Cobra

Name: Cobra
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 23, 1986
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 25
Cast: Brigitte Nielsen, Sylvester Stallone

1986

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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7.5

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7.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 65 Ratings

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Cobra

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Movie Details & Credits

Cannon Film Distributors | Release Date: May 23, 1986 | R

Starring: Brigitte Nielsen, Sylvester Stallone

Summary: A tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far reaching plans.

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 87 min

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Critic Reviews

Staff (Not Credited)

Cobra is a sleek, extremely violent and exciting police thriller. Read full review

Gene Siskel

Whereas Clint Eastwood simply would have squinted at Robinson, Stallone takes a more violent approach. Maybe that's the difference between actors--Eastwood can be droll; Stallone more often crosses the border to primeval. Read full review

Dave Kehr

It's fast-paced and full of gaudy action, yet it's thoroughly unsatisfying, largely because it's so lazy: once Stallone (also the screenwriter) and director George Pan Cosmatos have sketched out the standard genre archetypes, they leave it at that, not bothering to fill in the niceties of characterization, plausibility, motivation, and suspense. Read full review

Nina Darnton

A disturbing movie from many points of view: disturbing for the violence it portrays, the ideas it represents and the large number of people who will undoubtedly go to see it and cheer on its dangerous hero. Read full review

Bill Cosford

Cobra looks and sounds as bad as it does because Stallone hired George P. Cosmatos (Rambo), a hack with no ideas, to direct, and because Stallone wrote the screenplay himself. No excuses: This movie is just the way the highest paid and hence most powerful man in Hollywood wanted it. You take a long look at the thing, you keep that in mind: This is the film he meant to make. [24 May 1986, p.D1]

Sheila Benson

Cobra's pretentious emptiness, its dumbness, its two-faced morality make it a movie that begs to be laughed off. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Every aspect of this film is reprehensible. Stallone's character is an empty hulk; the few attempts to provide us with little insights into his character are downright laughable. Read full review

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User Reviews

Zahhaus

May 31, 2019

Easily one of Sly's best movies! It's violent, it's grim, it's 80's LA! Pure gold!

11 of 14 users found this helpful113

Voodoo123

Jul 1, 2017

If your'e a fanboy (or girl) of the action thriller genre then prepare for what is quite possibly the most macho film ever! Great cinematography action scenes and a fantastic noir thriller vibe. Where it's weak in story it more than makes up for in action and style. Carries a stylized mangaIf your'e a fanboy (or girl) of the action thriller genre then prepare for what is quite possibly the most macho film ever! Great cinematography action scenes and a fantastic noir thriller vibe. Where it's weak in story it more than makes up for in action and style. Carries a stylized manga vibe to it. I'm pretty sure the wachowskis paid homage to this film in particular the attention to detail on the cars/guns/slow-mo action.… Expand

13 of 14 users found this helpful131

Tyranian

May 8, 2020

Hilariously cheesy but entertaining Stallone action film. Stupidly awesome.

0 of 11 users found this helpful011

Steven1981

Mar 18, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sylvester Stallone stars in this violent 1986 film from director George P. Cosmatos (Rambo first blood part II). He stars as cop Marion Cobretti known as Cobra to his peers, he enforces his own brand of the law using a vast array of guns and explosives. Really awful movie with a depressing, dark and violent atmosphere but even with all the violence this film still manages to be bad. A villain dubbed Night Slasher is going round killing women and Stallone (Cobra) must stop him. One of the worst movies in movie history and a real stinker in my books. Bad movie.… Expand

0 of 15 users found this helpful015

OriginalDanger

Jul 2, 2020

Director George P. Cosmatos brings us Cobra.... He also directed Rambo: First Blood Part II the year before Cobra but that was better and even First Blood Part II wasn't that great.... Cobra was made in 1986 and it's a action film starring Sylvester Stallone as a cop who wears shades and hasDirector George P. Cosmatos brings us Cobra.... He also directed Rambo: First Blood Part II the year before Cobra but that was better and even First Blood Part II wasn't that great.... Cobra was made in 1986 and it's a action film starring Sylvester Stallone as a cop who wears shades and has a matchstick in his gob. He protects a woman (Brigitte Nielsen) from a ruthless gang I think run by Brian Thompson who's after her. Cobra has some great action scenes but the bits inbetween are boring and depressing a bit like the whole movie. This movie feels like a morgue most of the time because it's dead of any feeling and Stallone at times is a bit wooden and unconvincing and Brian Thompson is a laughably bad villain and Brigitte Nielsen is annoying. The great action scenes don't save the film because it's a horrible story with laughable or annoying and stupid characters and the mood of the film is depressing. I should say all the acting is pretty bad especially from Stallone and Thompson so avoid Cobra at all costs because it's one of the worst films ever.… Expand

0 of 13 users found this helpful013

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