Cobra (1986) - 4K Ultra HD Analysis

      Cobra, 1986.

      Directed by George P. Cosmatos.

      Starring Sylvester Stallone, Andrew Robinson, Brigitte Nielsen, Reni Santoni, Brian Thompson, Art LaFleur, and Lee Garlington.

      SYNOPSIS:

      An unconventional cop employs unorthodox tactics to track down a murderer known as the Night Slasher and his gang.

      After giving Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 sci-fi action movie Demolition Man a 4K UHD release last year, Arrow Video has once again sifted through his filmography and deemed 1986's Cobra worthy of the same meticulous treatment. If you’re a Stallone enthusiast, it’s likely you’ll agree with this decision.

      Stallone stars as Marion ‘Cobra’ Cobretti – indeed, that’s correct – a rebel cop affiliated with The Zombie Squad (no, I don’t have a clue either) who doesn’t adhere to the usual rules. Cobretti is the man you call when standard officers can't handle a situation, and he is enlisted by Captain Sears (the excellent Art LaFleur) to investigate a series of murders carried out by the Night Slasher (Brian Thompson), the leader of a cult called The New World. This group believes that eliminating the weakest members of society will allow only the strongest to thrive and seize power.

      After witnessing a murder by the Night Slasher, model Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen) is placed under police protection, but while Cobretti and his partner Tony Gonzales (Reni Santoni) attempt to pursue the cult leader within the framework of the law, the Night Slasher locates and assaults Ingrid. This prompts Cobretti to tackle the case in his own way by taking her out of town and using her as bait for the cult, leading to a violent confrontation with the Night Slasher.

      As quintessentially mid-1980s as it gets, Cobra is both thrilling and unintentionally amusing. Much has been discussed regarding Stallone's initial casting as Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop and his desire to mold it into a Dirty Harry for the ‘80s—despite continued Dirty Harry films being released—which led him to depart from the project when producers sought a comedic angle. There are also tales of Stallone allowing his ego to take charge by transforming Paula Gosling's novel A Running Duck (later retitled Fair Game) into the script and insisting on being credited as the author on future editions of the book, all adding to the film's lore. Ultimately, Cobra has remained a prime example of ‘80s action cheese that continues to entertain.

      The movie brims with Dirty Harry references, as Cobretti himself serves as a modern embodiment of Clint Eastwood’s tough character, with Reni Santoni portraying a partner to Harry Callahan from the original 1971 film. Additionally, Andrew Robinson portrays Cobra’s adversary, Detective Monte, a traditional cop who openly criticizes Cobretti's ruthless techniques. Interestingly, the initial script for Cobra included a twist revealing Monte as an undercover member of The New World at the film's conclusion, but this was altered for a more satisfying ending for audiences, given Robinson’s portrayal of the character.

      Although Cobra is a blend of influences from other action films – with one of Cobretti’s iconic lines borrowed from Steve McQueen’s The Reivers – and every 1980s trope imaginable, it possesses a distinct personality; where else do you see a character cleaning his gun while slicing pizza with scissors? How many action films feature the lead actor’s actual vehicle as the protagonist’s car (rest assured, the destroyed ones were replicas)? And what other action movie would include a montage of Cobretti and Gonzales searching red-light districts for their target while ‘80s pop-rock plays and Brigitte Nielsen parades around partially undressed in front of a robot? Because it was 1986, and that’s simply what happened.

      So, is Cobra worth acquiring in 4K UHD? As is often the case with such upgrades, it largely depends on whether you already own it on Blu-ray and how much improvement the new image quality offers. With Cobra, the HDR10 color grading enhances the vibrancy of the police car lights and the fiery ambiance of the climactic confrontation in the metal factory while maintaining clear details and avoiding excessive darkness in dimly lit scenes. It's not a drastic upgrade from previous versions, but it is noticeably enhanced, revealing more instances of Pepsi product placement you may have overlooked.

      However, the bonus features are where this disc excels, including not just the archival audio commentary by director George P. Cosmatos, which is one of the most amusingly unintentional commentaries ever recorded. There are two new commentaries – one by critics Kim Newman and Nick de Semlyen, and another by film scholars Josh Nelson and Martyn Pedler – with insights about production rumors, the TV cut of the film featuring