Forty years after its release, Sylvester Stallone's ultra-violent cult action movie 'Cobra' remains a guilty pleasure for fans of over-the-top 80s cinema. With the tagline 'Crime is a disease. Meet the cure,' the film follows Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti, a tough LA cop who plays by his own rules, sporting aviator shades and a gun emblazoned with a cobra.
The plot pits Cobra against a murderous cult called New World, led by the fearsome Night Slasher (Brian Thompson). When fashion model Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen) becomes the only witness to the killer's identity, Cobra must protect her while taking on an army of psycho killers in a deadly game of cat and mouse across the city.
While the film's politics are undeniably iffy—suggesting cops should be above the law—its sheer ridiculousness makes it easy to enjoy. Stallone's supersized performance and absurd moments, such as cutting up leftover pizza with scissors, add to the fun. The Night Slasher, played with bug-eyed intensity by Thompson, is one of cinema's most memorable villains.
Reviled upon release for its violence and nominated for six Razzies, 'Cobra' nonetheless turned a hefty profit. Forty years on, its simple, ludicrous charms are still very easy to enjoy.
