Maniac Cop 2

The first mayhem run of maniac cop wasn't exactly great, but I still remember it, years down the line. I had very low expectations going into this one, and it turned out quite surprisingly fun! It's a self-serious slasher flick with some cool set pieces, awesome stunt work, good performances and general pacing. For those familiar with William Lustig - this movie might as well been called "Maniac vs. Maniac Cop".

We all know that at the end of a slasher movie, the unfound, assumed dead, killer is just hiding, taking his time to recuperate , you know, for the sequel. More or less, such is the story, Maniac Cop was wronged in his previous life, and he's back to continue doing his brutal bidding. Don't get me wrong, it actually picks up where the first installment left it, not like most slasher sequel examples. The film offers new protagonists, the no-nonsense low-voiced Detective Sean McKinney, and craving-for-truth police psychotherapist Susan Riley, hunting down the menacing Matt Cordell, or Maniac Cop, who has teamed up with Times Square Serial Killer, or a near carbon copy of Joe Spinell's insanely murderous main character in Lustig's 1980's "Maniac". What follows is reasonably predictable, but decently paced plot, kept consistently engaging with action set pieces, and throwback crime flick atmosphere, as if popped in the vhs player.

If it survives development hell, I hope Nicolas Winding Refn's remake brings to the table an upgraded version, also plot-wise, because there's potential in the concept, and it wouldn't be enough with just loads of violence. 6/10.

Hulking, undead officer Matt Cordell (Robert D'Zar) returns from his apparent watery grave to wreck yet more carnage in this entertaining sequel to the 1988 film.

Whilst in my opinion not quite on par with the original, this one nonetheless certainly ups the action sequences. Of special mention there is a truly superbly staged assault on a police station when Cordell crashes in (literally!) to liberate a deranged serial killer whom he has formed an acquaintanceship with. This scene easily surpasses the very similar sequence from The Terminator when big Arnie performs his own inimitable attack on the police station in that movie.

The spectacular finale here too set a new stunt record for the longest full body burning and it is truly a sight to behold!

Maniac Cop 2 (1990) is available for free on Tubi and picks up where Maniac Cop left off with Cordell still being alive and he immediately reignites his killing spree. A "renegade" police officer who is a bit of a vigilant reluctantly pursues Cordell because he doesn't believe it's really him. This movie is directed by William Lustig (Maniac) and stars Robert Davi (The Goonies), Claudia Christian (Half Past Dead) and Robert Z'Dar (Tango & Cash). The storyline for this picture is very entertaining for a sequel and delivers a very similar feel to the first film. The action scenes are solid and the characters on both sides are fun to follow. This isn't quite as good as the first film, primarily because Bruce Campbell is awesome and at times Davi was annoying, but you still find yourself glued to the film. Overall this is far from perfect but a must watch film for horror enthusiasts. I'd score this a solid 6-6.5/10.

Maniac Cop 2 happens to belong to a small, dying breed of sequels which are far superior to their predecessors! Maniac Cop 2 reunites several of the original Maniac Cop cast members including Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell, Laurene Landon, and Robert Z'Dar as the main title character.

Officer Matt Cordell, a.k.a. the notorious Maniac Cop (Z'Dar) is back from the dead. His primary targets are Campbell and Landon, two police officers who have thwarted the Maniac Cop's quest for revenge earlier. The Maniac Cop shows no mercy as he dispatches a good number of unfortunate victims who stand in his path of death and destruction...

No one believes the story of the Maniac Cop, except for Detective Sean McKinney (played by a woefully charming Robert Davi). McKinney is the only other Police Detective willing to go into the case of the "Maniac Cop." However, as Cordell continues to remain impervious to bullets and gunfire, his wraith only continues to grow...

Maniac Cop 2 is a superb, fast paced sequel with great car crashes and plenty of intensive action sequences! The shoot-out at the police station is a highlight with lots of mayhem and the climax at Sing Sing is undoubtedly exciting and nail-biting.

The biggest fault with Maniac Cop 2 is the lack of cynicism which helped boost Maniac Cop as a respectable thriller. Still, the rapid fire action in Maniac Cop 2 more than compensates for a dearth of originality or satirism. Maniac Cop 2 is fun, exhilarating, and well paced. A film worth seeing, if you can find it.

RATING: **1/2 out of ****.

Slasher / horror films throughout the 1980s were a big thing in its time. Many popular icons arose from that decade of which many still resonate with fans today. Several moviegoers remember the mainstream villains but there are also groups of people that remember the lesser known ones too. Of those, William Lustig's Maniac Cop (1988) was one of them. Although the concept itself borrowed ideas from past films like Halloween (1978), the idea of having a killer cop on the streets causing hysteria among the citizens of the local police force was rather inventive. The premise of corrupt cops has long been used before in movies, but an undead cop was another story. The other component that made it captivating to watch was that it played out like a mystery thriller. The maniac cop wasn't actually figured out until much later in the movie, which helped build tension to the reveal. And like any other successful movie opening, a franchise was created. Let's see how it holds up.

Larry Cohen (the writer from the original) pens the continuation of the story. William Lustig also returns in the director's chair, yet there are noticeable problems, this time a little more than the first. As it was revealed at the ending of the first movie, Matt Cordell, the maniac cop (Robert Z'Dar) is alive and returns to exact his mission. The only people who still believe he's around are the cop from past events Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell) and Teresa Mallory (Laurene Landon). Unconvinced of what they say, their captain, Edward Doyle (Michael Lerner) sends them to cop psychiatrist Susan Riley (Claudia Christian). Instead, Forrest and Mallory work to persuade Riley that Cordell exists. The only other person to think their actually telling the truth once he starts to see the puzzle pieces align is Detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi). This is fine for a premise, but as soon as this is set up Lustig and Cohen add extra unnecessary elements.

Cohen and Lustig's biggest mistake was mixing in an assistant to the maniac cop. Leo Rossi plays a serial killer named Turkell and he ends up teaming up with Cordell; to a point where he can communicate with him (via one-sided conversation). This would have been much more entertaining if Rossi wasn't so over the top in his performance. There's actually more focus put on Turkell than Cordell at certain points. This movie is called Maniac Cop 2 (1990) right? Also at one point, Turkell asks Cordell about his past and viewers are given the exact same flashback from the original Maniac Cop (1988) film. Even another jail mate named Blum (Clarence Williams III) joins Turkell and Cordell, but has very little significance. This is all just padding, it's not story telling. Lastly, there's a rushed subplot about some inside conspiracy dealing with Cordell and his death. The problem is that it comes from nowhere so abruptly; it's confusing as to why Cohen didn't mention it in the original movie script.

Among these problems, everything else is commendable. The cast can all act well together. Bruce Campbell and Laurene Landon are still believable in their roles, Robert Davi and Claudia Christian make nice additions and there are a number of other actors that have small roles. Charles Napier, Danny Trejo, Marco Rodriguez and even Sam Raimi make quick appearances and it's enjoyable to see that. Robert Z'Dar as the title character continues to intimidate with his stature and presence. It's still confusing as to why nobody ever thinks of shooting Cordell in the face though. Everyone aims for the abdomen; not the face, why? For violence, nothing is seriously gore heavy but there are still some good kills. There's even a scene with a chain saw that may catch people off guard due to what's expected. One thing's for sure, the maniac cop loves snapping necks. Cordell's face is much more hideous this time too. There was only one scene though where it looked like a cheap mask.

For cinematography, James Lemmo handled the camera-work. Lemmo was also the cinematographer to director Abel Ferrara's Ms. 45 (1981), Fear City (1984) and also to the original Maniac Cop (1988). Like the first movie however, there are very few (if any) daylight scenes. It's fine to show night time, but it gets a bit difficult to see things when everything is shrouded in the dark city. Nonetheless the camera is always steady and gets what it needs to show. Jay Chattaway returns as well to compose the film score. Much like his previous effort in the franchise, Chattaway thankfully maintains the main theme of the series with synth keyboard and drawn out ominous horns. There are added themes though, which may not have been crucial to include. This involves a church-like choir in the background for some tracks. Yeah, there's always that idea that putting in holy or childlike songs in a minor key sounds creepy but it makes the film feel like it was supposed to have a religious tone. Not sure.

Casting, music and violence all make this sequel watchable. It is disappointing however when majority of the original crew members return and shift the focus from the title character to some other forgettable over the top one. There's also a rushed subplot about Cordell's case and it gets wedged in way too quickly. Still decent though.