10 Reasons That Prove Sylvester Stallone Is Underrated

6. Copland

This film came out of left-field for all those that forgot that Stallone could act. James Mangold assembled a brilliant, seventies tinged cast of actors and needed a "soft, vulnerable guy". When he was presented with Stallone, he didn't want Judge Dredd in his film. What's great is that Mangold, still new in Hollywood and many years away from franchise blockbusters like The Wolverine laid down a series of rules to Stallone, "(don't) take control... (don't) change it... and get fat". Stallone agreed to all three and turned in one of the best performances of his career. Essentially a western character, Stallone's half-deaf, overweight Freddie Heflin is the sheriff of Garrison, or Copland, a safe haven for New York cops to live, where corruption and bribery has created a lawless community. Freddie is a laughing stock to bullying cops including Harvey Keitel's Ray Donlan and Robert Patrick's Jack Rucker. It's only with the introduction of Robert de Niro's Internal Affairs officer Moe Tilden that Freddie finds a purpose as he aims to take down the corrupt cops. The film ends with a brilliant silent western gunfight. Freddie, deaf in both ears after a gun shot fired next to his head, appears at Donlan's house where he knows a murder will take place. In muffled silence we see Freddie take down the gang, and after Freddie shoots Donlan, he looks down as he fires obscenities back up at the overweight, deaf and injured lawman to which Heflin replies, "I can't hear you, Ray." It's a brilliant end to a film that surprised many.