Cobra is a 1986 crime film directed by George P. Cosmatos and starring Sylvester Stallone, Reni Santoni, Brigitte Nielsen, and Andrew Robinson. The film received negative reviews. However it was a theatrical success and debuted at the number one spot on the U.S. box office.^[2]

The screenplay by Stallone was originally written for the film Beverly Hills Cop. It was loosely based on the novel Fair Game by Paula Gosling, which was later filmed under that title in 1995. He had wanted to make a less comedic, more action-oriented film. When he left that project, Eddie Murphy was brought in to play the lead role.^[3]

Plot[link]

Marion Cobretti, codenamed "Cobra", (Stallone) is a police officer from a division of the Los Angeles Police Department known as the "Zombie Squad". He is called into a hostage situation at a grocery store when negotiations fail. Cobretti kills the gunman, but before his death the criminal mumbles of a New Order: a group of Neo Fascists who believe in killing the weak and leaving only the strongest and themselves to live and rule the world.

As the bodies are removed from the supermarket, Cobretti is admonished by Detective Monte (Andrew Robinson) for his seeming disregard for police procedures and protocols. At the time, what is not known is that the supermarket event is connected to a string of recent and seemingly unconnected acts of violence and murder that have broken loose in Los Angeles perpetrated by the same supremacist group mentioned by the supermarket gunman.

After witnessing several individuals, including the Night Slasher (Thompson), who is the Order's leader at the scene of one of the murders late at night, Ingrid Knudsen (Nielsen) a model, becomes the target of the group because she was the only living witness to their crimes. After one attempt on her life, she is placed under the protective custody of Cobretti and his partner, Sergeant Tony Gonzales (Santoni). After several attempts are made on their lives by various individuals, Cobretti theorizes that there is an army of killers operating with the same modus operandi, but his suggestion is rebuffed by his superiors. The LAPD decides it will be safest if they relocate from the city.

Cobretti becomes romantically involved with Ingrid shortly after venturing out into the countryside, but one of the Order's leaders (who is a police officer traveling alongside the Cobretti party) reveals the location of their whereabouts; despite Cobretti's suspicions and mistrust of the officer, he does nothing and stays the night in a motel. The Order moves in at dawn and besieges the small town in which they are staying. With barely enough time to react, the attackers storm the motel room Cobretti is in with Ingrid, wounding Gonzales in the process. Killing several members but with more swarming into the town, Cobretti and Ingrid escape in a pickup truck. After the truck becomes severely damaged, the two travel on foot into a lemon grove and escape into a nearby factory.

Cobretti has most of the Order killed or disabled by this point, but there are still a few members who follow them into the building. After eliminating every member except for the Night Slasher, Cobretti and the leader ultimately engage in a deadly hand-to-hand duel inside the steel mill, ending with the Order's leader being impaled in the back by a large roaming hook and burned alive by Cobretti.

In the aftermath, Cobretti's department arrives and begins clean-up of the town, giving medical aid to Gonzales; the Order is all but eliminated. Detective Monte appears apologetic but confronts Cobretti again about his lack of regard to police protocols. Cobretti punches Monte, and the ending credits begin as Cobretti and Ingrid climb onto one of the motorcycles left by the Order and ride away.

Cast[link]

• Sylvester Stallone as Lieutenant Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti
• Brigitte Nielsen as Ingrid Knudsen
• Reni Santoni as Sergeant Tony Gonzales
• Andrew Robinson as Detective Monte
• Brian Thompson as Night Slasher
• John Herzfeld as Cho
• Lee Garlington as Nancy Stalk
• Art LaFleur as Captain Sears (as Art La Fleur)
• Val Avery as Chief Halliwell
• David Rasche as Dan
• Nick Angotti as Prodski

Reception[link]

Cobra was a critical failure, with review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reporting that only 13% of critics gave the film a positive review.^[4] TV Guide said that "Stallone's character is an empty hulk; the few attempts to provide us with little insights into his character are downright laughable."^[5] It was nominated for six Razzie Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Sylvester Stallone), Worst Actress (Brigitte Nielsen), Worst Supporting Actor and Worst New Star (both for Brian Thompson) and Worst Screenplay.

Box office[link]

Cobra debuted at the box office at No.1 and was a huge financial success with a Memorial Day weekend debut of 15.6 million.^[2]

Music score[link]

An audio cassette and vinyl version were released on September 21, 1988, followed by a CD which was released in 1992 as the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.^[6]

1. "Voice of America's Sons" - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
2. "Feel the Heat" - Jean Beauvoir
3. "Loving on Borrowed Time" - Brian Short
4. "Skyline" - Sylvester Levay
5. "Hold on to Your Vision" - Gary Wright
6. "Suave" - Miami Sound Machine
7. "Cobra" - Sylvester Levay
8. "Angel of the City" - Robert Tepper
9. "Chase" - Sylvester Levay
10. "Two into One" - Bill Medley & Carmen Twillie

See also[link]

Film portal

• Fair Game

References[link]

External links[link]

• Cobra at the Internet Movie Database
• Cobra at Box Office Mojo