Black Cobra 2 (1988)

Cobra Nero 2

Cast:

Fred "The HAMMER" Williamson is Lt. Robert 'Bob' Malone
Nicholas "Late 1970s, Amazing live action Spiderman!!!" Hammond is Lt. Kevin McCall
Emma Hoagland is Peggy Mallory
Najid Jadali is Asad Cabuli
Ned Hourani is Mustapha

What the box says:

Robert Malone is back, this time with a partner (Nicholas Hammond). While Malone is in the Phillipines, his wallet is stolen by a pickpocket.

However, as he investigates the theft, he and his new partner begin tounravel an increasingly thicker plot beyond just simple theft. A nonstop action romp, Black Cobra 2 will keep you thrilled until the credits roll.

Plot:

That looks like a 1970s movie title to me...

Night, the police try to make a bust in another TOO DARK TO SEE scene. Lt. Bob Malone chases after a biker. The chase breaks down to a foot chase when the biker gets a hostage. Lt. Bob promptly pulls out his gun and blows the biker away with a 357 caliber salute.

At the police station, the captain chews out Bob before getting the bright idea of sending him on a Interpol program to Manila, Philippines.

At the Manila airport, Bob has a little conversation with a guy. Afterwards, he realizes his wallet was stolen. Bob meets his partner Lt. Kevin McCall. Oh, this is the Odd Couple of police partners…McCall explains how guns are only used in emergencies.

Bob looks through the mug shot books and finds the pickpocket. Finding his address, they go to pay him a visit and find the man dead in his apartment. Learning, the man had a daughter, they go to talk with her, Peggy.

Later, Kevin takes Bob to meet his wife and kid. Wow, Stuffy cop of the Odd Couple taking his wild partner to meet the family, this is so Lethal Weapon.

Bob goes to talk with Peggy again at the club she works at as a lounge singer in another TOO DARK TO SEE scene.

I have only eyes for you... She explains that her father sent her a baggage claim receipt for a bag with $10,000. Suddenly, some guys chase Bob and Peggy in another TOO DARK TO SEE scene. Bob or his stunt double wails on the goons.
I've fought everyone from World War 2 to the post apocalyptic wasteland. The police pull up, they were trailing Bob.

Kevin chews out Bob. They get a lead on the car and check with the head of the oil company that owned the car. The company’s president, Assad Kaburi, denies knowing anything.

Bob takes Peggy out on a date. Let the local color culture ensue.

On a very special Redneck Wedding. While talking, Bob realizes she’s hiding something. But the dance show starts.
1,2. Freddy's coming for you...3,4. Better lock your door... Later, he drops Peggy off.

Some goons shoot the guard on stakeout at Peggy’s place. More TOO DARK TO SEE scenes before the goons grab Peggy.

Bob is going to handle things his way. Kevin talks him into following his lead when requestioning Assad Kaburi. In another TOO DARK TO SEE scene, Bob roughs up a goon. Kevin takes him away. The goon calls Kaburi.

Kevin bugged the phone and learns about Kaburi interested in the microfilm. Kevin and Bob realize the oil company’s ships must be tied into whatever’s going on.

Goons shoot at Kevin’s car. Bob leaps into action and let the gunfight ensue. They head to the dock.

At the dock, the goons are carrying Peggy away. Bob lets the lead fly before just settling things with his fists. Find the bag with the microfilm.

Kevin and Bob head to the hospital to question Kaburi.

Terrorists take over a school where Kevin’s son attends. They demand their captured leader and members to be released.

In another TOO DARK TO SEE scene something happens. Kubari gets shot or the terrorist leader commits suicide?

Outside the school, Bob is going to take out the terrorists with Kevin’s help. TOO DARK TO SEE scene, commando Bob and Kevin ensue. Springing into action, they defuse the explosives and eliminate the terrorists.

Later, at the airport, Bob is about to head home. Kevin, his wife, and son see him off. Oh, the Odd Couple of police have bonded and are friends.

What I say:

While the original Black Cobra was part of Italy's Stallone cobrasploitation sub-genre, because Italy hasn't met a film genre that couldn't be milked dry. If you haven't had much experience with Italy's tributes, rip-offs, to certain movies it is kind of hard to believe they jump from one movie to inspire the sequel. These rip-offs are normally cheezy but still something that has to be respected about them for their flagrant stealing of other movies.

Black Cobra 2 went in another direction inspired by the 1987 blockbuster: Lethal Weapon. Technically, Cobra and Lethal Weapon are the 1980s police action movies. While Stallone's was more Dirty Harry by way of Rambo. Lethal Weapon was the buddy cop action movie that has inspired practically every buddy cop movie since to the point of parodying itself (Lethal Weapon 4). Stuffy uptight cop who's partnered with a cop who's the second coming of Dirty Harry.

Williamson is best known for being one of the bigger Blacksploitation film stars like Richard Roundtree. He is known for movies like Black Caesar and Hell Up in Harlem. Unfortunately by the late 70s and early 1980s, American films had practically gone past him. However, the Italian film industry had hired him for a number of low budget movies like Warrior in the Wasteland. They hired Fred "The Hammer" Williamson for the Black Cobra.

I've spent quite a bit of time talking about Fred "The Hammer" Williamson..(If I had a nickname like that I'd expect others to acknowledge me by it...) Almost to the point of ignoring his co-star: Nicholas Hammond. He was one of the Sound of Music kids. While someone running around singing the "Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music" as Fred guns down bad guys would definitely be entertaining, that isn't why he's remembered. However, for B-movies and genre entertainment, he will be forever known for another role...Spiderman...Spiderman does whatever a spider can... OK, Spiderman without the coolest theme song. He's Peter Parker from the late 1970s CBS series or the 2 hour edited movies that used to run on cable through the mid 1980s. Hammond in this movie is basically playing the Danny Glover role in Lethal Weapon without mumbling how he's too old to handle this stuff. How much like Danny Glover? He's trying to ride herd on his partner (the lone wolf cop who doesn't play by the rules), introduces him to his family, even has a kid kidnapped by the bad guys, and learns that by teaming up they're able to save the day.

Most of the footage is so washed out I expected to see a bleach commercial attached. Granted, the infamous TOO DARK TOO SCENE was very prevalent in this movie. The TOO DARK TO SEE scenes give several things that are hard to believe. The 5 pictures above in my plot recap, I had to brighten the images. The picture of Peggy, the singer, after brightening it, the strange thing is that she looks like an entirely different woman. Of course, one of the fight scenes I'm not sure if it Fred "the Hammer" Williamson or a stunt double. Even scenes that were given decent lighting for this movie were hard to see. With half the movie completely incomprehensible to the human eye, keeping track of certain things is impossible. The goons are almost on a Stormtrooper level of the same identity.

This movie used so much stock footage years earlier than 1988, I almost thought this movie came from the 70s if it hadn't had a synthesizer in the movie theme. Doubt that they would have actually included anything that would have been easily spotted. Though, to most people a city is like any other city except when certain landmarks are thrown into for us to be informed where the action is happening like the Statue of Liberty. Just a few random city shots and as long as Wrigley Field isn't shown, we wouldn't know the city was meant to be Chicago. The same principle works for Manilla and is far easier because most people in the US have no idea about any recongnizable landmarks in Manilla.

The ties that thing the plot together are thinner than any of Spidey's webs. First wandering around to retrieve a stolen wallet leads to a some sort of terrorist scheme. Honestly, by the end, it was so hard to follow what actually was happening. Near the end, the terrorists almost pop up out of nowhere. First it was implied tthe bad guys were some sort of weapon smugglers associated with the terrorists. However, they seem to have vanished entirely. Imagine True Lies if the terrorists had not been acknowledged until just appeared right before Arnie flies off in the Harrier jet, that's the way the plot of Black Cobra 2 without any redeeming values. The best thing that can be said is at least it's better than the infamous "in-action" movie, Massacre.

Quotable Dialogue
"The real reason os they think I'm violent."
"Fireworks have already started."
"You're a pretty good bamboo dancer."
"I didn't want your wife mad at me."
Morals of the Story
Biker helmets are very inconspicious.
Synthesizers make excellent chase music.
English is the natural language of the Phillipines.
Gunshots in the arm are always "scratches."
Hostages must be carried over ones shoulder.