Cobra

Sylvester Stallone Director: George Pan Cosmatos George Pan Cosmatos

Overview

Crime is the disease and Sylvester Stallone is the cure in Cobra, a high-octane rehash of the Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry films, burnished to a 1980s action sheen. Stallone is Marion Cobretti, a cop called in when regular police methods have failed. Cobra is sent to get a cult of Charles Manson-like serial killers and to protect Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen), a beautiful, statuesque witness who is set to testify against them. Cobra deposits Ingrid in an out-of-the-way town for safe-keeping, but a mole in the police department tips off the killers. The gang comes racing into town to get Ingrid, but Cobra is there waiting for them, ready to spring into action.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/22/2019
UPC:	0826663192933
Original Release:	1986
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sales rank:	18,635

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sylvester Stallone	Marion Cobretti
Brigitte Nielsen	Ingrid
Reni Santoni	Gonzales
Andrew Robinson	Detective Monte
Lee Garlington	Nancy Stalk
John Herzfeld	Cho
Art La Fleur	Capt. Sears
Brian Thompson	Night Slasher
David Rasche	Dan
Val Avery	Chief Halliwell
Marco Rodriguez	Supermarket Killer
Christine Craft	TV Reporter
Bert Williams	Comdr. Reddesdale
Ross St. Phillip	Security Guard
Nick Angotti	Prodski
Nina Axelrod	Waitress
Kevin Breslin	Supermarket Kid
Roger Aaron Brown	Policeman #2
Malik Carter	Night Guard
Louise Caire Clark	Woman in Car
Deborah Dalton	Nurse #2
Laura Drake	Murdered Waitress
Ken Hill	Garage Bystander
Fred Lucky	Sketch Artist
Robert Martini	Apartment Killer #1
Dorothy Meyer	Nurse #1
Jim Wilkey	Apartment Killer #2
Leslie Morris	Reporter #1
Claire Nono	Reporter #2
Joe Fowler	Reporter #6

Technical Credits

Sylvester Stallone

Wendell E. Wellman

George Pan Cosmatos	Director
Tom Bronson	Costumes/Costume Designer
James D. Brubaker	Executive Producer
Yoram Globus	Producer
Menahem Golan	Producer
Adrian H. Gorton	Art Director
Assheton Gorton	Production Designer
James R. Symons	Editor
Bill Kenney	Production Designer
David F. Klassen	Set Decoration/Design
Terry J. Leonard	Stunts
Silvester Levay	Score Composer
Tony Munafo	Associate Producer
William Ladd Skinner	Art Director
Sylvester Stallone	Screenwriter
Joy Todd	Casting
Ric Waite	Cinematographer
Wendell E. Wellman	Screenwriter
Don Zimmerman	Editor

Editorial Reviews

Sylvester Stallone's Cobra is the epitome of ultra-violent '80s cop flicks. Made just a year after their collaboration on Rambo, director George P. Cosmatos takes the action star to new cheese levels with the character of Marion Cobretti, a hard-nosed cop that -- surprise, surprise -- does not play by the rules. With his mirrored shades and a match in his teeth, Cobra lives to be the one renegade cop to end all others. Seen in this light, the flick is a glorious example of violent masculinity that could only exist in the Reagan Era -- in fact, Stallone even has a framed picture of the esteemed president in his office! Looking back, the film couldn't be any more stereotypical -- there's the hero's amped-up vehicle that gets trashed before the film is done, never mind the expendable partner, corny one-liners, and constantly pissed superior officers. What Cosmatos brings to the film is his firm grasp on action directing that's highlighted with fine stunt work and superior choreography (as evidenced in the pickup truck chase in which Sly is mowing down evil biker cultists). The cult in question puts an interesting spin on the flick, as it gives the film a misogynist horror edge that might have stemmed from the slasher pics of its time. In the villain role, Brian Thompson is perfect as the hulking maniac -- even if he repeated this same performance one too many times afterward (most notably in 1988's Alien Nation). In the end, the problem with the film lies in its nature, which will easily not gel with audiences looking for anything other than a slick '80s pic with Stallone spewing one ridiculous line after another as he struts around in tight blue jeans, blowing things up and smooching his then model wife-turned-horrible actress, Brigitte Nielsen -- but then again, if they're not watching Cobra for that, then what's the point?

All Movie Guide - Jeremy Wheeler