Black Cobra 2

BLACK COBRA 2 (1988)

Directed by: Stelvio Massi
Starring: Fred Williamson & Nicholas Hammond

As daft as the first Black Cobra was it’s a masterpiece compared to the even dafter sequel. Returning star Fred Williamson made a ton of these cheap jack Italian action flicks, some fun, some not. Black Cobra 2 is by no means good in anyway but is perhaps so bad it is actually awesome. I got a lotta love for Fred Williamson and enjoy his films but Black Cobra 2 is inept and dull with the unintentional comedy value the only thing it’s got going for it. Williamson looks tired and possibly in some pain (one stunts seems to show him actually hurting his back mid stunt) though it’s always cool to see him striding about smoking a cigar and shooting things up. He has some groovy support this time around from one time TV Spiderman, Nicholas Hammond. Bless him, he actually tries, overacting somewhat as the too serious white cop Williamson is partnered with in Manila. Yep, this time Fred’s no nonsense cop Malone is shipped to Manila to solve some crime or something meaning it’s a non stop barrage of action and destruction. I wish. The complete opposite actually as pretty much bugger all happens.



About as lame as action pics get, Black Cobra 2 goes nowhere fast climaxing in the most unconvincing action finale ever. Williamson and Hammond come up with the ‘awesome’ plan to infiltrate a building by spending fifteen minutes climbing up an elevator shaft for the sole purpose of shooting three terrorists and rescuing some hostages we never see. The scene drags on for an age as the two fumble about the shaft and it’s made all the more pointless by the fact they could have just gone up the stairs, or actually taken the elevator, and still surprised the terrorists and saved the day. Definitely a contender for the worst action scene ever. The rest of the action, when there actually is any, is just as lame (check out the extremely badly choreographed fight at night) and the flick pretty much a waste of time. It does have two minor things going for it. An awesome bullet to the head of a motorcycle crook at the beginning where his whole helmet literally explodes. Why couldn’t the rest the action be this good? And much like the hilarious bad guy stepping on the pipe and knocking himself out in the first film, Black Cobra 2 also has an infamous unintentionally funny scene. Upon arriving in Manila, Williamson is greeted by some dude in a suit. He simply says welcome to Manila and notifies Williamson that he also lives in Manila. Then disappears for the rest of the flick. Brilliant. I think he actually pick pockets Fred or something but I was too busy laughing to notice. Again, worth seeing the flick just for that.