Starring - Robert Davi (The Goonies, Die Hard), Robert Z'Dar (Easter Sunday, Spring Fever), and Caitlin Dulany (Class of 1999 II: Substitute, House of Frankenstein)
Release Date - 1992
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The wrong arm of the law is back"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
It's not often but on occasion we do get a horror trilogy that is well rounded. By the time a film has spawned a second sequel we are usually given a film loosely based on the first film and usually rushed to be completed as a quick cash grab. Don't get me wrong, there is several third installments that are just as good as the original like Army of Darkness, Day of the Dead, and so on. When I posted my original reviews of the Maniac Cop trilogy I had written positive reviews for all three films and soon found several comments days later bashing the third film. Honestly, I know Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is not as well rounded as the first two films but it shouldn't be completely discredited. I actually enjoyed it and find it to be fairly consistent with the first two films. When Blue Underground announced the release of Maniac Cop 2 and 3 on UHD I quickly requested a review copy. Once again I want thank BU for sending this one my way to check out.
The film once again follows the undead cop Matt Cordell who is awaken from his eternal slumber by a voodoo priest wanting him to kill for him. In the middle of the bloodshed is Detective Sean McKinney (Davi) who is struggling to cope with the shooting of a female police officer who is in a coma and not expected to live.
Maniac Cop 3 may not get the love it deserves from genre fans but I find it to be super fun with the direction it takes the story. The fact we never received a followed up to what was created here is a huge disappointment and a disservice to genre fans. The acting in this one is just a great as the second installment. Davi is great as the hard-boiled detective that is trying to stop the bloody rampage of Cordell. I like his performance a lot along with Z'Dar. We get more screen time from him this time around when compared the first film. The supporting cast is just as fun but the characters they portray do very little to push the film along. The story avoids becoming an unnecessary sequel by giving viewers a different extension of the story that they were not expecting. The voodoo priest angle mixed with the slasher aspects and police drama works very well in my opinion. It goes drag it's feet in several scenes but if you stick with it you will find yourself thoroughly enjoying it. Finally, the kills in this one does have some blood but they are not that memorable. They are rather unimaginative but the blood and effects look decent enough to make them work. Overall, Maniac Cop 3 may not be the best in the series but it's still an entertaining installment. My biggest problem with the film is that it never inspired a follow up capitalizing on the story that was created here. The UHD release from Blue Underground looks absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend genre fans check this one out and give it a chance.
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