SummaryA tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far reaching plans.
Directed By:George P. Cosmatos
Written By:Paula Gosling, Sylvester Stallone
Cobra
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
25
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
25
22% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
78% Negative
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
70
Cobra is a sleek, extremely violent and exciting police thriller.
63
Whereas Clint Eastwood simply would have squinted at Robinson, Stallone takes a more violent approach. Maybe that's the difference between actors--Eastwood can be droll; Stallone more often crosses the border to primeval.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.3
48% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
34% Mixed
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
18% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
May 31, 2019
10
Easily one of Sly's best movies! It's violent, it's grim, it's 80's LA! Pure gold!
Nov 1, 2025
8
Greetings from Lithuania.
"Cobra" (1986) is an action thriller with Sylvester Stallone, written by Sylvester Stallone and basically directed by Sylvester Stallone - even if at helm of this movie officially was George P. Cosmatos. This film is the kind of the film that one will either like it or hate it. I personally always enjoyed "Cobra" due its pure escapism factor and Sylvester Stallone being at the peak of his action carrier. Its a simple film, filled 80's one liners, gunshots and explosion in the second half of its 86 min run time. "Cobra" ranks among my favorite movie by Sylvester Stallone - it is simply a pure 80's escapism - nothing more. Overall, "Cobra" is as simple action thriller as they go - a super cop on a mission to protect a witness while killing tons of bad guys during the process. The plot makes no sense - like why would literally tens of fanatics chase one witness openly during day time in order to kill her because she saw one of them? But who cares - Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen looks awesome, action scenes are good, sound design is excellent and that is enough for a fun 1 h 26 min. actioner. Simple times.
30
There is not nearly enough violence. No one is eviscerated. The villains, all mumblers to a man, are not punished by having their tongues cut out. The body count is only somewhere in the high eighties - and most of these are simply gunned down with a deplorable lack of invention. Very little is done by way of eye-gouging, limb-crushing or tooth-extraction.
30
A disturbing movie from many points of view: disturbing for the violence it portrays, the ideas it represents and the large number of people who will undoubtedly go to see it and cheer on its dangerous hero.
25
Cobra looks and sounds as bad as it does because Stallone hired George P. Cosmatos (Rambo), a hack with no ideas, to direct, and because Stallone wrote the screenplay himself. No excuses: This movie is just the way the highest paid and hence most powerful man in Hollywood wanted it. You take a long look at the thing, you keep that in mind: This is the film he meant to make. [24 May 1986, p.D1]
10
Cobra's pretentious emptiness, its dumbness, its two-faced morality make it a movie that begs to be laughed off.
0
Every aspect of this film is reprehensible. Stallone's character is an empty hulk; the few attempts to provide us with little insights into his character are downright laughable.
Oct 8, 2022
8
There is no way people actually dislike this movie. Just another reason to never trust the critics
Mar 18, 2023
5
Was enjoying it much more in the first half when it was some bizarre noir/slasher mashup. The dialogue in the slower scenes is pretty awful. The action is filmed very well and the violence is super excessive but it is all very silly and over the top overall.
Aug 20, 2023
2
Cobra is peak 80s action film cheese that is solely carried by Stallone's popularity at the time. I understand why it could possibly have a cult classic label but that doesn't make it a good movie. It's very simplistic and feels long despite clocking in at under 90 minutes.
Production Company:
- Warner Bros.
- The Cannon Group
- Golan-Globus Productions
Release Date:May 23, 1986
Duration:1 h 27 m
Rating:R
Tagline:This is where the law stops... and I start.
Awards
Razzie Awards
• 6 Nominations
