostly because of Eric Roberts and James Woods (in that order).

Not to take anything away from Eric Roberts, but Id' reverse your order - I much preferred James Woods' performance. But, having mentioned them, I'll share a few tidbits:

• James Woods wasn't acting much. It's quite common to hear people say about him that he's a fine actor but not a very nice human being.
• Eric Roberts is actually orders of magnitude closer to the centre of Hollywood that Kevin Bacon!

Don't EVER bash Cobra!!!! One of the finest pieces of film-making ever! I think it's time for a "Things I learned from Cobra" thread over there. Enough time has passed.

I have not (yet) seen Cobra. Will add it to my watch list, a viewing is way overdue. BTW, you do know the background of that movie and why it got a poster in Beverly Hills Cop 2, right?

Cop Land is a good movie, but I didn't think Stallone's performance was anything special. He did fine with it.

It's ok for us to disagree, differing opinions makes conversations more interesting.

Now, the Expendables movies are a different matter. Can we all agree that these are all terrible and should never be spoken of again?

We can all agree that Stallone has a knack for creating memorable - if not iconic - heroes. Rocky and Rambo are Hollywood royalty. As for Barney, let's just say while not a giant on the level of the aforementioned two, he did become the foundation for a franchise which is saying something; and bringing together so many big names is no easy accomplishment, as making a movie with the kind of budget required to do so is extremely risky; but a big budget is something Stallone has been known for (see previous comment about Cobra/Beverly Hills Cop).

Stallone was to star in Beverly Hills Cop but wanted it to be a gritty thriller, after that didn't happen we got Cobra (a guilty pleasure of mine).

As for The Expendables I like the first two for what they are; fun 80s throwback action romps.

Glad you like Cop Land though :)

@bluersun said:

Stallone was to star in Beverly Hills Cop but wanted it to be a gritty thriller, after that didn't happen we got Cobra (a guilty pleasure of mine).

As for The Expendables I like the first two for what they are; fun 80s throwback action romps.

Glad you like Cop Land though :)

Keep an eye on the Cobra discussions page - as soon as I've watched it, I'll check in there!