Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

 

I watched this on Shudder and decided to add my old user comments from August 2008:

Embittered massive zombie cop Matt Cordell(Robert Z'Dar)is still carrying a grudge towards the police for those crooked few who set him up. The two who were able to survive from his clutches in the first film, cops Jack and Teresa(Bruce Campbell & Laurene Landon), in true slasher sequel form, are the first targeted before the maniac cop begins anew, killing cops who are attempting to do their jobs by attending to criminals or civilians(..such as a man whose car was being towed for being parked in an illegal spot). This time he has a new "nemesis" in wily and street tough Detective Sean McKinney(Robert Davi is perfect form as a noirish archetype, a man of few words who gets the job done)who joins forces with police psychologist Susan Riley(Claudia Christian of "Babylon Five fame)in tracking down Cordell. Susan was with Teresa when she was killed by Cordell, understanding exactly what he looks like and how dangerous(..and powerful) he can be..she herself survives being handcuffed to a steering wheel, hanging outside the car, as the vehicle moves down highways often almost being hit by other motorists in an exciting action sequence. The film also shows how police are after a serial killer, Turkell(..a grubby, barely recognizable Leo Rossi, burying himself under a beard and scraggly coiffure, stealing every scene, without restraint, just immersed in this unpleasant wacko)who targets strippers, and forms an unholy union with Cordell, who lends him escape from cops intruding upon his nearly killing another victim. Michael Lerner is Edward Doyle, the police commish who knows about the cover-up regarding Cordell, scoffing at the notion that an undead maniac cop is on the loose in his city. As usual, you have exceptional stunts and action coordinated by Spiro Razatos including the harrowing finale in Sing Sing prison as Cordell, engulfed in flames, going after those hoodlums responsible for scarring his face and killing him in the prison showers. In order to truly enjoy this, you have to look over certain rather ridiculous moments including the scene where Teresa comes at Cordell with a chainsaw and he's able to not only catch the spinning saw blade in his hand, but throw it to the side before snapping her neck. There's an amazing violent rampage through a precinct, reminiscent to The Terminator, where Cordell annihilates an entire police force. The film, despite Cordell's sickening violent acts towards the men and women in uniform, is considered a victim with the detective pursuing him, actually attempting to clear his name. For fans of The Chin, his departure is rather shocking, his role in the sequel a minor one.