Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect, and I think Herzog would like that if he heard it. I've seen several of his previous movies, so I had an idea of sorts of maybe what to expect, but ultimately, I had no idea how things would pan out, or if I would like it or not. Like… More
  Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect, and I think Herzog would like that if he heard it. I've seen several of his previous movies, so I had an idea of sorts of maybe what to expect, but ultimately, I had no idea how things would pan out, or if I would like it or not. Like his other previous films, this is wild, offbeat, and totally in it's own little strange world. It's part cop drama, part addiction story, and all character study. A washed up, sleazy, and corrupt drug addicted cop tackles the criminal underworld of New Orleans as well as his own demons, and, since Werner Herzog is in the director's chair, you know it will definitely have its idiosyncratic moments. It is maybe a tad too long and the pacing is a little too slow, but those are my only real complaints. This is Cage's movie through and through, and, for people who think he's washed up now, they need to go and see this movie. He is a master at playing creepy, weird, frazzled individuals who are too far gone. The rest of the cast is nice, but some of their performances are better than others. Xzibit turns in a surprisingly good performance. Under the right director, I think he could have a nice film career in his future. This is a trippy, enjoyable and baffling (in a good way) movie that, while showing a more human side to the type of characters that Cage is playing, is so much more than just sleaze, and excess, but still shakes the audience up with it's unconventional approach to a story that in normal circumstances, is pretty standard and straightforward stuff.

• paul s

  
  Wow, what a wild ride. Credit Werner Herzog for this one; able to unleash Nick Cage in a way we haven't seen since Leaving Las Vegas, Werner presents a surreal tale of a cop who not only falls from grace, but embraces the fall. There's plenty of imagery to go with the… More
  Wow, what a wild ride. Credit Werner Herzog for this one; able to unleash Nick Cage in a way we haven't seen since Leaving Las Vegas, Werner presents a surreal tale of a cop who not only falls from grace, but embraces the fall. There's plenty of imagery to go with the story, and several times I wondered if the whole thing wasn't just a dream within a dream, but by the end you can see that Cage's "Bad Lieutenant" is living a double life - and that he prefers it that way, falling not just under the influence of drugs, but embracing the whole drug world - getting off on his power as a cop to coerce people into supplying his needs. He rides the Tiger - defying the odds and somehow, even though stoned out of his mind, manages either by luck or destiny, to bring down not one, but two drug rings. He rides this wave and survives because, as he stated several times during the film - he simply doesn't care one way or the other. If you do indeed truly embrace the void, Werner seems to be telling us, then nothing is impossible or unlikely. Cage is so delightfully over the top, yet somehow you believe in all the histrionics and quirky mannerisms, whether this is because Werner presents the film partly through a drug filled haze where you aren't sure if what you're watching is real or part of Cage's imagination. The beauty of the film is that it doesn't supply an easy answer. It lays out the action and all its little twists and is so strong in its portrayal that both the happy ending and subsequent "real" one both seem sides of a surreal coin. To say that Werner embraces a Lynchian sensibility in this film wouldn't be far wrong, only the narrative is far more cohesive and alluring than some of Lynch's later work. The surreal passages, from squirming river snakes to singing iguanas all set a tone and have a purpose beyond mere shock value, and are more accessible than Lynch's brand of surrealism. This film isn't perfect, however I have to applaud Werner for taking what could have been another typical cop film and infusing it with a totally new direction. If you are expecting a morality tale here, then you will be disappointed, for there isn't one - and that's a beautiful thing; just as it's beautiful to watch a gifted director walk the tightrope between absurd and relevance.

• Film C

  
  Ive tried watching this movie twice now and both times ive failed to finsh it! I found it to just be a really hard movie to get into!

• Graham J

  
  This movie shouldn't work, but it does. Playing out as some adults-only B-movie with a role Cage was born to play. I thought this film would be Herzog's downfall, but in the end it is his triumph.

• Dean M

  
  Rebooting Abel Ferrara's <i>Bad Lieutenant</i> was odd enough. It's not like the original had been a hit. Or that the character was a superhero ripe for franchising. A psycho procedural it is, then. Nicholas Cage turns the knob up to 11, as he so often does, but… More
  Rebooting Abel Ferrara's <i>Bad Lieutenant</i> was odd enough. It's not like the original had been a hit. Or that the character was a superhero ripe for franchising. A psycho procedural it is, then. Nicholas Cage turns the knob up to 11, as he so often does, but it's mostly appropriate, though traumatising old ladies stretches credibility for pure amusement value. Between freakouts, the actor expertly conveys the desperation of the drug addict as he pinballs from bad to worse, his good intentions always undermined by zero impulse control. Terence recalls Cage in <i>Vampire's Kiss</i>; a victim of circumstance to be pitied as much as a villain to fear. In support, Kilmer doesn't have enough to do, but Eva Mendes appeals as Frankie, Xzibit is a standout as the cold-blooded but charismatic drug lord Big Fate, and Jennifer Coolidge, Brad Dourif and Tom Bower all have vivid and raw supporting roles. Werner Herzog gets great mileage, too, from his other player - the hurricane-ravaged streets of New Orleans. No jazzy French Quarter postcard this, but rather a shattered place, caught between restoration and total devastation, just like its protagonist.

• Emil K

  
  I admire the ambition behind Herzog's films but in my opinion he has always been a below average director. Sure his films has odd elements and they often seem to reach for impossible, but that does not mean they are actually good. Bad Lieutenant is no expectation. It is… More
  I admire the ambition behind Herzog's films but in my opinion he has always been a below average director. Sure his films has odd elements and they often seem to reach for impossible, but that does not mean they are actually good. Bad Lieutenant is no expectation. It is Herzog's stab at down and dirty film noir. At times there are hilarious moments like those brilliant moments with iguanas and the breakdancing soul. That kind of stuff asks for a twisted mind, but it is Nicolas Cage, once again, who is chewing the scenery and ends up ruining the film with his manical performance. I have always find that kind of screaming and shouting unnecessary. Also better known as method. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Daniel Day Lewis are all known for their method acting, but the cost is that their performances feel forced and unnatural. Somwhere behind all that shouting there lies a good film here, but Herzog is uncapable of showing it to us. Too bad, because this one really had potential.

• Dean !

  
  I recently watched the first Bad Lieutenant film, not sure if this is a sequel of sorts or not? It is no where near as dramatic as the first, but I actually prefer this version as it has a bit more structure to it and less random. Cage plays a cop who may do bad things but often it is… More
  I recently watched the first Bad Lieutenant film, not sure if this is a sequel of sorts or not? It is no where near as dramatic as the first, but I actually prefer this version as it has a bit more structure to it and less random. Cage plays a cop who may do bad things but often it is a means to an end. He has a drug problem, gambling and is walking a fine line on being the wrong side of the law. Can he redeem himself when a family of 5 is killed in a drug shooting. This is an enjoyable film, Cage's performance does get a bit trippy at times. Overall it's a entertaining film with a good story if not anything ground breaking.

• Kristijonas F

  
  An absurd and utterly hilarious black comedy with some "crime-drama" appeal, Bad Lieutenant stars Nicolas Cage as the titular bent cop - although the title doesn't do Mr. Cage's character any justice. The bizarre and unique direction from Herzog; Cage's epic,… More
  An absurd and utterly hilarious black comedy with some "crime-drama" appeal, Bad Lieutenant stars Nicolas Cage as the titular bent cop - although the title doesn't do Mr. Cage's character any justice. The bizarre and unique direction from Herzog; Cage's epic, off-kilter performance; Eva Mendes' gorgeous presence - all of these things have to be witnessed in action. One thing is for sure - this movie will leave you completely baffled.

• Everett J

  
  Probably the best performance by Nicolas Cage in a long time. He's a good actor, who usually goes over the top and is hit and miss in his movies. But here, his over the top antics fit his character perfectly. The supporting cast is very good and the movie has some very… More
  Probably the best performance by Nicolas Cage in a long time. He's a good actor, who usually goes over the top and is hit and miss in his movies. But here, his over the top antics fit his character perfectly. The supporting cast is very good and the movie has some very entertaining moments, and a couple "holy crap" situations. The biggest problem from making this a great movie, is it is too long. Cut out about a half an hour, and this movie would be a classic. Instead it drags,and goes about 15 minutes past where it should have ended. Glad I finally got around to watch it though.

• Zach B

  
  Now, this is a film that one can watch and have three opinions on: Watching this as a remake of the original staring Harvey Keitel. This as a stand alone film. Or this as a film staring Nicolas Cage as the main lead. Now, I mention Cage due to the fact that his most recent films of… More
  Now, this is a film that one can watch and have three opinions on: Watching this as a remake of the original staring Harvey Keitel. This as a stand alone film. Or this as a film staring Nicolas Cage as the main lead. Now, I mention Cage due to the fact that his most recent films of the past few years have shown him playing the exact same role nonstop in summer blockbusters and he, in return, gives a terrible performance. Here, he gives a performance that leaves this critic stunned and shocked that he did not get nominated for an Oscar. Now, about this being a remake, except for a few similarities, this film shows no bearing to the original what so ever except for the title, the main character, and some scenes. Other then that, for the most part, this is a film that lives and breathes on its own. Now, with direction, there is a problem: on a first time view, this film is slow pacing. I mean, it takes practically forever to get anywhere, and at a few times this two hour film felt like it took four hours to get anywhere. But, the acting is what mostly says sorry for the pacing. Like the previous film, every actor gives a memorable performance and one that drama/ film students should examine and learn to love. The script of this film is wonderful in the sense that it strays away from the Abel Ferrara original classic and gives life to its own. But what I like about it is how it shows the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, how drug trade became a serious issue down in New Orleans, and the effect it had on families and violence. Now, the score to this film is one of the best parts of this film. The score mixes influences of African traditional, Hispanic traditional, and regular scores so wonderfully that it just sets the mood for this film. Overall, if you want to see this film, then watch it for Cage's best performance to date and for how a remake (or re-imagining, which ever) is meant to be.

• Tsubaki S

  
  A great "karma is for idiots" movie. Herzog thinks bad flawed men can get away with almost anything, i think so too. Cage is in full over the top mode, i had a ton of fun. Or in other words: SUP DAWG, I HEARD YOU LIKE IGUANAS!

• paul o

  
  Probably one of the best recent roles of Nick Cage and I hate him so much! As a drugged up police officer in New Orleans, Nicolas Cage attempts to get away with gambling, screwing over his girlfriend's clients, and pissing everyone around him. Its pretty much Cage being himself… More
  Probably one of the best recent roles of Nick Cage and I hate him so much! As a drugged up police officer in New Orleans, Nicolas Cage attempts to get away with gambling, screwing over his girlfriend's clients, and pissing everyone around him. Its pretty much Cage being himself but it actually works. With a strange appearances from Val Kilmer and Xihbit, this is possibly the strangest but best movie for Mr.Cage in the past 5 years.

• Mark E

  
  an Ok film..Nicolas Cage is great but not quite sure why all the critics went so over the top about it..average storyline.

• Gordon A

  
  Unsatisfying mish-mash of tones and styles mirror a script mired with implausibilities, so the characters become caricatures playing out individual scenes. Cage's character in particular veers from saintly to demonic at will so you get no sense of who he is. The script pulls one… More
  Unsatisfying mish-mash of tones and styles mirror a script mired with implausibilities, so the characters become caricatures playing out individual scenes. Cage's character in particular veers from saintly to demonic at will so you get no sense of who he is. The script pulls one incredible stunt where 4 plot strands are turned on their head in seconds. As with all Herzog its never boring but after the success of 'Rescue Dawn' I think he'd be better retreating from the mainstream to the safety of his documentary work.

• familiar s

  
  Unpredictable? (What part? No, seriously.) Best performance by Nicolas Cage? What are these guys talking about? Did we watch the same flick? I'm not saying that it's a total crap. It's a trippy experience to an extent; nevertheless, it's interesting only in bits… More
  Unpredictable? (What part? No, seriously.) Best performance by Nicolas Cage? What are these guys talking about? Did we watch the same flick? I'm not saying that it's a total crap. It's a trippy experience to an extent; nevertheless, it's interesting only in bits & parts. The first half was too hard to endure, but it gains some momentum in the second half. All in all, the movie has a handful of amazing moments that add up to some 20-25 minutes of its total run-time. And regarding Nicolas, he's as wooden as ever, except for one or two scenes where he accidentally happens to act natural. The rest of the cast wasn't any great either.

• Greg S

  
  A corrupt, drug-abusing New Orleans cop finds himself deeply in debt to dangerous men and under investigation by his department in the course of investigating the massacre of an immigrant family, and must pull off several double crosses to clear his name and crack the case. Very… More
  A corrupt, drug-abusing New Orleans cop finds himself deeply in debt to dangerous men and under investigation by his department in the course of investigating the massacre of an immigrant family, and must pull off several double crosses to clear his name and crack the case. Very different and much more enigmatic than Abel Ferrara's NYC-set BAD LIEUTENANT; the underlying thriller plot is very involving, and Cage puts a great spin on the corrupt cop archetype, getting off the greatest gonzo line of the decade: "Shoot him again, his soul is still dancing!"

• Dan S

  
  A bizarre, nonetheless somewhat hypnotic film-watching experience concerning a dirty cop (Nicolas Cage) and how his addiction to drugs leads to a whole array of problems once he messes with the wrong people. Although it features the best Cage performance in some years (the last great… More
  A bizarre, nonetheless somewhat hypnotic film-watching experience concerning a dirty cop (Nicolas Cage) and how his addiction to drugs leads to a whole array of problems once he messes with the wrong people. Although it features the best Cage performance in some years (the last great one would be his turn in "Matchstick Men"), the movie seems all over the place. It doesn't give enough depth or seriousness to the case Cage is covering, and Cage's character itself outweighs anything he's investigating that might be amoral or disturbing. The supporting parts are wasted as well, especially Val Kilmer as Cage's supposed best friend, who we barely see. Although pieces of the film are definitely intriguing (Herzog trying to bring the noir-style back - very interesting), the movie feels somewhat aimless, with an unsatisfying conclusion to boot. If you do see it, see it for Cage's out-of-control, electric performance, which carries the film for sure, but not enough to say it's entirely worthwhile.

• Tim S

  
  This movie is the worst. Nicholas Cage has fallen. Acting unlike any other living human being on the planet is not acting. And I am really starting to wonder if Werner Herzog is overrated outside of his voice being used for narration. This movie is levels of awful. First of all, this… More
  This movie is the worst. Nicholas Cage has fallen. Acting unlike any other living human being on the planet is not acting. And I am really starting to wonder if Werner Herzog is overrated outside of his voice being used for narration. This movie is levels of awful. First of all, this script, if directed anybody else than "this genius" would be considered a B-grade cop film centered around post Katrina New Orleans. On top of that, the casting is the worst. Eva Mendes as a coke-addicted prostitute is laughable and, again, Cage is terrible. Then there is the cinematography which switches between close up shots of animals and then pretty much standard shots (which they should stick with). I could go into the whole New Orleans accent thing (the closest is the slurring that Val Kilmer does throughout the whole movie), but I'm over it. I am a huge fan of the Harvey Keitel version, so maybe I'm biased, but this movie is terrible.

• Mario L M

  
  Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is the most mainstream movie legendary director Werner Herzog has ever made. It's a fairly straight ahead genre picture. The film takes a wild and sleazy trip through post-Katrina New Orleans with Nicolas Cage, as a corrupt New Orleans… More
  Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is the most mainstream movie legendary director Werner Herzog has ever made. It's a fairly straight ahead genre picture. The film takes a wild and sleazy trip through post-Katrina New Orleans with Nicolas Cage, as a corrupt New Orleans police detective whose life spirals out of control after he permanently injures himself while saving a drowning man, as our guide. The film, despite its B-movie trappings and budget manages to be thoroughly entertaining and darkly hilarious. Cage plays the titular Bad Lieutenant as either high or jonesing for the length of the film. The look of manic glee on his face as he forces a young woman to have sex with him while her boyfriend watches or when he, in the film's best scene, demands his gang member business partners shoot a ruthless gangster after he has already been killed because "his ghost is still dancing" while Zydeco music screams on the soundtrack, give the film such an over the top, crazed energy that lets you know, despite the darkness of his actions, this is not to be taken seriously. Freed from even the smallest pretense of seriousness, Cage is more fun in this movie than he has been in years. The man has a gift for comedy and he shouldn't waste it on big budget crap like the National Treasure franchise when he could be so much better in low budget crap like this. The film occasionally pays lip service to its premise, trying weakly to establish that Cage is a stand in for the city as whole, damaged after Katrina and trying desperately to find his way back to normalcy, but the film only comes alive when Herzog is allowed to play. such as when he spends a few minutes showing an Alligator snapping it's jaws on the outskirts of a car accident or when he pans out over the eerily empty streets of New Orleans . His disinterest in conventional storytelling is most palpable when most of the films subplots are wrapped up in rapid fashion in one scene. He clearly wanted to get the plot details out of the wait as quickly as possible so he could get back to showing Cage tripping out and crackling wildly. That's not to say that the films only asset is Cage. It's also deeply funny watching veterans like Erma P .Hall and Deadwood alum Brad Dourif struggle to ground the film as Cage bounces around. A scene where Cage is questioning Hall almost doesn't work because of how realistically Hall reacts to Cage depriving an elderly woman of oxygen and brandishing his massive revolver, but Cage's fluctuating 30's mobster accent keeps the proceedings light. The only cast member who doesn't seem to into Cage's madness is his Ghost Rider co-star Eva Mendes. She seems only mildly interesting in the film, reacting the same way to being manhandled by a mobster and doing a line of coke. A more game actress would've made the film's clichéd cop/hooker with heart of gold romance a lot less of a slog. If you're a fan of Herzog's iconoclastic cinematic masterpieces like Fitzcarraldo or his recent efforts like Rescue Dawn, this film may seem a bit odd and it's altogether possible he directed this film in an effort to secure funding for his more personal films, there is a lot of the man in this film and much to enjoy from an unleashed Cage. Check it out for no other reason than to hear one of the best final lines in a movie ever.

• Mark W

  
  To remake Abel Ferrara's raw and gritty 1992 film "Bad Lieutenant" that had one of cinema's most daring performances from the brilliant Harvey Keitel would be foolish and unwise. In fact it would be lunacy. Thankfully director Werner Herzog and star Nicolas Cage… More
  To remake Abel Ferrara's raw and gritty 1992 film "Bad Lieutenant" that had one of cinema's most daring performances from the brilliant Harvey Keitel would be foolish and unwise. In fact it would be lunacy. Thankfully director Werner Herzog and star Nicolas Cage are well aware of this and produce something altogether different (with a fair amount of their own brand of lunacy). Set in New Orleans post hurricane Katrina, Lt. Terrance McDonogh (Cage) injures his back in an uncharacteristic moment of decency in helping a convict from drowning. This injury leads to a heavy reliance on drugs to get through each day but in his own words "Everythin' I take is prescription...except the heroine". Lt. McDonogh is indeed a "bad" one. He shakes down the local gangsters and innocent nightclubbers just to get his next hit and also has gambling debts spiralling out of control. Meanwhile, he is trying to look after his prostitute girlfriend (Eva Mendes) and alcoholic fathers dog while investigating the execution style murder of a Senegelese family and having hallucinations of Iguanas and dancing spirits. It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between Ferrara's and Herzog's films but aside from sharing the same title and having a corrupt cop as the protaganist, that's as far as the comparison goes. Herzog goes for a more humorous approach which in turn relies heavily on a solid performance from his lead actor in order for it to work. Thankfully, Nicolas Cage does not disappoint. He is brilliantly over the top and yet subtle in other ways and delivers his best performance in a long time. Cage's subtle moments of wincing and the stiffness in his movements, constantly remind you of the cronic pain his character is in. Not to mention his more outlandish behaviour when high on drugs. This is the Nic Cage of old and actually has you on his side, despite the fact that his character is one of the most unsympathetic he has played. Wonderfully depraved viewing.

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