Score 2: The Big Fight

Featuring none of the characters from the first movie (although stars Shû Ehara, Hitoshi Ozawa and Hiroshi Miyasaka reappear as completely different people), and having an unconnected plot, Score 2 isn't really a true sequel; it does, however, share the same manic, gun crazy attitude as Atsushi Muroga's 1995 action flick and there is a definite similarity in style (ie., loads of John Woo type shoot-outs, bloody squibs and cool gangsters).

This time around, Ozawa himself takes on the directorial duties and very nearly manages to match Muroga's film in the fun stakes.

A gang of criminals (including a hot blonde) attempt to retrieve a stash of stolen cash, over which a fairground has been built. The trouble is, one of the gang is keen to dispatch of his partners-in-crime, and a pair of crooked cops are also out to lay their grubby mitts on the booty.

At first, this film has the feeling of a stalk and slash/giallo movie, with the unseen traitor gradually bumping off the other gang members, but before long it falls into familiar action territory with bullets and blood flying everywhere.

Don't expect any sort of logic to proceedings; just sit back and enjoy the craziness of the whole thing and you'll have a good time. Score 2 gets 6.5 out of 10 from me, but for IMDb, I'll round it up to 7 (which is the same rating as I gave Score).