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.

I'm a big fan of the first 'Maniac Cop' movie, which has one of THE great exploitation taglines - "You have the right to remain silent. Forever." Once again director William Lustig ('Maniac', 'Vigilante') and writer/producer Larry Cohen ('God Told Me To', 'Q The Winged Serpent') team up for this better than you'd expect sequel. Robert Z'Dar reprises his role as Matt Cordell the "maniac cop", but like the original the supporting cast steals the movie from him, and in this case are the main reason to tune in. B-grade legend Bruce Campbell and Cohen regular Laurene Landon from the first movie put in an appearance, but the rest of the cast is new - Robert Davi (Bond baddie in 'License To Kill'), and Claudia Christian (then best remembered for her bit in 'The Hidden', now for her recurring role in 'Babylon 5') as cops, and Leo Rossi ('The Accused') as a creepy serial killer who befriends Cordell. Michael Lerner ('Barton Fink') plays the Commissioner, Charles Napier ('Supervixens') a TV host and Clarence Williams III ('52 Pick-Up') a prisoner. Also keep an eye out for cameos by Lustig's pal Sam Raimi and Hispanic tough guy Danny Trejo ('From Dusk Til Dawn'). Many people, including William Lustig himself, think 'Maniac Cop 2' is the best in the series, but I still prefer the original. This one's still great fun to watch and I highly recommended it to exploitation fans. The third movie in the series however was a major disappointment. You'd be better off skipping it and watching Lustig and Cohen's overlooked 'Uncle Sam' instead. It isn't their best work but it's a lot of fun.

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.

Robert Z'Dar returns as the super cop, turned maniac cop; Matt Cordell in this surprisingly good sequel to the surprisingly good 1988 horror-thriller, Maniac Cop. This time, however, he's not alone in his fight against the police force as he's found an accomplice; the local serial killer. This movie is probably the quintessential late-night video rental in the late 80's to early 90's - not only is it pure B-grade schlock rubbish, but it's a sequel to pure B-grade schlock rubbish; and you don't get much more B-movie than that! (except maybe a second sequel, of course).

The directing and writing/producing team of William Lustig and Larry Cohen return to helm this movie, and do a good job as they did in the first. The acting in this film isn't good, in fact, certain scenes are downright embarrassing; but you don't go into a sequel to an 80's schlock fest expecting great acting, so it's forgivable. The majority of the cast from the first film met grisly ends, but the two survivors; B-movie god, Bruce Campbell, and Laurene Landon reprise their roles. Unfortunately, however, their roles in the movie are little more than cameo appearances; Bruce Campbell in particular is not at his charismatic best. In The Evil Dead films, and a lot of his small cameos in bigger films, Bruce approaches his roles with great heart and gusto and you can really tell that he's enjoying himself; but here, I was getting the impression that he couldn't be bothered. I got this impression somewhat with Bruce's performance the first film too. Of course, his role in the Maniac Cop films is nothing like the Ash that we all know and love, but B-movie fans have come to expect a certain kind of performance from Bruce and that wasn't what he gave in the first movie. Naturally, his mere presence is enough to make a film a must see, though. Laurene Landon enjoys herself a bit more, and gets to use the greatest melee weapon in the history of movies; the chainsaw. The chainsaw is such a brilliant weapon, it almost takes on a life of it's own. Any movie that utilises the chainsaw commands your respect, even if it only gets a brief appearance as it does in this movie. The only other thing that returns from the first is the incredible tagline; 'You have the right to remain silent...forever', which is quite simply; one of the best taglines ever written.

The rest of the cast is new to the series. Robert Davi, who is a very good actor, takes over Bruce Campbell as the new leading man. Davi portrays his character; a hard-bitten New York with a gruff voice and no messing persona brilliantly, and very much looks the part. Also new is Claudia Christian, who pretty much does what Laurene Landon did in the first film, and Leo Rossi enters the fold as Matt Cordell's newfound friend, who also happens to enjoy strangling strippers. Also; watch out for blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos from Danny Trejo and Sam Raimi.

Just like in the first film, a foreboding New York atmosphere is created, which lends the film a creepy and distinct atmosphere, particularly in the nighttime scenes. Also like the first film, the sequel features several instances of lovely black humour, portrayed best by Maniac Cop saving a man from a parking ticket, and then taking the traffic officer away...literally, on the back of his crane truck. The film also doesn't let up for a second; it stays entertaining for the duration and the action comes thick and fast, which ensures that the film stays entertaining. There is also a theme of justice, and it's pitfalls, which is heavily referred to at several points in the movie. Of course, this point is lost somewhat under the violent gun battles; but the fact that the movie is actually trying to convey a point is admirable from a film that you wouldn't expect any kind of meaning from.

Overall, Maniac Cop 2 is a lovely piece of B-grade cinema. As a technical project, it's pretty worthless, but it's very entertaining and fans of this sort of film will find lots to like about it. As a fan of the original, this sequel satisfied me and therefore I recommend this to anyone that is also a fan of the original.

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 ****.