I know it's contrary to what we're used, but "Black Cobra 2" is a lot better than "Black Cobra 1". Hooray! We found a rarity: a sequel that surpasses the original. This wasn't very difficult to accomplish, however, as the original was a complete mess of a film! The first was just a cheap attempt to cash in on Stallone's violent action flick "Cobra", but this movie actually has an ambitious plot, a half-decent narrative structure, light bulbs to brighten up the film sets and Fred Williamson who looks at least somewhat interested in the script. He returns as the unorthodox Chicago copper Robert Malone. For some reason, the opening sequences really accentuate that the film takes place in Chicago. There are shots of the Chicago Sun Times, the central station and Williamson himself even wears a jacket of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. After another umpteenth showcasing of his ruthless – but highly effective – working methods, Malone is forced to participate in a police exchange program. He's sent to The Philippines, where he falls under the command of Manila Interpol lieutenant McCall. One day later, Malone finds himself in trouble already, when they discover the assassinated body of a pickpocket artist who stole his wallet at the airport. Before they properly realize, Malone and McCall are caught up in a web of deceit, kidnapping, extortion, hired mercenaries and even terrorism. In many ways this is a typically annoying 80's movie, because it features irrelevant padding footage (bamboo dancing, anyone?), a pathetic romantic compilation and a lot of painfully awful "comical" interludes. It's also incredibly slow in places, with overlong boring investigations and completely unexciting fight sequences. Fred Williamson perhaps looks very tough, with his gigantic mustache and even bigger cigars, but he really sucks at Kung Fu moves! The climax is laugh-out-loud hilarious, as it includes the preparation of something what appears to become the biggest and most adventurous operation in the history of action cinema, but eventually Malone and McCall are just set out to kill three guys in two minutes.
