gary oldman was miscast

You’re in the minority on this one (no question). But I kinda get where you’re coming from. Though I've come to better appreciate Oldman as Stansfield myself (his supposed improv moments are great), I always felt he should have been more subtle in this film. I get that his character is a loose cannon (he’s certainly supposed to make everyone around him uncomfortable), but if you ask me at times he was more unintentionally comical than threatening & serious as Stansfield. His accent is also a bit inconsistent and overall his acting feels all over the place that I dare say he comes off as a caricature of himself at times (he’s no stranger to giving some very over-the-top performances and chewing the scenery, of course).

Fighting words, I know, but… forget it. He’s a blast in this! XD No I still don’t think he’s 100% masterful like many find him to be in this, although he gives a performance that’s highly memorable alright. Hard to imagine the film without him.

I actually see odd similarities to Walken's character in Nick of Time. Kind of a tightly controlled, murdering psychosis going on between both characters .

I think Oldman is great in this film, even though the accent does seem to slip a little - but Walken is a very interesting idea.

Agree. Totally should have cast Nick Cage.😏

I thought he was a net positive. Very good, if not perfect, performance. A lot of New Yorkers and other people with "accents" tend to have "mixed" accents, because the commonality and social mobility of accents is dynamic and changes over time. So in that sense, the accent really wasn't that horrible. Christopher Walken would have been a bit too old and not a good fit, IMHO.

I thought Oldman was terrific in the role. He is good at playing psychos and that is exactly what this bad guy was.

I don't think Oldman's performance in Leon/The Professional is even close to being his best, but every film buff I know thinks it is. Stansfield is a widely loved villain, and those of us who don't adore him seem to be in the minority. That said, Oldman does deliver a few really good, quotable lines in the film.

Gotta disagree. Oldman was perfect here.