If you’re interested in either of the two insane pieces of cinema Werner Herzog completed this year, you’ve probably seen the crudely cut, sales-type trailer for Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans that surfaced earlier this year. Now there’s a real, ‘meant for audiences’ trailer and, until the last few seconds when the iguanas and ‘dancing soul’ stuff hits, it almost looks…sane. Almost. Check it out after the break.

If you read the straight-up synopsis, which follows, the movie does almost sound like a regular cop film:

The main character is Terrence McDonagh, a New Orleans Police sergeant, who starts out as a good cop, receiving a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for heroism during Hurricane Katrina. During his heroic act, McDonagh injures his back and later becomes addicted to prescription pain medication. McDonagh struggles with addictions and finds himself involved with drug dealer Big Fate, who is suspected of murdering a family of African immigrants.

But then there’s the weird stuff, like the singing iguanas, and the over the top performance from Nic Cage. Reviews out of Toronto were mixed. They typically highlighted the film’s entertainment factor, but frequently also said it was a bit of a mess. (Though not so much so as the much faster and messier My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, Herzog’s other film for 2009.)

The possible creakiness doesn’t surprise me; a lot of people have conveniently forgotten how creaky some of Herzog’s late ’90s / early ’00s films could be. That’s not a knock against him; Herzog is obviously interested in striking while the iron is hot, and sometimes that leads to a lack of polish. I’m thinking specifically of Invincible, if you need an example. But I can take the creakiness if the movie is as entertaining as some have suggested; the end of this trailer indicates that it just might be.

Yahoo has the trailer in HD if the lil ‘ol embed below isn’t good enough for you.