Black Cobra

BLACK COBRA (1987)

Directed by: Stelvio Massi
Screenplay: Danilo Massi
Starring: Fred Williamson, Eva Grimaldi & Karl Landgren

Fun if ridiculous Italian actioner starring Fred Williamson, Black Cobra is eighties uber cheese made the way only Italians new how to. Williamson is tough talking, hard as nails, ridiculous sweater wearing cop, Robert Malone, who is assigned to protect a witness to a murder committed by a ruthless motorcycle gang. Well, I say ruthless but camp is perhaps more of an appropriate approximation. The leader is done up all like The Terminator and pouts more than he snarls, they seem pretty inept at getting anything done and they want to get a picture the witness took of the leader back so he can’t be fingered for the crime, despite the fact everyone already knows who he is, the picture already published in the paper and that he has already been fingered for the crime. Idiot. Really, it’s lucky he still goes after the pic and the witness as there would be no movie and it gives the picture a good excuse for some fine shotgun action.



Williamson, despite the ridiculous sweaters his character wears (I guess his mum knitted them for him, so much respect to a tough as nails cop who is comfortable wearing silly jumpers while blowing the hell outta folks) is as cool as ever, striding through proceedings with a confident smirk and massive shotgun. In fact, he is so confident and cool; he says he will only take the case if the witness moves in with him. What? Surely that’s against all kinds of police protocol and ethical standings? Not so in the world of Italian made American cop movies. Plus she’s a hot babe and he’s a cool dude, so it kinda makes sense. Despite all the general silliness, badly dubbed dialogue and Williamson’s sweater, Black Cobra still manages to dish up a healthy serving of hard hitting action. A gun fight in a hospital and Malone taking out a bunch of idiot terrorists in a swimming pool are punchy and pacy and an all out shoot up at the end features a bunch of explosive shotgun action. It also features perhaps the most inept henchman in movie history. Running out of the way of Williamson’s superior shooting skills he neglects to notice the giant (and I mean, giant) pipe on the ground in front of him, stepping on it, flipping it up into his face and knocking himself out cold. Genius, not to mention hilarious. A henchman that realizes the futility of fighting Williamson and gives up by just knocking himself out with that old standing on a rake gag. Worth seeing the movie alone for.