Review: 'Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence' is Revived on a New 4K Blu-ray

What's dead never stays buried in the horror genre, and Officer Matt Cordell is no exception to the rule. In "Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence," the titular maniac cop is brought back from the dead, and he may have found his match made in hell.

Filmmaker William Lustig famously walked away from the original production of the film, as he was forced to make creative changes that stripped his and Larry Cohen's original script down to an hour-long movie. After walking away, Lustig apparently was replaced by producer Joel Soisson, who shot a bunch of filler scenes to pad the runtime. While this third entry in the "Maniac Cop" series may be the worst, there are glimpses of a better and more politically charged thriller somewhere in it, begging to get out from under the wishes of scrupulous producers.

Blue Underground brings "Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence" to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with a terrific video presentation bolstered by Dolby Vision HDR. While BU uses the 4K restoration of the film produced for the previous Blu-ray, the addition of Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio rounds out this new release wonderfully. Plus, there's a new commentary with William Lustig and Joel Soisson, where the two go back and forth about the disagreements they had during the production and the many problems plaguing it. Even if you don't like the film as whole, the new commentary is incredibly candid and filled with great stories you'll want to hear about the film.

Officer Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) is back for blood after being revived by a shaman. Running parallel to these events is the story of a cop named Katie Sullivan (Gretchen Becker). Sullivan is framed for using excessive force during a robbery at a pharmacy. But after the robbery, she's left comatose. Once Cordell catches wind of Katie's supposed excessive force, he sets out to kill everyone he thinks has scorned Katie, including the reporters that put a bad spin on the story.

Again, there's a somewhat-trenchant take on police brutality showing up here in brief glimpses. Apparently, Lustig originally wanted to cast a Black actor in the lead, but the Japanese distributor vehemently disagreed and wanted to use Robert Davi again instead. This sent Lustig scrambling to rewrite the story, primarily since screenwriter Larry Cohen wasn't offered any more money to rewrite the original script. The result is a film of decent aspirations and too many complications to meet them.

If you're a fan at all of "Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence," then I'm sure you'll find the new 4K Blu-ray more than worthy of your attention. Even if you're not a fan, Blue Underground has done great work once again at showcasing a genre thriller with the best technology home entertainment can offer.

Other special features include:

� "Wrong Arm of the Law - The Making of Maniac Cop 3"
� Deleted and Extended Scenes
� Theatrical Trailer
� Poster & Still Gallery
� Original Synopsis

"Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence" is now available on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray from Blue Underground.