Cobra [Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

80s Excess Incarnate

Emerging at the peak of Sylvester Stallone’s action-hero dominance, Cobra (1986) is less a subtle film and more a sledgehammer to the senses. Directed by George P. Cosmatos from a script penned by Stallone himself (reportedly reworking elements from his unused Beverly Hills Cop draft) and loosely based on the 1974 Paula Gosling novel A Running Duck, the film serves as a concentrated dose of Reagan-era action cinema tropes. It delivers relentless violence, a stoic, nearly superhuman protagonist, a cartoonishly evil threat, and a healthy dose of stylistic swagger, all wrapped in a distinctly 80s aesthetic of chrome, leather, and chewed matchsticks.

Plot & Protector

The film follows LAPD Lieutenant Marion “Cobra” Cobretti (Stallone), the go-to man for the department’s elite “Zombie Squad” when situations get too hot for regular cops. After efficiently, and brutally, resolving a supermarket hostage crisis involving a fanatical killer, Cobretti finds himself protecting model Ingrid Knudsen (Brigitte Nielsen). She has become the prime target of “The New World,” a murderous cult led by the imposing “Night Slasher” (Brian Thompson), which believes in purging society of the weak. Cobretti, aided by his loyal partner Sergeant Gonzales (Reni Santoni), must shield Knudsen from the cult’s relentless attacks while facing skepticism from by-the-book superiors like Detective Monte (Andrew Robinson). The pursuit escalates, leading to a small-town siege and a fiery, climactic confrontation in a steel mill.

Stallone’s Signature Style

Stallone fully embodies Cobretti as the ultimate 80s action archetype. He’s a monosyllabic, rule-breaking maverick defined by his mirrored sunglasses, perpetually chewed matchstick, vintage Mercury Coupe, and a penchant for delivering threats and one-liners with icy detachment (“You’re the disease… and I’m the cure”). His character operates on pure instinct and overwhelming firepower. Brigitte Nielsen functions primarily as the imperiled witness, her real-life marriage to Stallone at the time adding a layer of tabloid interest but limited character depth. Reni Santoni provides reliable support as the grounded Gonzales, while Brian Thompson makes for a genuinely menacing, physically imposing villain. Andrew Robinson effectively portrays bureaucratic frustration as Cobretti’s foil.

Cult of Personality

Upon release, Cobra was critically eviscerated. Reviewers condemned its extreme, often sadistic violence, paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, and shameless reliance on action movie clichés. It was seen as a nadir of macho posturing and gratuitous spectacle. However, time has been kinder. While its flaws remain glaringly evident, Cobra has cemented its status as a cult classic. Its very excessiveness – the sheer commitment to its over-the-top premise, Stallone’s iconic portrayal of ultimate cool, the relentless pace, its bold colors and neon excesses, and the gloriously absurd finale – is now celebrated by fans of the genre. It represents a specific, unfiltered moment in action cinema, unburdened by nuance or restraint.

The Verdict

Cobra is not high art, nor does it pretend to be. It is pure, unfiltered 80s action: loud, violent, stylish in its own garish, music video-influenced way, and utterly devoted to showcasing Sylvester Stallone as the ultimate badass. If you approach it seeking gritty realism or complex storytelling, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for a nostalgic, adrenaline-fueled ride fueled by testosterone, explosions, and Stallone at his most iconically stoic, Cobra delivers exactly what it promises.

The Video

Cobra has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K 16 bit at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. The film was restored in 4K and color graded at Silver Salt. I have to say that the colors and highlights thanks to the Dolby Vision are what stand out the most in this restoration. The overall look of the film has a soft texture, not to say the detail is not there, but the grain is not as crisp and thin as some other transfers. That said, I can’t find too many things to complain about this this transfer. Those Aviator glasses Stallone wears throughout  look so shiny and mirror-like you can clearly see the reflections in the lenses – so, that’s an amazing amount of detail.

The Audio

Cobra comes with the Eagle stereo (Ultra Stereo), 4.0, and legacy 5.1 audio all in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio. The Eagle stereo (Ultra Stereo) and 4.0 mixes were sourced from mags by Warner Bros. The mixes are good but could probably use just a little bit of a spruce up, bit that there is anything in particular wrong with them. Atmos would be great for a film like this. The low end is pretty deep for the 5.1 mix and the Ultra Stereo, which is a matrixed 2.0 surround (Left, Center, Right and Surround) format that will require your Dolby Pro Logic decoding turned on (my AVR defaults to DTS Neural:X for these DTS-HD surround encoded tracks, sounds good, but the dialogue sounds a bit more veiled. I did notice, even in the 5.1 mix, that clarity on the dialogue seemed to waver, with it sometimes sounding very clear and open and sometimes sounding like there was a light blanket over the dialogue. Perhaps it is inherent in the recording. I have no other copy of this movie to compare.

The Supplements

Arrow packs this release with a ton of extras, including two new audio commentaries and the TV version (in Standard Definition) of the film. There are also a number of archival featurettes ported over from Shout!.

Limited Edition Contents:

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
• Illustrated collector’s booklet containing new writing on the film by film critics Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani, Priscilla Page, and Ariel Schudson
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket

Bonus Features:

• Commentaries:
  • Critics Kim Newman & Nick De Semlyen (2025)
  • Critics Josh Nelson & Martyn Pedler (2025)
  • Director George Pan Cosmatos (2001)
• TV Version – Previously unreleased on home video, this version of the film was created for TV screenings. While it trims or uses alternate footage to amend some scenes of violence and bad language, it also includes additional scenes and story development missing from the theatrical version. It is presented here in standard definition and 1.33:1 aspect ratio, as per the best available materials.
• White Line Nightmare (1080p; 00:13:32) – A visual essay by film critic Martyn Conterio on Cobra and the ‘maverick cop’ genre. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2025.
• Dark Glasses, Violence, & Robots (1080p; 00:10:12) – A visual essay by film critic Abbey Bender on Cobra and the maximalist cinema of the 1980s. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2025.
• Slashing the Night Away (1080p; 00:17:23) – An interview with composer Sylvester Levay about his score for Cobra. Recorded exclusively for Arrow Video in 2025.
• Stalking and Slashing (1080p; 00:26:01) – An archive interview with actor Brian Thompson
• Meet the Disease (1080p; 00:24:06) – An archive interview with actor Marco Rodriguez
• Feel the Heat (1080p; 00:14:16) – An archive interview with actor Andrew Robinson
• Double Crossed (1080p; 00:09:06) – An archive interview with actress Lee Garlington
• A Work of Art (1080p; 00:08:24) – An archive interview with actor Art LaFleur
• The Making of Cobra (1080p/60 upscaled; 00:07:51) – An archive promotional featurette
• Trailers:
  • Teaser Trailer (1080p; 00:01:21)
  • Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 00:01:56)
• Image Gallery (4K)

The Final Assessment

Cobra is a quintessential piece of 80s action movie history, best appreciated as a period piece of cinematic excess that has earned its place in the cult canon. Just don’t expect subtlety. Arrow Video brings the film to 4K Ultra HD for the first time in this very good, feature-packed release ready for Stallone fans and action movie fans to grab. Recommended.

Cobra [Limited Edition] is out on 4K Ultra HD July 22, 2025 from Arrow Video

Details

• Rating Certificate: R
• Studios & Distributors: Warner Bros. | The Cannon Group | Golan-Globus Productions | Arrow Video
• Director: George P. Cosmatos
• Written By: Paula Gosling | Sylvester Stallone
• Run Time: 87 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 4.0 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0 UltraStereo Surround
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Street Date: 22 July 2025