Fred "The Hammer" Williamson headlines the cast in this low-budget Italian take on Stallone's COBRA. Here, Williamson is the good guy, a hard-ass DIRTY HARRY-style cop who'll do anything to blow the bad guys away. His enemies are a crew of mismatched bikers, led by a muscle guy wearing the same mirrored sunglasses that Stallone wore as the hero in COBRA. That's all you need to know about this film, really. Anyone who's familiar with Italian action films of the 1980s will know what to expect: a ton of overblown cheese, hilarious dialogue and a general lack of originality all round.
However, there's something I really enjoyed about this movie, which keeps things moving along swiftly with plenty of shoot-outs and car chases to enjoy. Fred Williamson is also at the top of his career, and he offers the type of performance that movie goers love: tough mannered, tough talking and quick to shoot and ask questions later. The opening sequence with the hostages at the swimming pool is a case in point: As Detective Malone (and wearing SHAFT's leather trenchcoat), Williamson is ordered to go in and negotiate, but instead he draws a pistol and shotgun and blows the baddies to kingdom come. If that's the kind of thing you like watching, then this film is for you.
The plot is somewhat nonsensical and the bit about the fashion photographer being stalked by the criminals is just an excuse for the female lead's character. Instead, the fun comes from focusing on the action. There's a nicely-staged hospital shootout that makes inventive use of a wheelchair and a gore effect when a cop is blown away by the villains. The major action set piece is located at a deserted quarry or somewhere similar and is pretty involving, recalling the grand old days of Italian cop cinema in the 1970s, such as the film MANHUNT. Watch out for the enjoyable stunt that's performed by Williamson himself – okay so it's not particularly dangerous, but it's nice to see the actor doing his own work. I thought that was the end, but no, there are further, fun action bits.
There are plenty of the head-scratching moments that Italian rip-offs are famous for. Watch out for the bit in the script where Malone talks like DIRTY HARRY – literally, with his "how many bullets do I have left?" speech. Enjoy the cheesy synthesiser score that occasionally sounds like something out of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS during the suspense scenes. Laugh as the film-makers try to convince you they filmed in New York, not Italy, by incorporating bits of stock footage (or perhaps location shooting) here and there. Director Stelvio Massi learned his craft through decent '70s polizia flicks like FEARLESS and CONVOY BUSTERS and proves to be the perfect man for the job here. Grimaldi, who looks like Yancy Butler in HARD TARGET, is an awful actress and really doesn't have a great deal to do in the film. Better is Bruno Bilotta (DEMONS 2) as the main bad guy; wisely, he keeps his mouth shut for much of the film and therefore he has something of an imposing presence. Sword and sorcery regular Sabrina Siani (CONQUEST) is on hand in a minor role as a kidnapped daughter, although she keeps her clothes on this time.
BLACK COBRA is nothing new, but it's a pretty decent example of the late '80s Italian crime film. There are beatings galore, some dodgy car chases, lots of cop-on-criminal showdowns and cheap sets everywhere you look. The film was successful enough to spawn three sequels retaining this film's title, which implies that "black cobra" is Williamson's nickname rather than the name of the gang of bikers in this movie. Fans of '80s nostalgia will have a ball.
However, there's something I really enjoyed about this movie, which keeps things moving along swiftly with plenty of shoot-outs and car chases to enjoy. Fred Williamson is also at the top of his career, and he offers the type of performance that movie goers love: tough mannered, tough talking and quick to shoot and ask questions later. The opening sequence with the hostages at the swimming pool is a case in point: As Detective Malone (and wearing SHAFT's leather trenchcoat), Williamson is ordered to go in and negotiate, but instead he draws a pistol and shotgun and blows the baddies to kingdom come. If that's the kind of thing you like watching, then this film is for you.
The plot is somewhat nonsensical and the bit about the fashion photographer being stalked by the criminals is just an excuse for the female lead's character. Instead, the fun comes from focusing on the action. There's a nicely-staged hospital shootout that makes inventive use of a wheelchair and a gore effect when a cop is blown away by the villains. The major action set piece is located at a deserted quarry or somewhere similar and is pretty involving, recalling the grand old days of Italian cop cinema in the 1970s, such as the film MANHUNT. Watch out for the enjoyable stunt that's performed by Williamson himself – okay so it's not particularly dangerous, but it's nice to see the actor doing his own work. I thought that was the end, but no, there are further, fun action bits.
There are plenty of the head-scratching moments that Italian rip-offs are famous for. Watch out for the bit in the script where Malone talks like DIRTY HARRY – literally, with his "how many bullets do I have left?" speech. Enjoy the cheesy synthesiser score that occasionally sounds like something out of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS during the suspense scenes. Laugh as the film-makers try to convince you they filmed in New York, not Italy, by incorporating bits of stock footage (or perhaps location shooting) here and there. Director Stelvio Massi learned his craft through decent '70s polizia flicks like FEARLESS and CONVOY BUSTERS and proves to be the perfect man for the job here. Grimaldi, who looks like Yancy Butler in HARD TARGET, is an awful actress and really doesn't have a great deal to do in the film. Better is Bruno Bilotta (DEMONS 2) as the main bad guy; wisely, he keeps his mouth shut for much of the film and therefore he has something of an imposing presence. Sword and sorcery regular Sabrina Siani (CONQUEST) is on hand in a minor role as a kidnapped daughter, although she keeps her clothes on this time.
BLACK COBRA is nothing new, but it's a pretty decent example of the late '80s Italian crime film. There are beatings galore, some dodgy car chases, lots of cop-on-criminal showdowns and cheap sets everywhere you look. The film was successful enough to spawn three sequels retaining this film's title, which implies that "black cobra" is Williamson's nickname rather than the name of the gang of bikers in this movie. Fans of '80s nostalgia will have a ball.