One Tough Cop – MVD Marquee Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1998
Director: Bruno Barreto
Writer: Jeremy Iacone
Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Chris Penn, Gina Gershon, Michael McGlone, Luis Guzmán, Paul Guilfoyle, Amy Irving, Frank Pellegrino

Release Date: June 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Interlaced / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"When a nun is savagely raped and mutilated, Bo Dietl (Stephen Baldwin, The Usual Suspects) and his partner, Duke Finnerty (Chris Penn, Reservoir Dogs), track down the bad guys in the raw nerve that is New York's underbelly. Dietl's lifelong friendship with Richie La Cassa (Mike McGlone, The Bone Collector) helps. The ranking cappo of one of the biggest organized crime families in the country, Richie gives Bo access to the names and addresses he needs to solve the crime. This connection also puts Dietl under suspicion of the OCB and FBI agent Jean Devlin (Amy Irving, Carrie). Solving the most heinous crime in New York history ahead of the law enforcement hierarchy costs Dietl and Finnerty their badges. In this emotional crossfire, Bo betrays Richie by taking solace in the arms of his friend's ex-mistress, Joey O'Hara (Gina Gershon, Bound)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

One Tough Cop comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.6 GB

Feature: 21.9 G

No information about this transfer’s source is provided; there is some minor debris. Though the image generally looks crisp, there are moments when it lacks clarity. Colors look good, black levels fare well, there are no issues with compression, and there appears to be some digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. Though the audio comes through clearly and sounds balanced, it is lacking range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include TV spot #1 (15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), TV spot #2 (29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), TV spot #3 (15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a trailer (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include trailers for Knock Off, Terminus, and Zeroville.

Summary:

Bruno Barreto directed One Tough Cop. He’s known for Tati, The Kiss, and Four Days in September.

A detective investigates the violent assault of a nun while the FBI looks into his ties to a mobster's nephew.

This film is based on Bo Dietl’s biography One Tough Cop: The Bo Dietl Story, and if some of its narrative feels familiar, that is because Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant takes its inspiration from the violent assault of a nun that Bo Dietl investigated. Though the narrative does a superb job balancing Bo Dietl’s professional exploits and his personal life, it is the latter that does a better job holding your attention, while the moments revolving around his professional side are not as grounded.

The central theme throughout One Tough Cop is loyalty; when the FBI wants Bo Dietl’s help to bring down a childhood friend, he refuses even when they try to use his own past against him. Despite often walking a fine line, he never breaks the law to protect himself or those he cares about. He has two other key relationships: a love interest, the former lover, his childhood friend, and a short-fused partner with a mounting debt because of his gambling addiction.

The cast is solid, and they are all very good in their roles. Stephen Baldwin (The Usual Suspects) is cast in the role of Bo Dietl, and he delivers one of his better performances. The most memorable performance is Paul Guilfoyle (CSI), who portrays a loan shark named Frankie 'Hot' Salvino. Other notable cast members are Chris Penn (Reservoir Dogs), who portrays Dietl’s loose cannon partner; Gina Gershon (Bound), who portrays Dietl’s love interest; Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights), who portrays a gunman; and Amy Irving (Carrie), who portrays an FBI agent.

Despite being based on real-life characters and events, the only elements of One Tough Cop that are not fictionalized are Bo Dietl and the nun who is violently assaulted. Instead of viewing One Tough Cop as something reality-based, it is better described as a heightened version of reality. Ultimately, One Tough Cop is a character-driven drama that culminates with an explosive finale that ties up any loose ends.

The MVD Marquee Collection gives One Tough Cop a serviceable audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer