Here’s where legal considerations end and my personal take begins. George P. Cosmatos directed Cobra, which was written by Paula Gosling (adapting her novel Fair Game) and Sylvester Stallone himself. The cast includes Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, Brian Thompson, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson, John Herzfeld, and Lee Garlington. The score is by Sylvester Levay, with cinematography by Ric Waite. A determined police officer focused on fighting crime finds himself needing to safeguard the sole witness remaining after a bizarre cult committed murders as part of a larger scheme. Cobra offers an intriguing glimpse into what “Beverley Hills Cop” might have become had things gone differently. Stallone delivered a raw and forceful action script, but the studio worried about the expense and instead opted for the comedic Eddie Murphy version (which proved to be successful). This shortened, 1 hour and 20-minute film only suggests what a darker, more intense action movie could have been, before studio executives got nervous and removed roughly one-third of the footage. Despite that, it remains an enjoyable experience; Stallone embodies a confident and stylish antihero, the villain is over-the-top (Brian Thompson even resembles Arnie in certain camera angles), Nielsen appears as she naturally does...and the action sequences are thrilling. It’s far from being a terrible movie, though it's somewhat disappointing knowing what could have been, and the editing feels rushed. 6.5/10

Source on TMDB