I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Fred "The Hammer" Williamson headlines the cast in this low-budget Italian take on Stallone's COBRA. Here, Williamson is the good guy, a hard-ass DIRTY HARRY-style cop who'll do anything to blow the bad guys away. His enemies are a crew of mismatched bikers, led by a muscle guy wearing the same mirrored sunglasses that Stallone wore as the hero in COBRA. That's all you need to know about this film, really. Anyone who's familiar with Italian action films of the 1980s will know what to expect: a ton of overblown cheese, hilarious dialogue and a general lack of originality all round.However, there's something I really enjoyed about this movie, which keeps things moving along swiftly with plenty of shoot-outs and car chases to enjoy. Fred Williamson is also at the top of his career, and he offers the type of performance that movie goers love: tough mannered, tough talking and quick to shoot and ask questions later. The opening sequence with the hostages at the swimming pool is a case in point: As Detective Malone (and wearing SHAFT's leather trenchcoat), Williamson is ordered to go in and negotiate, but instead he draws a pistol and shotgun and blows the baddies to kingdom come. If that's the kind of thing you like watching, then this film is for you.The plot is somewhat nonsensical and the bit about the fashion photographer being stalked by the criminals is just an excuse for the female lead's character. Instead, the fun comes from focusing on the action. There's a nicely-staged hospital shootout that makes inventive use of a wheelchair and a gore effect when a cop is blown away by the villains. The major action set piece is located at a deserted quarry or somewhere similar and is pretty involving, recalling the grand old days of Italian cop cinema in the 1970s, such as the film MANHUNT. Watch out for the enjoyable stunt that's performed by Williamson himself – okay so it's not particularly dangerous, but it's nice to see the actor doing his own work. I thought that was the end, but no, there are further, fun action bits.There are plenty of the head-scratching moments that Italian rip-offs are famous for. Watch out for the bit in the script where Malone talks like DIRTY HARRY – literally, with his "how many bullets do I have left?" speech. Enjoy the cheesy synthesiser score that occasionally sounds like something out of ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS during the suspense scenes. Laugh as the film-makers try to convince you they filmed in New York, not Italy, by incorporating bits of stock footage (or perhaps location shooting) here and there. Director Stelvio Massi learned his craft through decent '70s polizia flicks like FEARLESS and CONVOY BUSTERS and proves to be the perfect man for the job here. Grimaldi, who looks like Yancy Butler in HARD TARGET, is an awful actress and really doesn't have a great deal to do in the film. Better is Bruno Bilotta (DEMONS 2) as the main bad guy; wisely, he keeps his mouth shut for much of the film and therefore he has something of an imposing presence. Sword and sorcery regular Sabrina Siani (CONQUEST) is on hand in a minor role as a kidnapped daughter, although she keeps her clothes on this time.BLACK COBRA is nothing new, but it's a pretty decent example of the late '80s Italian crime film. There are beatings galore, some dodgy car chases, lots of cop-on-criminal showdowns and cheap sets everywhere you look. The film was successful enough to spawn three sequels retaining this film's title, which implies that "black cobra" is Williamson's nickname rather than the name of the gang of bikers in this movie. Fans of '80s nostalgia will have a ball.

Fred Williamson starred as Detective Robert Malone in a series of four Italian crime films. They are all testosterone films that ultimately defy logic and test an audience's patience to endure dumb plots and poorly executed action sequences. Williamson is a good actor but his ability to pick a project is poor. Actually I think his ability to pick up is quite good since he's constantly working.The first in the series is essentially a really poor retread of the Sylvester Stallone film Cobra. In it Malone must protect a photographer from a gang that is murdering and raping at will. Its an odd mixing of American establishing shots with Italian interiors and a cast that has a decided European look to them. You never believe any of it. I'm hard pressed to wonder which of the films is worse, this or the original Cobra. I'm leaning just a bit toward this since the original is funnier for all the wrong reasons. This film is also funny for all the wrong reasons, but Williamson is less serious and it takes the edge off some of the hilarity. I can't really recommend this even to bad movie lovers since its pretty awful

When I popped "The Black Cobra" into the DVD player, I was in the mood for some undemanding, mindless entertainment, nothing more. Unfortunately, this film cannot even fulfill those expectations. It is overwhelmingly cheap - much of it appears to be set in and around abandoned warehouses - and almost completely uninspired. I bought the entire "Black Cobra Collection" online for 3 English pounds, which means a pound a film, but if the other two entries are of the same quality, and if the other two transfers are of the same quality (well-below-VHS-level picture, often inaudible audio), then maybe the buyers should be getting payed instead! Fred Williamson is always cool, even when he's sleepwalking (which he largely is here) and dubbed (which I also think he is here), and Eva Grimaldi is as beautiful as ever, but this is not the finest hour for either of them. (*)

Okay, this is a VERY low budget thriller. It makes Williamson's 1970s B-films look like "Ben Hur," but if you're a fan of the Hammer, you might find some enjoyment in this Italian import. I picked up the entire Black Cobra series at Big Lots for three bucks, and this first installment is bad, but tolerable. Williamson is a tough cop who rubs nearly everyone the wrong way...except for his cat, Pervis. A gang of not-so-tough looking bikers terrorize the city, and a key witness to one of their murders has the good luck of being in Williamson's custody. Of course, anyone can figure out the rest. The movie looks like it was filmed on the cheapest film stock that was ever produced, and the synth soundtrack is right out of the John Carpenter book of film scores. Still, Hammer is the Hammer. Williamson is not the best actor but he manages to breathe life into this pile of cheese.