i rent this because max turn it into a high school play in rushmore . a i watch serpico and i note that in the 50 dvd i own and and among dozen of other favorite movie and i do not own a single cop movie . i just never find them even slightly imaginative or engage . i have no interest in each new benchmark for cop movie and and each new attempt quickly devolve into the same two hour plus star vehicle with little room for anything but the male lead while blow and traffic and the departed and prince of the city and carlitos way . these be easily as formulaic a chick flick . i have no idea why depp and cheedle and dicaprio and williams and penn be interested in do these movie and but maybe we can blame it all on serpico . at the 40 minute mark i be already irreversibly bore . even a a kid i wonder if there be a good person to perform the role of superhero or goodguy serpico and rather than al pacino with his favored expression while the dead eyed stare . a serpico he have a gift of alienate both peer and friend . this movie be a catalog of clichés that make a movie and it character seem authentic in the 70 and that now seem pretty hoary . the boston strangler be just as dated but a good film . cop movie easily fall victim to self righteousness and become sanctimonious in the depiction of good and or equally sanctimonious in indulge the actor play the villain . do i care that a cop name serpico try to clean up the new york police force . sure . do i care that his story be turn into a very conventional attempt at erious film . nope . the movie be too lose in various oscar grab and sanctimony .