Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Fella_shibby I saw this in the late 80s on a VHS. Revisited it recently after hearing about the remake in process. The plot - People are being murdered by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, finds himself under arrest as the suspect. Solid genre team comprising of director William Lustig (Maniac, Vigilante), screenwriter Larry Cohen (God told me to, Q) n actors Bruce Campbell n Tom Atkins. Basically it is a low budget slasher with an equally brutal n indestructible killer like Jason,  Freddy n Myers. The killer in this film is big built n strong. The kills r brutal. The wet cement kill was laughable though. The fact that the killer is indestructible is never really explained. Also there r scenes which makes no sense. The killer appears n disappears outta nowhere. The music is proper 80s. The dialogues n editing r bad. The 2nd n 3rd part were atrocious.

Paul Magne Haakonsen For some reason there is just something oddly entertaining about "Maniac Cop". And I do believe it is based on the fact that I used to have this movie on VHS back in the day when it was released, and I do have fond memories of it being a fairly good movie back then.Then I got a chance to revisit Matt Cordell and the rest of the people in "Maniac Cop" in 2017. And my fond memories of the movie were slowly starting to vaporize into mist. The movie is quite campy and cheesy actually, and it really had that late 1980's and early 1990's horror movie feel to it.The story in "Maniac Cop" is quite straight forward and very easy to keep up with. A deranged killer is stalking the innocent people on the streets of New York. And as the death toll rise, police officer Jack Forrest finds himself arrested for a murder he didn't commit. Determined to bring the real perpetrator to justice, Jack seeks out to track down the killer."Maniac Cop" is labeled as an action/crime/horror, so it spans over a wide array of genres with very different contents. And to some extend it does deliver on these accounts. The action, well it was there, just don't expect it to be anything grand or jaw-dropping. The crime, well that was actually the focal point of the movie. The horror, again not overwhelmingly a factor for the movie. It wasn't even scary back in 1988.This movie actually has some interesting enough actors and actresses on the cast list. Most memorable for me was Bruce Campbell, of course, and it is still a wonderful treat to watch him in this movie. However, it should be said that Tom Atkins was also good in this movie, and he is one of those faces that you instantly recognize and remember from that era. And then there is also Robert Z'Dar who brought life to Matt Cordell, and he was nicely cast for the role.All in all, then "Maniac Cop" is a mediocre movie, but still proves to be entertaining and watchable given how cheesy and campy it actually is. And true to the horror movies of the late 1980's, the ending was just quite predictable, and of course laid grounds for a potential sequel."Maniac Cop" is not an overly impressive movie if you sit down to watch it today and compare it to the movies readily available and released today, especially so if you weren't already familiar with the movie from back in the day.

eskwarczynski This movie is absolutely bonkers - in the best sense of the word. We get Tom Atkins playing the cynical, un-trusting detective, a post Evil Dead II Bruce Campbell giving his best "leading man" performance, classic late 80's gore effects and a strange, pulsing synthesizer soundtrack.As much as I enjoyed Maniac Cop - and I did enjoy it - I certainly wouldn't defend this movie as being a great film or as some underrated art piece. While there is some great subtext about police brutality and the public's growing mistrust of authority figures, the movie isn't mature enough to really tackle these themes. Director William Lustig lacks the finesse and skill of George A. Romero - the undisputed master of political horror - which could have elevated this film to classic territory.In the end, the movie is what it is. A fun, vibrant, and occasionally clunky 80's slasher... and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's certainly worth a watch for any horror fan. There's a lot of fun moments and creative sequences.

Scarecrow-88 Although Larry Cohen's script is a bit of a mess and fails to explain just how Z'Dar can do what he does despite being shot numerous times by multiple cops and receiving multiple stab wounds from a chiv in prison; Lustig's direction keeps the pace going and offers a stylistic touch that almost rescues the film from its bouts with plot incredulity. The casting is so good, too, that it serves as a bonus. That unnerving score (especially when Z'Dar is attacked in prison) further adds gravitas. Tom Atkins, as the chief detective trying to solve the Z'Dar murders, is recognized as the star (few gave him such a position), while Bruce Campbell as a cop framed for civilian executions is credited in right behind him. After two successful Evil Dead films, Campbell is behind the guy so rarely placed ahead of anybody (but couldn't deserve to more!)…kinda cool. Robert Z'Dar got a real plum part in this movie which he was always remembered for: the definitive hulking monster in a cop uniform who can snap your neck with ease, toss you around like a rag doll, and withstand rounds of ammunition (including shots and knife slashes to the face!). I think the key to whether or not this film is successful to the viewer is their acceptance that practically nothing can stop him. I just wonder how this film would have been received had the maniac cop purposed his mission specifically at corrupt cops and law enforcement who wronged him. Sheree North had a small but pivotal role as a crippled filing clerk who was romantic with Z'Dar and knows of his murderous activities. Laurene Landon is Campbell's narcotics officer lover on the side, knowing of his innocence because she was with him when Z'Dar murdered his estranged wife. Richard Roundtree as the commish and raspy-voiced William Smith as police captain round out an impressive cast…they believe wholeheartedly that Campbell was behind a massacre when all evidence leads to someone far more powerful than him behind them. I think that is just one of several reasons this film is far-fetched: how could Campbell seriously commit the crimes like those that happened in the police station (hanging officers, such an example) when it would take overwhelming force in order to do so? Atkins' fate remains a shocker and I personally found it hard to watch…he's just a beloved cult figure. Good action at the end has a fun chase as Z'Dar, commandeering a police van (with Campbell inside), flees the St Patty parade with Landon and the officer driving in hot pursuit. Sam Raimi as an uncharismatic reporter, was wise to stick with directing, although it was still a nifty cameo. Campbell as the cheating husband and hero by default was an interesting script decision, including his continued suspicion as the killer. The confession of the prison coroner that Z'Dar was salvaged from near death when all signs would indicate *no one* could survive that kind of blood loss (and just how Campbell and Landon could get into the prison to talk to him) further comments on how implausible Cohen's script is. Still, truth be told, I always find myself entertained by the film just the same…sometimes direction can overcome details that make little sense. Z'Dar is a really scary dude. I actually prefer the extended version with Ken Lerner as the corrupt Mayor and Leo Rossi as his complimentary assistant as their inclusion gives meat to the reasoning behind why Z'Dar was sent to prison and the motivating factor fueling his rage.