Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (Blu-ray Review)
When Officer Kate Sullivan storms a hostage situation, the whole incident is captured on tape by an unscrupulous media crew who edit the footage to show Kate killing a helpless victim. Now in a coma, Kate’s only hope is Detective Sean McKinney, who desperately tries to clear her name. But unbeknownst to him, Maniac Cop Matt Cordell takes it upon himself to exact revenge upon those responsible for smearing her name. Returning stars Robert Davi (PROFILER) and Robert Z’Dar (MANIAC COP & MANIAC COP 3) are joined by Paul Gleason (DIE HARD), Jackie Earle Haley (WATCHMEN), Julius Harris (SUPER FLY), Doug Savant (MELROSE PLACE), and Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN) in this thrilling third entry from MANIAC COP creator Larry Cohen (GOD TOLD ME TO). Featuring a brand-new 4K High Definition transfer from the original uncensored negative, this definitive presentation of MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE comes packed with exclusive Extras!
Film 
Off the heels of the classic Maniac Cop 2 producers quickly reconvened and decided that they wanted to make a third Maniac Cop film to round out the franchise. The second film turned into a supernatural horror flick with an unkillable monster cop, so what could they come up with for part three? How about Bride of Frankenstein? Wait, what? Yep, Larry Cohen’s script outline/draft was chopped to hell and the producers decided to give Cordell a “bride.” They inserted some mumbo-jumbo about some voodoo priest using decapitated heads to bring back the spirits of the dead in order for them to complete their mission in life, er, death.
When Officer Katie Sullivan (Gretchen Becker) is framed for the apparent killing of an innocent victim by the local media, Officer Cordell returns to make the wrong things right. Detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi) is on the case and will try to clear Sullivan’s name by any means necessary even if it means taking on Cordell one on one. Okay, not mislead here, but I’ll go on say that Cordell’s character is barely in the film and it pretty much involves McKinney running around trying to capture the person that put Officer Sullivan. Yeah, she’s in a coma after getting into that shootout where the victim died that she supposedly killed. She was in a firefight with Jackie Earle Haley’s crazy ass.
There really isn’t too much too say about Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence other than it’s not very good and craps over the stellar Maniac Cop 2. You may also be asking yourself why I’m giving Maniac Cop 3 a two-star. My answer to that is: charm. It’s a damn charming movie. Maniac Cop 3 features some stellar stunt work and awesome violence in the same league as Maniac Cop 2. What kills the overall picture is that Maniac Cop 3 is a poor film in terms of editing and coherence. Where did all this voodoo stuff come from? Cordell is barely in the film at all! Sure, it’s got the Bride of Frankenstein angle covered and all but it can’t go anywhere unless those principal characters are actually in the same frame together.
The only person I see having fun in Maniac Cop 3 is Robert Davi as Detective Sean McKinney. He revels in his kick-ass cop role and why shouldn’t he? He’s the most interesting character in the entire flick! Nevermind he’s given many cool things to do. The hospital hallway scene is super badass. You’ll know which one I’m talking about when you see it. Maniac Cop 3 runs at a measly 85 minutes, with credits. Be aware that the film did have a troubled history as original director William Lustig left project in the middle of shooting and Larry Cohen’s script was thrown in the garbage can by producers. Maniac Cop 3 is officially directed by Alan Smithee. Smithee is the name used when directors take their name off of a film. I believe producer Joel Soisson filled in as director at the very last minute.
All of that nonsense during filming does come through in the final product and makes Maniac Cop 3 seem like a very disembodied mess. It’s a chaotic mess with a couple of neat flourishes but very unsatisfying as a whole. It pales in comparison to part two , and to a certain degree, part one. Part one kept it real, part two gave it a supernatural angle, but three is just bad fantasy.
Video 
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is presented in 1080p, 2.35:1 widescreen. Again, like its predecessor, Maniac Cop 3 has also been given a 4k restoration and the finished product looks stellar! THIS is what 35 mm film is supposed to look like when given the proper treatment. Grain structure is amazing and makes the dingy NY and DTLA locations shine. Flesh tones are natural and the colorfield never bands. The blood letting looks great and really pops. Edge enhancement is non existent and black levels never crush. Contrast is fine, with only a couple of fluctuations here and there. Nothing to worry about in that area. Winner, winner, Blu-ray dinner! Maniac Cop 3 is purty.
Audio
Maniac Cop 3 is presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless and Dolby Surround 2.0. Here’s a soundtrack that has been given that “oomph,” so to speak. The LFE is the clear winner in that the gunfire and shotgun blasts really hit you in the guts. Dialogue is also clean and clear and the effects of the front soundstage do travel to back speakers and envelope you. I like that. Hell, we are talking about a twenty year old film. That is a mighty impressive feat and is made even more impressive with a lossless track DTS track. Joel Goldsmith’s (Jerry Goldsmith’s son) score is also pretty fantastic and it does give the film a certain sense of gravitas in that it sounds more orchestral than the past two films’ more synth heavy scores. The soundtrack is cool.
Extras
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence and Blue Underground do not skimp on the quality extras. Included here, surprisingly, is a feature length documentary that, once and for all, sets the record straight as to what happened during the making of Maniac Cop 3. Seriously, who freakin’ does that? Other high profile or semi-high profile gigs would go into the annals of history denying that anything bad ever happened on the set of a big budget blockbuster. Not here. Director William Lustig, writer and co-producer Larry Cohen, and producer Joel Soisson, with additional cast and crew, set the record straight once and for all. It’s also done in a very entertaining way. There is no bad blood between anybody and everyone has pretty much swept the events under the carpet and moved on. Deleted and Extended scenes are presented in HD, a trailer is included, and so is Larry Cohen’s original story synopsis. A theatrical trailer and poster gallery are also included.
- Wrong Arm Of The Law – The Making of Maniac Cop 3
- Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
- Original Synopsis
Summary
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is a hot mess of a movie but that’s okay. Deep down inside it is a keeper, because it contains some great scenes of action and brutality. This Blu-ray also has top notch video and audio and a great set of special features. I am really impressed with Blue Underground’s stellar handling of the Maniac Cop franchise on Blu-ray. Here’s hoping they keep up the great work in the future!
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