Watch Free: Kill 'em All 2 (2024)
Movie Review: Kill ‘Em All 2
Kill ‘Em All 2 picks up seven years after the original, a fitting timespan since there’s also a seven-year gap between the two films. We find Phillip (Jean-Claude Van Damme, The Last Mercenary, Hard Target) reunited with his daughter Vanessa (Jacqueline Fernandez, Mrs. Serial Killer, Tell It Like a Woman) as they lay low in southern Italy. But their attempt to stay hidden quickly fails when they are ambushed by henchmen working for Vlad Petrovic (Andrei Lenart, Kingsman: The Secret Service), who is out for revenge after his brother Dimitri’s death in the first film. Now, they must go on the run, with no choice but to kill their way to survival.
Not having seen the original film, I had to refresh my memory of its existence. In fact, this may have worked in my favor because Kill ‘Em All 2 brings a new director, Valeri Milev (Re-Kill, Bullets of Justice), and writer Jim Agnew (Giallo, The Capture), who offer up a fairly typical direct-to-video (DTV) action experience. Two characters from the first film, Agents Holman (Peter Stormare, The Ritual Killer, Constantine) and Sanders (Maria Conchita Alonso, Fear City, Predator 2), return for brief appearances. Alonso’s role, however, feels like more of a cameo, filmed in a setting that could be mistaken for her living room. Talia Asseraf (Night Caller, Skincare) also returns but as a new character, which might confuse viewers familiar with the original.
When it comes to plot, there’s not much to keep you guessing. From the very beginning, it’s easy to stay ahead of the characters. The story revolves around a flash drive worth millions, leading to predictable scenes of betrayal, vault infiltrations, and car chases. The film follows a formula of action sequences, limited by its low budget. Still, there are some well-executed fight scenes thanks to stunt coordinator Simone Belli (Once Upon a Time in London), and Van Damme proves he can still throw a decent high kick, even if his expression of pain afterwards might be the most authentic part of his performance.
Cinematographer Angelo Stramaglia (Hard Night Falling) and composer Aldo Shllaku (The Comeback Trail) do a solid job in keeping the movie moving along, all the way to a final showdown that cleverly incorporates weapons from World War II and pays homage to the Charles Bronson classic The Evil That Men Do.
In conclusion, Kill ‘Em All 2 is exactly what it sets out to be: a passable DTV action flick. There’s no pretense of grandeur, and even the cast seems to be in on the joke, with Lenart and Stormare having fun with their over-the-top roles. Fans of Van Damme will enjoy seeing him take on yet another group of enemies, but that’s about all there is. It’s not as solid as Van Damme’s other recent work, like Darkness of Man, but still miles ahead of anything Steven Seagal has put out in the last couple of decades. Milev has shown promise in his past projects, but sadly, little of that potential shines through here.
){kind=link}
0 Comments