Vigilante (1983)

After his success with Maniac (1980), director William Lustig widens expectations with the revenge flick Vigilante. Despite upgrading from 35 mm to CinemaScope, the film still retains a gritty feel. This was attained by channeling some of the trashier neighborhoods in New York for its locations. The sleazy satisfaction is still there, but it also scores as a competent drama. I only wish Robert Forster had been a little less stone cold in his acting. Everyone deals with tragedy differently, but nary a tear is shed for his loss. From the building crescendo in Jay Chattaway's score to the satisfying pursuits of each villain, Vigilante is a modern day western.

3½ car bombs out of 5

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993)

Problems behind the scenes caused part three to be abandoned by its original director partway though, requiring a hasty replacement, new scenes to be shot (filler) and the insertion of outtakes from part two to make up the running time. That maybe explains why the focus of the story is all over the place, giving too much screen time to uninteresting people that aren't necessary to the main story. The remainder is more about Detective Gruff and his personal attachments. The maniac cop has no real function until the finale.
There’s a well-staged scene in a drug store in the first hour but it’s the ending that you’ll remember most. The stuntmen are the real stars.

2 restless souls out of 5

Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

It wastes time by giving us a lengthy recap, and then later the very same flashback we had before. That’s just lazy, guys.
Alongside the two leads from the first film is the new Detective Gruff (not his actual name) and a female psychologist. The latter presented an opportunity to get inside the mind of the killer cop, but that doesn't happen. Instead, Cordell remains almost as blank as Michael Myers was in his later films.
It’s not as bad as it might sound, though, because there’s a hell of a lot more plot this time. Even so, the highlight is a stunt shot. Foly Huck! Maximum respect to whoever was in that blistering suit. I've not seen anything that good even in movies with millions to spend on FX.

3 busted doors out of 5

Maniac Cop (1988)

It’s not safe to walk the streets of NY because a cop is doing his job too well. He’s killing innocent folk with no apparent motive.
The script turns the slasher movie premise around, making a thing traditionally associated with protection into a malevolent killer who hides in convenient shadows with knife in hand. His inhuman strength makes it all seem partially supernatural; if you reject that then it all seems rather silly.
Tom Atkins plays the caring homicide Detective well; it’s a role he’s suited to. The usually reliable Bruce Campbell doesn't get to use his B–Movie charm and wit. He struggles to make us care about his two-dimensional character. Conversely, the ladies, Laurene Landon and Sheree North, both get stronger roles and do a grand job with them.

3 pigs in the shit out of 5