Movie Review: Cobra (2023) – Stallone’s Return to Raw Justice

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Sylvester Stallone returns to the gritty streets in Cobra (2023), a hard-hitting revival of the 1986 cult action film that cemented his status as a Hollywood badass. Now older, wiser, but just as deadly, Stallone brings back Lt. Marion “Cobra” Cobretti with the same stone-cold glare and tight-lipped one-liners that made the original a fan favorite.

Set decades after the first film, Cobra (2023) finds Cobretti pulled out of semi-retirement when a string of brutal killings rocks Los Angeles. A new, tech-savvy cult threatens to plunge the city into chaos, and only Cobra’s old-school justice can stop them. With a blend of 80s nostalgia and slick modern action, the film strikes a surprisingly effective balance between past and present.

Director David Ayer lends a gritty realism to the visuals, while Stallone delivers one of his most grounded performances in years. Yes, the plot is thin and occasionally leans into clichés, but that’s part of its charm. Fans of the original will appreciate the nods to classic lines (“You’re the disease… and I’m the cure”) while new audiences will be pulled in by high-stakes action and pulpy style.

Special shoutout to the synth-heavy score and neon-soaked cinematography—it’s like Drive met First Blood. While not flawless, Cobra (2023) proves that sometimes, old-school justice never goes out of style.