In the end, as Herzog emphasized after a heated dispute with Abel Ferrara, this film is not a remake of the 1992 film starring Harvey Keitel. Thank goodness, I say, because otherwise the comparison for poor Herzog would have been ruthless. The plot is filled with twists and turns that unravel in the finale with incredible ease, almost magically. It’s a weak film, crammed with rhetoric, where the only redeeming quality is the great effort (at least that) that Nicholas Cage puts into playing the bad lieutenant. Not to mention the beauty of Eva Mendes. Other talented actors and character actors like Michael Shannon (first and foremost), Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk, and even Xzibit are also wasted. The best part is the setting in a New Orleans that is desperately trying to recover after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
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