Maniac Cop 3
US/85 minutes/1993
Tagline-The wrong arm of the law is back again !
The second sequel to the maniac cop flick of 1988 sees Matt Cordell resurrected by a voodoo priest practicing a version of Santeria cult rituals. For the uninitiated, Matt Cordell is the titular 'maniac cop', an undead and vengeful former NYPD vice cop who worked himself crazy to remove criminals off the city's streets and in the process broke law and used excessive force where necessary, for instance in killing rapists and murderers rather than surrendering them to be tried as per due process of law. As a result, he earned disrepute to his superiors who sought to remove him from the force. However, Matt went too far when he tried to blow the lid off a cover up. His superiors and the city's mayor were acting hand in glove with some mafia men, accepting bribes to ignore crimes Matt had been trying hard to uncover and remedy (through means of retributive justice). Thus Matt is framed on false charges and sent as a death row inmate to 'Sing Sing' prison, where he shares space with criminals he had helped put away. He is murdered one day by three of his 'prize' inmates ,and the doctor of the establishment, finding Matt alive but unresponsive with severe brain damage lets him off. His disappearance is covered as death/murder and the name Matt Cordell is consigned to an obscure place in the annals of police history. However, Matt returns to kill his perpetrators as well as innocent people he can lay his hands on, thus highlighting the controversial psychological rationale behind cop actions-do they kill because they have to, or do they enjoy killing for pleasure ?
This time around, the tormented soul fixes himself on a young police woman named Kate Sullivan who is fatally shot in a hostage situation and rendered comatose. When Matt reads about the excess force and illegal means used by the officer to punish street scums, he recognises a kindred spirit; and the fact that Kate is unfairly framed by an unscrupulous media and the police force embarrassed by her acts on duty spurs him to protect her and clear her name at all costs.
Robert Davi reprises his role as Detective. Lieutenant Sean McKinney from the second film, and investigates with a sweet doctor Susan Fowler about strange killings at the hospital. He is convinced that Kate is innocent, but her name is finally cleared only when Matt procures a tape that shows two journalists edit the store footage to show Kate kill an innocent hostage, when in fact the woman was the intruder's accomplice and had purposefully let him in. Kate had shot the woman in self defense and her gunshots made her brain dead. Matt however is not satisfied once Kate is found innocent, but further wants her soul to be united with his. When the voodoo priest is unable to revive her soul, Matt kills him and sets the priest's den on fire. He previously kills all doctors who plan to remove Kate's life support and the two journalists responsible for falsely accusing her. McKinney and Fowler are then chased by a burning Matt in an ambulance, in a car chase scene that is complex and well executed and clearly shows Lustig's skill at work.
This movie has been unfairly criticised by many people who have called it lame, turgid and the 'weakest entry in the series'. I too was deterred by the barrage of negative comments and chose not to watch it for a long time. However when I finally did, I was surprised by how effective it was. True, it does not follow the fast action formula of the first two movies but that doesn't necessarily make it a disappointment. This is a more nuanced project which plays as a suspense thriller with tense atmosphere and stalk sequences. The music is appropriately composed by Joel Goldsmith and despite its troubled production history (the director William Lustig and the producer had a spat which led to Lustig walking off and the producer had to complete the movie's additional photography, and there were funding issues too), this is by far the best in the series.
The movie shows Matt in a frenzied state, and gives more insight to his character than the other movies can be credited for giving. He is not portrayed as a mindless killing machine or a monster, but is shown a tragic and fallen character with human touches-he can feel love, respect, empathy, rage and frustration like all other humans. Also, I disagree with comments likening the movie to Frankenstein or Chucky finding brides, because I feel that the regard Matt held for Kate is not like love, it stemmed out of empathy in finding Kate a victim just like him. For months, Matt was restless from a sense of profound anger and hatred at the society which used and ultimately betrayed him, but here he finds someone whom he can recognise and feel at home with. Of course, the parts about the voodoo resurrection and the convenient fact that the priest's hideout was linked with tunnels to the same hospital where Kate was admitted are a bit far fetched, but I can forgive these minor flaws and appreciate the broader theme of how grief and torment shaped Matt Cordell after his 'death' and how he could still feel softer emotions when the situation presented itself.
Maniac Cop 3 was released as a blu ray/dvd combination pack by Blue Underground in 2013, with a 4K scan from the original uncensored camera negative and includes optional English subtitles, deleted and extended scenes, a theatrical trailer and a 25 minutes retrospective where the cast and crew present their views on the film and the difficult production and financial problems. A definite thumbs up !
