Movie Review: Cobra
As a lover of B-movies and cheesy action, I have to say 1986’s Cobra is something of a comfort film for me. The starkly simple moral view it presents right from its opening credits with crime statistics, is deeply appealing. All society needs to solve the epidemic of violent crime is more tough guys with submachine guns like hardboiled “Zombie Squad” detective Marion Cobretti, played here by Stallone. Sly fits the part like a glove mixing his trademark stoicism and minimal dialogue humor to create an easy to root for protagonist. The action scenes are fun too if hilariously unrealistic.
Brian Thompson, with that unforgettable villainous face of his, does a great job as the serial killer antagonist “Night Slasher.” Brigitte Nielsen is also decent as Cobra’s love interest, a model named Ingrid in witness protection. Their romance is quite rushed but it’s not a surprise for an 89 minute film. In truth really the movie just needed to be longer. It needed to either lean into its R-rated B-movie identity with another action scene or fan service, or it needed to slow down and develop the villain and rivalries between the different police factions. The rather stripped down final product is still pretty entertaining but outclassed by many of its contemporaries. Still, overall, pretty good.
Grade: B
