I enjoyed this much more than anticipated, although there are plenty of plot flaws and the Maniac Cop is somewhat passive, leaving much of the killing to a serial killer whom he befriends for whatever reason. Some of the action scenes were great, as well as the climax. A typical B-Movie.

Even though this movie is not as great as the first movie, that got released 2 years earlier, it still is a more than worthy sequel that is simply good fun to watch. The story is not as solid and tense or mysterious as the movie. In the first movie it's still being kept somewhat of a mystery who or what the killer exactly is. In this movie that of course is not the case anymore. It sort of gives the Cordell character even more room to just randomly kill a whole bunch of people, though his anger gets still aimed toward the police force.But they even threw in another serial killer this time. Guess it's not entirely necessary but it at the same time also prevents the movie from being a typical slasher flick with a standard story.It's a direct sequel to the first movie and it basically takes place the next day or so after the events of the first movie. It also features Bruce Campbell and Laurene Landon, who were the main leads in the previous movie. The leads in this movie are however still being played by some different actors, I guess to avoid to making this movie a rehash of the first one. Robert Davi and Claudia Christian are the new leads this time. Of course Robert Z'Dar is also back again as Matt Cordell. He's still an awesome main villain. It is true though that Robert Davi and Claudia Christian get somewhat pushed to the background, due to the movie its focus. So the movie is perhaps lacking a good real main 'hero'.It's not really necessary to watch the first movie. This movie on its one can be perfectly watched as a stand-alone one, also not in the least due to the extensive use of flashback sequences, containing scenes from the first movie, explaining all of the events prior to what happened in this movie its story and even explains Cordell history pretty much all over again.Bascily what makes this movie mostly so perfectly watchable is the fact that it's being fun. It's not as serious as the standard slasher-flick and it also features some good action once more, which was one of the most surprising things about the first movie as well. It's also directed by the same director, William Lustig, again, who also went on and direct the third movie in the series.A good and fun sequel to the great first movie!7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Maniac Cop 2 (1990) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Sequel to the 1988 cult film has the psychotic cop (Robert Z'Dar) back and this time he's killing any fellow officer that he can find. A detective (Robert Davi) knows who is doing the tricks and with the help of another officer (Claudia Christian) they try and track down the killer who is also working with a serial killer (Leo Rossi). In SCREAM 2 there was a long speech about everything a sequel had to do in order to measure up to that original film. Well, this is one example where everything in the sequel is bigger and better. This is a rather amazing little "B" movie that features just about everything you could fit into an 84-minute running time. We get some explosive action scenes, a great cast, great gore, non-stop violence and even a trip to a strip joint. There's certainly nothing CITIZEN KANE here but you can't help have fun with this thing that's all over the place in terms of craziness. Perhaps the best thing about the movie is its cast, which features some great "B" stars who turn in some wickedly entertaining performances. The rough looking Davi is playing the type of bad ass everyone loves him for. We have Z'Dar back as the killer cop and more physical and tougher than before. The supporting cast includes Bruce Campbell, Michael Lerner, Clarence Williams III and even Danny Trejo in a small role. Rossi does a nice job in the role of the serial killer but one only wishes Joe Spinnel, who was suppose to have played the part, had lived to do so. Lustig handles all the material extremely well and ends up delivering a nice little gem that fans of the genre or the first film are going to eat up. The highlight of the film has to be the ending where the cop goes back into the prison to take revenge on those who sliced him up. The added gore, violence and action makes this the best of the two films.

Embittered massive zombie cop Matt Cordell(Robert Z'Dar)is still carrying a grudge towards the police for those crooked few who set him up. The two who were able to survive from his clutches in the first film, cops Jack and Teresa(Bruce Campbell & Laurene Landon), in true slasher sequel form, are the first targeted before the maniac cop begins anew, killing cops who are attempting to do their jobs by attending to criminals or civilians(..such as a man whose car was being towed for being parked in an illegal spot). This time he has a new "nemesis" in wily and street tough Detective Sean McKinney(Robert Davi is perfect form as a noirish archetype, a man of few words who gets the job done)who joins forces with police psychologist Susan Riley(Claudia Christian of "Babylon Five fame)in tracking down Cordell. Susan was with Teresa when she was killed by Cordell, understanding exactly what he looks like and how dangerous(..and powerful) he can be..she herself survives being handcuffed to a steering wheel, hanging outside the car, as the vehicle moves down highways often almost being hit by other motorists in an exciting action sequence. The film also shows how police are after a serial killer, Turkell(..a grubby, barely recognizable Leo Rossi, burying himself under a beard and scraggly coiffure, stealing every scene, without restraint, just immersed in this unpleasant wacko)who targets strippers, and forms an unholy union with Cordell, who lends him escape from cops intruding upon his nearly killing another victim. Michael Lerner is Edward Doyle, the police commish who knows about the cover-up regarding Cordell, scoffing at the notion that an undead maniac cop is on the loose in his city. As usual, you have exceptional stunts and action coordinated by Spiro Razatos including the harrowing finale in Sing Sing prison as Cordell, engulfed in flames, going after those hoodlums responsible for scarring his face and killing him in the prison showers. In order to truly enjoy this, you have to look over certain rather ridiculous moments including the scene where Teresa comes at Cordell with a chainsaw and he's able to not only catch the spinning saw blade in his hand, but throw it to the side before snapping her neck. There's an amazing violent rampage through a precinct, reminiscent to The Terminator, where Cordell annihilates an entire police force. The film, despite Cordell's sickening violent acts towards the men and women in uniform, is considered a victim with the detective pursuing him, actually attempting to clear his name. For fans of The Chin, his departure is rather shocking, his role in the sequel a minor one.