Cobra, for all the reasons everyone named. I actually revisted both films maybe a decade or so ago, because I used to watch them all the time back in the 80s/90s on VHS.
In doing so, I noticed Raw Deal just wasn't that good. There were only a couple of cool action scenes towards the end of the film. It kind of meandered and didn't seem to have a very strong identity until the end. The only reason anyone likes it is because it's an Arnold vehicle; and largely it's only enjoyable because of Arnold. If it had starred Chuck Norris or Stallone or Kurt Russell -- even though I like all of them -- it would still be completely forgotten, maybe even more-so than what it is. Ironically, I think the only person who could have pulled off this film and made it slightly more enjoyable is Steven Seagal, because this is the exact kind of film that fits right up his alley. They could have tweaked the story a bit and made it less comical and more gritty like Out for Justice, and I think it would have fit into Seagal's repertoire well.
As for Cobra -- it was the far better film of the two. I agree with others that acting wise Arnold did a better job in Raw Deal than Stallone did in Cobra, but Cobra was the far superior character, with a lot of iconic style, cool weapons, and that absolutely badass 1950 Mercury. That car was so awesome. Cobra also had two cool chase sequences, and that final showdown in the steel mill with Brian Thompson is one for the ages. Also, the villains in Cobra gave the film that horror-thriller vibe, which was unique for a movie like that, because most action stars veered away from horror-thrillers (not sure why?).
So upon reflection, I just enjoyed Cobra more (even though I haven't watched both in about a decade, but they're still vivid enough in memory). Cobra had more iconic elements, better cinematography, and felt more risky. Raw Deal was more by-the-books, had some entertaining elements, but nothing as memorable as Arnold's other films.
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