Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Shootfighter II; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 0.75
Direction: 1.00
Pace: 0.75
Acting: 1.00
Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 4.75 out of 10.00
I rebuked the original Shootfighter, though only slightly, for not possessing an original script. Well, in the sequel, the writers attempt to add intrigue and stratagems. Sadly, neither the writers nor the director makes the film intriguing or engrossing.
The concept of the story is adequate. A police detective, having lost his son to an illegal "Death Match" Shootfight, enlists the help of a few martial artists to bring the killer promoters before the law. It only needs Master Shingo to hear that his brother is running the show, to offer him and his students help. So, off to Miami go Ruben, Nick, Master Shingo, and Shark. Since this martial arts flick has taken a slight detour into the thriller genre, there are a few twists in the tale. However, these suffer heavily from being much-used deceits. So when Detective Rawlins warns his stool-pigeon that if he crosses him, there will be trouble, you're waiting for the cross to come. And, in fact, most things in this thriller are predictable, and that's sad. They had a chance to create a solid and fresh story. What the audience receives, once again, is regurgitated leftovers.
The direction is worse than the original film. At least in that picture, the director knew how to shoot the fight scenes to make them engaging and exciting for the viewer. Paul Ziller, however, doesn't manage to hit the same highs. Most of the action sequences and chases are by the book and are rather dull - Considering the steady pace of the movie, it's not unexpected.
It would have helped massively had they not hired Chase Randolph to play Detective Lew Rawlins. For one thing, he's a Swiss-Cheese walking and talking. His performance lacks the skill, and he is cheesy to the max. I constantly wished one of the fighters would knock that grin right off his mug. Sadly, that never happens. The worst thing is everybody else is okay, so his acting deficiency is obvious, making it more of a distraction and hindrance to the viewer.
If you've watched and enjoyed Shootfighter, then feel free to check out the sequel; you'll probably enjoy it. Though, if you haven't, I'd recommend the original over this tiresome film.
Please feel free to visit my Holding Out For A Hero and The Game Is Afoot lists to see where I ranked ShootfighterII.
Take Care & Stay Well.
