tomgillespie2002 Picking up immediately where the events of the first film left us, Maniac Cop 2 is one of those rare examples of a sequel surpassing its predecessor in almost every way. Of course, this is hardly The Godfather Part II or Toy Story 2, but, with an increased budget and B-movie maestro Larry Cohen back on writing duties, director William Lustig pulls out all the stops to deliver a hugely entertaining, if formulaic, slasher follow-up. Jack (Bruce Campbell) and Teresa (Laurene Landon) are also back, although they don't last very long, as we are replayed the climax of Maniac Cop, where the seemingly bullet-proof psychopathic ex-cop Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) was last seen in the driver's seat of a van heading straight into the sea.Naturally, Cordell's body is nowhere to be found and he is soon spreading terror once again across New York City, gunning down an innocent convenience store clerk who was in the process of being robbed. Deputy Police Commissioner Edward Doyle (Michael Lerner) doesn't believe Jack and Teresa's wild claims of the disgraced and heavily-scarred former officer returning from the dead, until they are both brutally murdered and the body count starts to rise once again. Enter tough, chain-smoking detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi), who is currently undergoing psychiatric evaluation by Susan Riley (Claudia Christian) following the suspicious death of a criminal he was hunting. Meanwhile, serial killer Steven Turkell (Leo Rossi) is murdering strippers. His path soon crosses with the vengeful Cordell, and the two become unlikely roommates.Maniac Cop 2 offers little in the way of originality. If you've ever seen a slasher film, then you'll likely be able to guess most of what happens next in the story, although it does throw in the surprise of killing off its previous two main characters without batting an eyelid. What it does offer, however, is a number of memorable set-pieces, including a woman handcuffed to the wheel of a moving car whilst she is outside of it, and a pretty astonishing climax involving a prison rampage and a full body burn, which looks as though it must have been tricky to film. Larry Cohen also writes the characters with his trademark quirkiness, with Lerner in particular appearing to be having a blast, and Davi providing a more compelling leading man than Campbell. There is still no explanation to what exactly granted Cordell his superhuman powers, but we are given more insight into his background, despite his rather odd friendship with a scumbag you expect to see hacked apart within seconds of appearing on screen. Maniac Cop 2 offers way more than is expected of a sequel to an 80's slasher.

breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com 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.

Scarecrow-88 Embittered massive zombie cop Matt Cordell(Robert Z'Dar)is still carrying a grudge towards the police for those crooked few who set him up. The two who were able to survive from his clutches in the first film, cops Jack and Teresa(Bruce Campbell & Laurene Landon), in true slasher sequel form, are the first targeted before the maniac cop begins anew, killing cops who are attempting to do their jobs by attending to criminals or civilians(..such as a man whose car was being towed for being parked in an illegal spot). This time he has a new "nemesis" in wily and street tough Detective Sean McKinney(Robert Davi is perfect form as a noirish archetype, a man of few words who gets the job done)who joins forces with police psychologist Susan Riley(Claudia Christian of "Babylon Five fame)in tracking down Cordell. Susan was with Teresa when she was killed by Cordell, understanding exactly what he looks like and how dangerous(..and powerful) he can be..she herself survives being handcuffed to a steering wheel, hanging outside the car, as the vehicle moves down highways often almost being hit by other motorists in an exciting action sequence. The film also shows how police are after a serial killer, Turkell(..a grubby, barely recognizable Leo Rossi, burying himself under a beard and scraggly coiffure, stealing every scene, without restraint, just immersed in this unpleasant wacko)who targets strippers, and forms an unholy union with Cordell, who lends him escape from cops intruding upon his nearly killing another victim. Michael Lerner is Edward Doyle, the police commish who knows about the cover-up regarding Cordell, scoffing at the notion that an undead maniac cop is on the loose in his city. As usual, you have exceptional stunts and action coordinated by Spiro Razatos including the harrowing finale in Sing Sing prison as Cordell, engulfed in flames, going after those hoodlums responsible for scarring his face and killing him in the prison showers. In order to truly enjoy this, you have to look over certain rather ridiculous moments including the scene where Teresa comes at Cordell with a chainsaw and he's able to not only catch the spinning saw blade in his hand, but throw it to the side before snapping her neck. There's an amazing violent rampage through a precinct, reminiscent to The Terminator, where Cordell annihilates an entire police force. The film, despite Cordell's sickening violent acts towards the men and women in uniform, is considered a victim with the detective pursuing him, actually attempting to clear his name. For fans of The Chin, his departure is rather shocking, his role in the sequel a minor one.

Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW) He's back again! Officer Matt Cordell(Robert D'Zar) is back on the streets again making a killing in law enforcement. Since the first "Maniac Cop" some of the city's finest were actually corrupt. Those who confessed lost their badges or worse their lives. Oh well. This time, he teams with a serial killer, and they are a powerful team. Somewhere in the middle, Cordell gets rid of the killer, and goes after the ones who kill a policewoman. That kinds of put something new into the ring. Not only does he have to find his killers in prison, he has to find who killed the cop. To me, I don't think it would be any problem at all. Since he's unstoppable, it would take an army to bring him down, and the criminals aren't safe either. They fall like dominoes. Imagine, those who lose their lives in the line of duty get their just dues at a funeral, for Cordell, he just won't stay dead. This movie will leave you on the edge of your seat, and the suspense is just right! 3 out of 5 stars!