Rampart

2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)
Set in the 1990's when scandal rocked the LAPD's Rampart division, the film follows fictional cop Dave Brown, played by two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Woody Harrelson, a man who has taken the "no guts, no glory" American mythos to heart, without questioning what it is doing to him and those ... he holds dear.
  • Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ned Beatty
  • Directed by: Oren Moverman
  • Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
  • Release year: 2012
  • Studio: Lightstream Pictures
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Product Details
Synopsis: Set in the 1990's when scandal rocked the LAPD's Rampart division, the film follows fictional cop Dave Brown, played by two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Woody Harrelson, a man who has taken the "no guts, no glory" American mythos to heart, without questioning what it is doing to him and those he holds dear.
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ned Beatty
Supporting actors: Sigourney Weaver, Robert Wisdom, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, Brie Larson, Anne Heche, Jon Bernthal, Ice Cube, Cynthia Nixon
Directed by: Oren Moverman
Genre: Crime, Drama
Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: Details
Release year: 2012
Studio: Lightstream Pictures
MPAA Rating: Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence
ASIN: B008053RF2 (Rental) and B007D93HM4 (Purchase)
Rights & Requirements
Rental rights: 3 day viewing period Details
Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details
Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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Theatrical Release Information
  • US Theatrical Release Date: Feburary 15, 2012
  • MPAA: Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence
  • Production Company: Lightstream Pictures, Waypoint Entertainment, Third Mind Pictures, The, Amalgam Features
  • Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA

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Customer Reviews

Overall the movie story line left many loose ends. gg  |  23 reviewers made a similar statement
I would prefer comedy or action movies. MBSL560  |  11 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 45 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty cop drama... the utter loneliness of it all March 3, 2012
Format:DVD
"Rampart" (105 min.) brings the story of Dave Brown, an LA cop going off the tracks, played by Woody Harrelson in an outstanding perfomance. In the beginning of the movie, Brown tries to keep his personal life together, as complicated as it is with 2 kids he has from 2 women who happen to be sisters, and they are all living together. At a certain point, Brown gets involved in a car accident (accidental? set up?) and after the other driver tries to get away, he beats the driver exessively and just happens to get caught on tape.

Things get worse from there, and I don't want to give away much more from the plot, but suffice to say, Brown gets more and more isolated, even as he meets other women in his life. The whole movie is pretty much downbeat, and exposes the utter loniless of the Woody Harrelson character, leading eventually towards the open-ended conclusion of the movie.

The first hour was sorta long in the build-up, but the last 45 min. really shine. This movie has an incredible all-star cast besides Harrelson, with juice performances from Robin Wright, Ned Beatty, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, and Ice Cube. But special mention in my book goes to Brie Larson in the role of Harrelson's troubled teenage daughter. In all, quite a movie, although certainly not for everyone. Still, "Rampart" is highly recommended!
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35 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
The tagline for Rampart reads "The most corrupt cop you've ever seen on screen," a statement which can only be true if you don't watch too many movies. Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) is certainly a corrupt cop, but he's far from the most corrupt cop. Cops much more corrupt, more sympathetic and more compelling have been seen onscreen before. Chalk this up to a failure of marketing.

Rampart is the second film by Oren Moverman, following his brilliant 2009 film The Messenger. That film also starred Woody Harrelson, among several others in this cast, and scored him an Oscar nomination. This nomination likely arose from his strengths as an actor, as well as the strengths of the film. Had Rampart been a stronger film he may have gotten a deserved nomination for his work here too. Moverman co-wrote the screenplay with James Ellroy, the well-regarded crime novelist who knows his way around police-driven Los Angeles stories. The film succeeds in presenting its main character as an amoral cop without reason. Dave Brown is not driven by the typical conventions of a corrupt cop movie, existing as he is for no discernible reason. That's certainly an interesting twist, but not everything else falls together so perfectly.

The setting is Los Angeles, circa 1999. Dave Brown is a controversial figure around the police department, having allegedly murdered a serial date rapist years earlier, earning him the nickname "Date Rape Dave." His home life isn't any more conventional. He has two daughters, born to two sisters (Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche) who regard him passively. Things begin to implode when Dave beats a motorist who has wrecked into his car and is caught on tape. An investigation is launched which threatens Dave's entire way of living.

Many familiar faces fill the supporting roles. The film co-stars Sigourney Weaver, Ice Cube, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, and an unrecognizable Ben Foster. It's Harrelson and his gaunt appearance that stand out the most. This is a blistering performance, possibly his best, with much more depth than the film itself.

Rampart is well-made with some great acting, but it fails to fully engage. In presenting a character with no moral center it fails to give the audience an emotional center to latch onto. Certainly it does try to make Dave Brown sympathetic with the smallest amount of contrivance as possible, but watching it feels like going through the motions. Nothing in the film feels powerful enough. The ending especially is a point of complaint. As is increasingly typical with independent films, there isn't much of an ending. There's nothing wrong with an abrupt conclusion when it makes a poignant statement about what's lead up to it, but here it feels inappropriate. There's not enough closure. Whatever Moverman and Ellroy were trying to say about their character hasn't come full-circle.

This is a forgettable movie with a performance at the center of it that deserves better. The screenplay is what ultimately fails the film as it feels like Moverman shot the first draft. A bit of polishing, refining the edges may have worked in the film's favor. While Harrelson is given the chance to explore untainted areas of his acting range and that's something worth seeing, you may ultimately walk away from Rampart wishing it was more conventional.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Not What It Looked Like May 22, 2012
Format:Amazon Instant Video
The trailer/preview is the best part of the movie. Harrelson is great, but there is no "tense" "action" really in the film. A couple of gritty moments, but that's it and a lot of unresolved plot lines that go nowhere. It doesn't even have the decency to spiral all the way downward and end in some kind of self-implosion or something. Anything.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars The Dark sideof Policwork.
Woody goes to an evil place to portray the bad cop. A slice of life with no redeeming qualities. I enjoyed it but I don't think this movie is for everyone, especially if you like... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Jose E Santana
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring to the extreme
This movie has no real plot, no action, and terrible acting. I kept waiting for something, anything to happen, but it never did. I want my time back.
Published 22 days ago by James M. Boitano
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring!
Don't waste your time or your money on this film at the end all you will want is the hour and a half of your life back.
Published 1 month ago by Brabass
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible
Woody is woody, the writing really sucks. Just fails to take off as a movie. I don't often rate anything 1 star but this one deserves it.
Published 1 month ago by Dylan Hall
1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible, just plain horrible
This is by far one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I couldn't make it through the entire movie I was so bored. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mercedes
1.0 out of 5 stars Boring!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, if I could have only given it 1/2 a star I would have. Bad acting, bad script and all around bad and boring movie!
Published 2 months ago by Angela
3.0 out of 5 stars No action
Its a OK movie, not that much action. The ending is not that great either, but it has a good story to it.
Published 2 months ago by Diego
1.0 out of 5 stars I really thought it would be better
I am a huge Woody Harrelson fan and interested in anything and everything that deals with the LAPD. So naturally I was drawn to this movie. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SUPERMAN
3.0 out of 5 stars A slice in the life of a burnt out cop
A slice in the life of a burnt out cop with not much of a beginning and no definitive ending. It just kind of leaves you hanging... so then what happened? Read more
Published 2 months ago by Smokin' Joe
2.0 out of 5 stars waste of time
movie did not grasp my attention and I would not push it on anyone, maybe for the right veiwer but not my style
Published 2 months ago by Josh Benning
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