Director – William Lustig (Maniac, Vigilante)
Starring – Robert Davi (The Goonies, Predator 2), Claudia Christian (Babylon 5, Quantum Leap), and Robert Z’Dar (Easter Sunday, Spring Fever)
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 3.5/5
UHD Release – 4/5
I love a good sequel. Hell, I even love a half-assed sequel. Most genre fans are quick to bash a sequel, prequel, remake and reboot without letting the film speak for itself. If the film sucks we still have the original film to fall back on. However, if the new one is good we now have an additional film to watch . The first Maniac Cop is a historic slasher that combines the standard slasher formula with the look and feel of late 80s action flicks. The fact that it was produced by Larry Cohen and directed by William Lustig should also be noted.
I first saw the film about ten years ago when I found the film on VHS and sometime later snagged the sequel on DVD. The trilogy was one of my first reviews when I started writing and a series of films that has stuck with me all these years later. When Blue Underground sent out the press release for the UHD release of Maniac Cop 2 I was all about it. I quickly reached out to them for a review copy which they were kind enough to hook me up with. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert** The film picks up with the maniac cop, Matt Cordell (Z’Dar) escaping in the water after the events of the first films. Officer Jack (Campbell) is released from his involvement but he suspects that Cordell’s killing spree is not over. When a new series of murders breaks out Detective Sean McKinney (Davi) starts investigating and eventually uncovers that Cordell was arrested and convicted after he got too close to a group of dirty cops including their current commissioner revealing that his set up is why he has returned from the dead to kill officers. **Spoiler Alert**
Maniac Cop 2 is one of the sequels that holds up just as well as the original film. It builds upon the story from the first film while furthering the the story in a way that not only made it entertaining and not predictable. This is a fantastic sequel that plays perfectly as a back to back double feature with the original.
The acting here is great and actually a little better than the first film. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adored Tom Atkins are the detective in the first film but this go around we get more Z’Dar as Cordell with a little more personality and screen time along with Davi delivering a great performance as a different detective. We also get an outstanding performance from Claudia Christian who never disappoints as well. I really enjoy seeing her pop up in films that I’m not expecting.
The story for this one takes a deeper look at Cordell and how he became the bloodthirsty cop killer. It doesn’t make him out to be the monster that he is in the first film but it makes the original story make a little more sense. I liked it a lot and sets itself up for even more possibilities to follow. With that being said, it does trip over it’s feet a few times but it regains it’s traction before fumbling.
Finally, the film has some classic deaths with some solid practical effects and good bit of blood. We also get a better look at Cordell and his make-up effects look great. He might not be as iconic as Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorehees but I really do love the look of this character and the make-up effects are top notch. Overall, Maniac Cop 2 is a fantastic sequel and a seriously underrated slasher. The UHD release from Blue Underground is damn near perfect. The video and audio is great and the supplemental material is a great addition to this release. I highly recommend snagging this one especially if you have never seen this follow up to William Lustig’s cult classic.
Special Features:
Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director William Lustig and Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
Theatrical Trailers
Isolated Music Track
Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director William Lustig and Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
Back On The Beat – The Making Of MANIAC COP 2
Cinefamily QA with Director William Lustig
Deleted Scene
Theatrical Trailers
Poster &; Still Gallery
Isolated Music Track
Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director William Lustig and Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
Back On The Beat – The Making Of MANIAC COP 2
Cinefamily Q&A with Director William Lustig
Deleted Scene
Theatrical Trailers
Poster & Still Gallery
Isolated Music Track
