For whatever differences they may bear, a large majority of second-tier (or lower) fighting movies like this have at least one thing in common, and it's that any notion of narrative is a light, thin pretense to showcase martial arts or some level of melee combat. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this; it's part of what makes them fun, even at their goofiest. In the case of 'Shootfighter II,' one rather wishes the plot were deemphasized even more, as the exposition that sends our trio of protagonists across the country is very bland, if not also questionable. Pretty much every story beat we get feels distinctly contrived, and there are flourishes adorning the feature that are outright gauche - chiefly, the WWE-like bombast and gimmicks that fighters display before and even during matches. In the grand tradition of many an "okay, sure" sequel, we get a few returning characters and cast members, and a new writing team and director.
Camerawork and editing is a little too exuberant during action sequences, somewhat reducing our sight of utmost visceral (and actual) impact as shots cut away early. We're also treated to a plethora of reaction shots from the audience, to an extent that's ham-handed and over the top. A vast preponderance of the dialogue and scene writing is pointedly overdone or cliched, and the plot is little more than perfunctory on a very basic level. Meanwhile, I don't know whether the flat, unconvincing performances are attributable more to inability of the cast, deficient direction from Paul Ziller, or some other combination of factors, but the acting here is less than inspired. For good measure throw in gratuitous nudity and a sex scene, and to some degree reduce the actual amount of fighting to fill the runtime.
Don't get me wrong, 'Shootfighter II' isn't completely awful. Yet it's undeniably one or two steps down (or more) even from its predecessor of three years prior. More to the point, it's a sequel that screams, dances, and flashes neon lights to let you know it's here, and it matters too - instead of, you know, possessing mindful craft and value that speaks for itself. It's a movie that's defined almost entirely by tropes, and tawdry, unnecessary inclusions that are intended to heighten our engagement, but instead only threaten to break it. Oh, and arguably even more so than in the first movie, Bolo Yeung mostly goes to waste.
It was never going to be great, but it could have been good. Yet 'Shootfighter II' doesn't make nearly enough effort where it would count the most, and tries too hard to compensate for it in the most ignoble of ways, down to the very end. Even if you're a diehard fan of someone involved, you don't need to go out of your way to see it; leave this for those who are too curious for their own good, and even then, only on a very, very lazy day.
