Plot
Kate Sullivan is a female cop who was gunned down during a shoot-out
is wrongfully
accused of using excessive violence. The robber who survived wants to
prosecute the city for $30 million unless she never awakens from her coma,
which means turning off Kate's life-support. Not wanting to pay out this
obscene amount, the mayor's office decide to go along with the idea and gives the all
clear for her to die. But killer cop Matt Cordell has other plans and, after
being resurrected by a voodoo priest, seeks to kill those
who set her up.
Review
I was always a bit surprised with the
original Maniac Cop, an excellent cross between a slasher film and
cop thriller which featured a strong cast, a memorable antagonist and some
rousing set pieces. Fast forward a bit to the first sequel and this
surprised me by not just being able to match the original for overall
quality but better it. I stated that it was one of the best sequels that I
could remember with more of the same mixture of action and horror that the
original had in droves. It was helped by another strong cast with returning
stars from the original as well as excellent support from the likes of
Robert Davi. Unfortunately the thrilling low budget Maniac Cop series
screeches to a halt in this final entry, ruined by a confusing plot and lack
of general direction.
Maybe it's the appeal of the series finally wearing out or maybe it's just
because the script simply rehashes more-or-less the same story. Whatever the
reason, Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence ends up being more routine and
simply goes through the motions with little spark or energy. The rushed
script doesn't help proceedings and we're left with so many unanswered
questions. Why does the voodoo priest raise Cordell from the grave if he's
not going to be able to control him? Why is Cordell so insistent on saving
Sullivan when he was happy killing cops in the previous films? Cordell
returned from the grave in the previous two films to get justice for
himself. Now that has been sorted out, why does he need to return? He was
always a reasonably sympathetic character to begin with, helped by a tragic
back story and some slimy characters out to keep his name besmirched. This
second sequel seems like a poor excuse to bring back a popular cult
character for no other reason than to milk the fans of the series. As
further proof, the film contains way too much flashback footage from the
previous films. The film doesn't use the back alleys and side streets
locations of the previous films either, opting to keep the film grounded in
the hospital for the majority. This means it runs more like a traditional
slasher film as Cordell stalks his victims throughout the hospital, using
whatever implements and devices he can to kill those who deems fit for
punishment. Like Halloween II or Hospital Massacre, the
emphasis is on how many medical-related death scenes can be thought of.
The
killer cop has knocked off Bruce Campbell and Richard Roundtree in the
series so I pity the task facing Robert Davi. He reprises his role as gritty
Detective Lieutenant Sean McKinney and he is arguably the best part of the
film. He manages to hold everything together despite the confusing and
convoluted story. As
limited as the character is on paper, Davi at least manages to inject some
life into it culminating in his kick ass moment of glory during a hospital
shoot-out. He's also present for the film's standout scene in which McKinney
and Sullivan attempt to escape in ambulance whilst fighting off Cordell who
is coming at them in a police car - and he's on fire no less! It's an
amazing sequence, much more deserving of a better all-round film to be
included in. Robert Z'Dar continues to portray Cordell and uses his
impressive physical attributes to keep the threat levels high. This is one
cop you don't want to mess with. However Cordell loses some of his mystique
when he's hiding in hospitals. He seems much more dangerous when he's
lurking on street corners or down back alleys, waiting for people to commit
crimes.
Verdict
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
seems to
have been made for the sake of it and lacks the energy and freshness that
made the other two films so entertaining. As a result, this just turns into a routine by-the-numbers slasher
flick, something which the other two films tried to avoid.
