Blu-ray Review: MANIAC COP 2

 
MANIAC COP 2
Directed by William Lustig
Written by Larry Cohen
Distributed by Blue Underground

I am a pretty big fan of the first MANIAC COP film.  I hadn't seen it until I reviewed it on this blog a couple of years ago  (see that review here).  So needless to say, I had never seen the two sequels of the film. I have never known too many sequels that matched the original in terms of enjoyment, let along surpass the original, but I really think MANIAC COP 2 managed to do this!  It is at least as good as the original, but I would go as far as to say this one is even better. I enjoyed it more, anyway.  Here is the basic plot of the film from the Blue Underground website:

  The "Maniac Cop" is back from the dead and stalking the streets of New York once more. Officer Matt Cordell was once a hero, but after being framed by corrupt superiors and brutally assaulted in prison, he sets out on a macabre mission of vengeance, teaming up with a vicious serial killer to track down those that wronged him and make them pay... with their lives!

  This was a very cool film with a simple plot, just the maniac cop going around killing people, but it was done so well that you have to give it credit when it comes to the cinematography and general camera work.  That is the one thing that really stuck out for me was the camera work, something that normally goes unnoticed and under appreciated in most films.  There were a couple of car chase scenes that were done remarkably well, leading me to ask myself how there were able to get some of those camera shots.

  I also liked that the maniac cop had some more creative kills in this film, my favorite being when he handcuffs a woman to the steering wheel of a car through the window  (she was standing outside the car), then puts the car in neutral and pushes it down the downhill street!  This was another instance of some great camera work and some great stunt work as you could tell this was actually a performed stunt, not a computer trick or green screened.

  I would encourage you check out MANIAC COP 2, especially if you are a fan of the first film.  MANIAC COP 2 is available now on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and contains the following
special features:

*  Audio Commentary with Director William Lustig and Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
*  Back On The Beat - The Making Of MANIAC COP 2
*  Cinefamily Q&A with Director William Lustig
*  Deleted Scene
*  Theatrical Trailers
*  Poster & Still Gallery
*  Isolated Music Track
*  Enhanced for D-Box Motion Control Systems


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack