Periodically, I will take a look at movies that, at first glance, are disappointing or flat out awful.  For this reason, I have created A Second Look.  This is going to be the kind of post that will take a “postmortem” look at a film.  These will not be “reviews” per se, but rather an observation on the film being looked at.  I will look at the overall reaction to the film and where a possible franchise may continue.  There are certain movies out there that may deserve another shot and thus will earn A Second Look.  For this inaugural post of A Second Look, I will take another shot at one of this year’s most divisive movies: Alien Covenant.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Alien franchise.  Good or bad, I love these movies to death.  Ridley Scott’s original Alien film was a massive hit in 1979.  People lined up around the block waiting to get in.  When they got in, they were in for a very claustrophobic and bloody surprise.  What made Alien so damned good, was the top-notch directing by then-unknown Ridley Scott, with outstanding performances by Tom Skerritt, Yaphet Koto, Ian Holm and the woman that would become the face of the franchise: Sigourney Weaver.  The film’s direction was tight, with tension and atmosphere that was almost palpable.  The creature itself was unlike anything people had seen before.  H.R. Giger’s infamous Xenomorph would become one of the most iconic movie monsters in cinema history.  Alien took the idea of a science fiction movie and threw in Texas Chainsaw Massacre for good measure.  The result is the greatest science-fiction/horror hybrid movie ever made.  No other movie claiming to be sci-fi/horror has come close.  James Cameron followed up Alien with his sequel, Aliens.  While it was a different kind of film, Aliens also took the world by storm as one of the greatest sequels ever made.  Alien 3 was doomed from the moment it began production and while the final product isn’t nearly as awful as everybody said it was, it was nowhere near as compelling as the previous films.  The less said about Alien Resurrection, the better.  As far as I’m concerned, Resurrection isn’t canon at all.

That was pretty much it for the Alien franchise.  The Alien Vs. Predator movies don’t even count, so I won’t even go there.  Around 2010, it was announced by Fox that a prequel to Alien would begin pre-production.  That was an interesting tidbit, but what got most people’s attention was that Ridley Scott would be returning to the director’s chair for the film.  That got people hyped.  Unfortunately, as what happens in film-making, the initial script and screen-play were radically changed.  20th Century Fox felt it wouldn’t be the best idea to do a direct prequel.  So, instead they opted for a reboot/prequel/something else instead.  Prometheus was released in 2012 to very mixed reactions, with people either loving it or hating it.  I was one of those folks who really dug the film.  It had fantastic visuals, great visual effects and Michael Fassbender.  It had some very interesting ideas about the nature of humanity and where we came from.  Granted, some of those ideas didn’t pan out as intended, we still ended up with a pretty decent sci-fi adventure that still had connections to the Alien universe.

I believe it was in 2015 that a sequel to Prometheus was announced.  It was going to follow the survivors of Prometheus, Elizabeth Shaw(Noomi Rapace)and David(Michael Fassbender) as they headed towards the Engineers’ home planet.  That was something I was excited to see.  Sadly, the backlash to the announcement as well as the previous film forced the director and Fox to retool the film into an actual Alien film.  The film would be called Alien Covenant and would not see the return of Elizabeth Shaw, at least not in the way people wanted.  The film, also directed by Ridley Scott, was released in May of this year.  If you thought Prometheus was divisive, Covenant split audiences into three groups, essentially.  You had people who loved it, the people who hated it, and people like me who were ultimately disappointed, but saw some good things in the film.

So, why the schism?  For one, people like me, who absolutely LOVED Prometheus were pissed to see that particular story-line end the way it did:  Swept under the rug.  I was ultimately crushed by that decision.  The way the film-makers handled Shaw’s fate was so backhanded that people didn’t care about the rest of the film.  To be honest, I kind of tuned out for most of the film, because I was angry about that.  You never get a second chance for a first impression.  That was not the only issue that people had with Alien Covenant.  It tried to be both a sequel to Prometheus and a prequel to Alien at the same time, but failed at both.  At least, that was my first impression of the film.  One of the other issues was that the writing was generally not very good.  The characters were nothing more than fodder for the creatures in the film.  Outside of Danny McBride’s Tennessee and Michael Fassbender’s David/Walter, there were no characters worth connecting to, because you knew that they were going to die.  Part of what made the original film work was that you got to know the crew and care about them, so when they died, the impact had more of an emotional punch.  Add on top of that, the characters were constantly making really stupid decisions, turning Alien Covenant into a second-rate horror movie.

So, does Alien Covenant get better with repeat viewings?  As a matter of fact, it does, at least for me.  As of this writing, on August 15, 2017, the film is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Once I got over the way they handled the whole Elizabeth Shaw angle, the film actually opened up quite a bit in terms of scale and what David was doing on the planet.  Alien Covenant is an origin story for the Xenomorph.  I know that people would prefer the creature to remain a mystery, and to a certain extent, I agree.  That being said, what I found from watching the film a second time was a sense of absolute isolation from anything else in the universe.  You know what’s worse than claustrophobia?  Isolation.  I loved the fact that the landing crew got isolated from the main ship, because of ion storm.  No communication and no safe way of returning.  That meant they were stuck on a planet that appeared to have nothing but plant-life.  From a visual standpoint, the film is absolutely phenomenal.  From the mountains to the Engineer City, Alien Covenant is a visual treat.  It’s even better on Blu-Ray with the textures being so sharp.  From a design standpoint, it’s also fantastic.  The ship designs are fantastic as well as the creature designs.  H.R. Giger’s work is clearly on display here and what else is here is also influenced by Mr. Giger’s work.

A lot of people have also taken issue with the fact that the Xenomorph-proper is CGI.  Here’s the thing, they used a guy in a suit as a reference, but used CGI to enhance the creature.  Let’s face it, the way they wanted the creature to move wasn’t exactly something you could really get a stuntman to do these days.  They were successful in 1979 and 1986, but that’s because they HAD to do it that way and it still holds up.  The Neo-Morphs are suitably creepy and their births are genuinely disturbing.  The gore-factor is definitely high.

There are still major issues with Alien Covenant that I feel bring it down.  For one:  The ending.  I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the film, but you see it coming a mile away and it’s not particularly satisfying.  It’s also blatant sequel-baiting for a movie that may not happen.  Most of the characters are generally irritating and the female hero of the film isn’t really worth mentioning. Katherine Waterston does what she can with what she’s got, but what she’s got is about as thin as a wet piece of paper.

There’s also one outstanding issue that could affect the entire franchise moving forward:  Box-office results.  There’s no sugar-coating this:  Alien Covenant was a failure.  It wasn’t an outright flop, but it severely under-performed in a summer that was rife with some major heavy-hitters like Wonder Woman.  Over the past month and half, it has come to light that 20th Century Fox was very disappointed in Alien‘s performance.  As a result, they are “re-assessing the future of the franchise.”  So, what does that mean?  It could mean a lot of things.  Prometheus generated renewed interest in the franchise and I don’t think that’s going to go away.  There’s a lot of potential with this franchise to go in so many different directions.  I think that Ridley Scott is going to be given one more film in the franchise to directly connect to the original film.  After that, the focus of the franchise could be anywhere at anytime.  If Mr. Scott can get the next one right, I think he needs to step away from the franchise permanently and in every aspect:  No producing, no writing, nothing.  That’s a sentiment that a lot of critics have echoed since Alien Covenant was released.  The franchise needs new blood.  Besides, a lot of people were really hoping that Neil Blomkamp’s film was going to happen.  Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn have expressed GREAT interest in returning to their characters to give them a proper send-off.  That would mean ignoring the events of Alien 3 and Resurrection.

So, is Alien Covenant worth a second look?  I believe it is, in spite of the numerous problems the film has.  It’s a lot of fun and has some terrific performances, specifically Michael Fassbender and Danny McBride.  It also has a decent amount of blood and guts for the gore-hounds.  My initial review and score of 7.5/10 still stands.  I don’t think it’s the disaster that a lot of people thought it was, but it was nowhere near the film that it needed to be.  In order for the franchise to reach new heights, we have to have new blood, so to speak.  Having seen the film for a second time, maybe more, has me appreciating it on different levels.

Released: July 2017

Director: Toby Russell

Not Rated

Run Time: 88 Minutes

Distributor: Vision Films

Genre: Action/Martial Arts

Cast:
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Bobby Pau
Matt Mullins: Michael Turner
Cynthia Rothrock: Valerie
Chiranan Manochaem: Yui
Joe Lewis: Conrad
Jawed Al Berni: Peter
Gigi Velicitat: Draco
Prasit Suanphaka: Otto

Movies take quite some to finish.  It usually takes about a year and a half to two years from conception, pre-production, production, and post-production.  It’s not a short process.  Even when it’s all finished, there’s no guarantee that it’ll ever be released.  There have been movies that were completely finished but were never released.  At least, not to the general public.  Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four is a prime example, even though you can check it out on YouTube(not that I would advise such a thing, it’s a terrible film by all accounts).  So, why does a film not get released after being finished?  There a lot of reasons.  Sometimes a regime change for a movie company can have an effect because the new regime doesn’t care for the film, so they shelve it.  Sometimes, a film-maker feels that it shouldn’t be released due to interference from the studio or certain societal issues that would make the film seem…insensitive.  Sometimes, it’s just having issues with getting the film distributed.  Death Fighter is one such movie.

Opening in a warehouse somewhere in Thailand, we see two undercover cops, Mike Turner and Conrad as they try to track and take down a Russian warlord named Draco.  Conrad is shot and killed by Draco and Mike is left seeking revenge.  Mike learns of someone who is familiar with the local jungle, Bobby Pau, and together they head out to take down the bad guys.  On the way, they meet a local doctor who can more than hold her own in a fight.  This is about as straight-forward a story as you can get.  There are no twists, no hidden bad guys, just the two guys and the girl as they track down Draco.  While it’s not particularly original, it serves its purpose, which is to give our heroes people to fight.

Let’s face it, the real reason you watch this movie is for Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, Matt Mullins, and Joe Lewis.  Joe Lewis, in his final acting role, is only in the film for a short while, but he’s still pretty memorable.  He could still take people down.  It was definitely interesting to see him here.  Don Wilson, who is now one of my favorite martial arts actors, plays Bobby Pau, a hard-drinking former special forces operative.  While Mr. Wilson isn’t the greatest actor in the world, and he doesn’t need to be, he still comes across as somebody that you really like.  Physically, he still kicks ass.  What can I say?  I love watching this guy work.  Matt Mullins is someone I’ve been aware of for quite a while now.  The first movie I saw him in was Blood and Bone, with Michael Jai White.  Again, not the greatest actor, but he can still toe-to-toe with anybody in the industry today.  This guy can really move.  It’s always a pleasure to see Cynthia Rothrock in…well….ANYTHING.  It’s certainly interesting to see her playing a villain, I feel that she’s more suited to playing a good guy…or girl.  That being said, she can still bring it and she brings it pretty hard.  The girl that plays the doctor is more than just a pretty face, she can definitely kick some serious ass, while looking good while doing it.  The main villain?  I’m sorry….he’s just too way over the top to take seriously as a threat.  When a subordinate fails to kill someone, Draco doesn’t chew him out or beat the hell out of him, but just lets him go do his thing.  The scariest villains will kill you outright if you fail them just once.  The second in command, Peter, who is played by Jawed Al Berni, makes for a better villain, because he can fight and is not a nice guy.

With all these big-budget action films, I have to say, few can deliver on the thrills that a smaller independent film can.  Why?  Because indie film makers aren’t necessarily beholden to the “standards” that these big movie companies claim to have.  Death Fighter features some of the best fight scenes this side of the Pacific.  I’ll explain why:  Looking for the fight choreographer at the end credits, I came across a name that I found extremely familiar:  Kazu Patrick Tang.  This is a stuntman/actor/fight choreographer that I am familiar with, and it explains why the fight scenes in Death Fighter are so damn good.  This guy knows who to use his actors and he plays to their strengths.  Best of all?  No wires.  It certainly helps keep the film grounded in a certain reality.  Don Wilson moves better than a lot of actors his age, and so does Cynthia Rothrock.  Seeing those two in a fight scene together is really cool.  Matt Mullins and Jawed don’t need stunt doubles for their fights.  These guys are very good at what they do and their scenes together are absolutely amazing.

Death Fighter was a film that was supposed to be release back in 2014 under the name White Tiger, but the film was shelved until it could find a distributor.  As I said above, this was Joe Lewis’ last role before he passed away.  If you don’t know who Joe Lewis was, he was a martial artist who won various karate tournaments and was named as one of the greatest fighters of his time.  Bruce Lee himself considered Mr. Lewis “the greatest Karate fighter of all time.”  He was also one of 5 men who managed to beat Chuck Norris.  If that’s not a ringing endorsement of the man, I don’t know what is.  Sadly, Joe Lewis passed away in 2012 as a result of a brain tumor.  He’s left behind an incredible legacy.  He had his own system of martial arts that focused on full contact fighting and is considered by many to be the “father of kickboxing.”  I don’t know if he ever got a chance to see the final cut of this film, but I think he would have been very proud of it.

Overall, my impression of Death Fighter is a very good one.  While it may be slow in places, it does allow for some real character development, especially for Don Wilson’s character.  While there are certain issues with camera-work, this is still a very good movie, despite the fact that it took 3 years to get released.  Don Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock still have what it takes to be action stars, and Death Fighter is definitely one that should be seen by any fan of martial arts films.

Final Recommendation: 8.5/10.

Released: January 2017

Rated R

Run Time: 160 Minutes

Director: Martin Scorsese

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Genre: Historical Drama

Cast:
Andrew Garfield: Rodrigues
Adam Driver: Garrupe
Liam Neeson: Ferreira
Ciaran Hinds: Father Valignano
Tadanobu Asano: Interpreter

Movies are an absolutely wonderful way of telling stories.  Whether it’s an action film or a comedy, seeing stuff happen on the screen is something that many people tend to take for granted.  Most people go see movies to be entertained.  However, there have been movies over the decades that are truly great movies, but they’re not necessarily entertaining.  A movie does not have to entertain to be compelling.  Take war movies like Saving Private Ryan, for example.  That’s a movie that starts out with one of the most disturbing war sequences ever put to film.  It’s not entertaining to watch something that is historically accurate like that.  It’s compelling because it doesn’t shy away from the horror of the situation.  You’ve also got dramas like Abduction of Eden, which deal with the very real problem of human trafficking, and it’s represented in a way that’s horrifying.  We, as a species, are compelled to seek out stories that have meaning.  Be it books, video games, or movies, story-telling is extremely important, and it’s also important to understand that some stories aren’t all sunshine and rainbows.  Legendary film-maker Martin Scorsese comes at us with a movie called Silence.

Silence begins as we witness several Catholic priests being strung up to wooden posts and having boiling water poured over them.  Father Ferreira is forced to watch as his colleagues are tortured by the Japanese.  Later, two young Jesuit priests, Garrupe and Rodrigues, are read a letter from Ferreira saying that he had denounced the Church and its teachings.  Refusing to believe that Ferreira abandoned his faith, the two priests head to Japan to discover the truth.  The story that I have described is set in 17th century Japan during the Shimabara Rebellion.  Christianity at that point was completely outlawed in Japan, and Christians were severely persecuted for their beliefs until the mid-19th century.  The story takes a look at a couple of Jesuit priests and how they try to maintain their faith in the face of tremendous adversity.  It’s a surprisingly complex story that examines faith, belief and the time and places of such things.  It’s never a simple thing when you’re dealing the subject of faith and belief.  It’s an extraordinarily compelling story that kind of rips your guts out at times.

Martin Scorsese is truly a master of his craft, and Silence is one of his most impressive movies to date.  It runs at a little over two and a half hours long, but it doesn’t feel like it.  You can thank the actors and the crew of the film for that.  The acting in this film is astounding on every level.  Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver throw themselves into their respective roles and just hammer it home.  We see Garfield’s character start out as this kind of naive priest thinking that he can spread the word of God, while trying to find Ferreira.  Adam Driver’s character starts out the same way, but he begins to doubt things the longer he’s in Japan.  We see Rodrigues go from an optimistic priest to someone who is broken spiritually.  It’s incredibly amazing to see that transformation happen throughout the film.  Liam Neeson turns in probably the strongest performance he’s had in years as Ferreira, despite the fact that he’s not in the film for very long.  You can see the suffering in his eyes when the film opens.  It’s tragic and absolutely phenomenal.  The Japanese cast does a great job as well.  At first, some of the Japanese come across as villains, but over the course of the film, you begin to understand where the Japanese are coming from.  In the 17th century, they viewed Christianity as a threat to their way of life, and considering the stuff that Church has done over the years, you know that the Japanese weren’t wrong, even though their methods were brutal.

Despite the fact that the film was shot on small sets, Silence is one of the most visually striking movies that I’ve seen in years.  We do get some really great shots of the environment, but a lot of it is close-quarters.  The editing is as perfect as you can get.  The sound design is extraordinary.  The music is surprisingly minimalistic with no overbearing orchestra in the background.  I really like that, because it allows you to hear the conversations and everything else in between.  It is an incredibly well-made film that really draws you in with visuals and sound.  Considering the subject matter involved here, there are some scenes that many would consider to be disturbing, even though they are not overly graphic.  There’s this one character who was forced to denounce Christianity, but while he did, his family did not, and they were burned alive.  It’s not really a pleasant movie to sit through.

I would argue that Silence isn’t necessarily an indictment of faith or religion, but rather the arrogance of thinking everybody is simply going to accept the word of God.  It clearly wasn’t the case in 17th century Japan, and it definitely isn’t the case now.  But if you take Silence simply as a drama, there’s a lot to love about this movie.  The performances are more than Oscar-worthy.  Andrew Garfield has proven yet again, that he can be one of the greatest actors of his generation and it’s the same thing with Adam Driver.  Liam Neeson is…well…Liam Neeson.  He’s one of my favorite actors of all time, and he’s proven it yet again in Silence.  Overall, This is a film that everyone should see.  Anyone who is a fan of Martin Scorsese has already seen this film and already owns it on DVD/Blu-Ray.  Silence is easily one of the most compelling experiences of the year.

Final Recommendation:  10/10.

Released:
Bloodfist: September 1989
Bloodfist II: October 1990

Rated R

Director: Terence H. Winkless(Bloodfist), Andy Blumenthal(Bloodfist II)

Run Time: 85 Minutes(Bloodfist, Bloodfist II)

Distributor: New Concorde

Genre: Action/Martial Arts

Cast(Bloodfist):
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Jake Raye
Joe Mari Avellana: Kwong
Billy Blanks: Black Rose
Michael Shaner: Baby Davies
Riley Bowman: Nancy

Cast(Bloodfist II):
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Jake Raye
Rina Reyes: Mariella
Joe Mari Avellana: Su
Robert Marius: Dieter
Maurice Smith: Vinny Petrello
Tim Baker: Sal Taylor

Legendary film-maker Roger Corman has had an incredibly prolific career.  As a producer, the man has over 400 titles to his name, even though many of them are un-credited.  This guy is responsible for producing films like Death Race 2000, Piranha, Galaxy of Terror,  and Battle Beyond The Stars.  While a great many of his movies really aren’t that good, I would argue, there is no denying that Mr. Corman has had a major influence on the industry in general.  He’s influenced film-makers like James Cameron, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, and Ron Howard.  He is also responsible for putting many actors on the map such as Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Charles Bronson, Robert De Niro, and David Carradine.  Say what you will about Mr. Corman as a film-maker, but you can’t deny the influence and innovation that he has brought to the entire film industry.  Roger Corman is also responsible for putting 11-time world kickboxing champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson on the map as an actor.  In 1989, Don “The Dragon” Wilson would star in the first Bloodfist which would go on to spawn 8 more films in the series.

The film’s story begins with former boxer Jake Raye as he gets a phone call from the Philippines, saying that his brother has been killed.  Jake flies to Manila to recover his brother’s body and to find the person responsible for killing him.  As he learns that his brother’s killer may be participating in a local martial arts tournament, Jake comes across an artist who trains Jake as a kickboxer so he can enter the tournament.  In 1989, even this setup with a tournament had been done to death, with the likes of Enter The Dragon and Bloodsport.  So, the story is kinda there just to push things along.  It also features a twist which you can see coming a mile away, so you really shouldn’t be surprised at what happens.  The story is ultimately predictable, and there’s not really a whole lot of tension to be found.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the story that brings the film down.  There’s a number of issues that, for me, don’t work.  The majority of the characters are…..not great.  Baby is by far one of the most irritating characters that I’ve come across in a movie of this sort.  I know he was supposed to be some kind of comic relief, but he comes across as whiny and ungrateful.  Riley Bowman’s Nancy fares a bit better, but she’s there just to be a pretty face and someone that Jake can hook up with.  Kwong is one of my biggest gripes with this movie.  The moment you meet the character, you’re already going to know that he has an ulterior motive for training Jake.  The real saving grace of the film is Don Wilson.  His character is quite likable and is someone that you can relate to.  This is the role that put Mr. Wilson on the map, and it’s not hard to see why.  He’s got these eyes that give off a real intensity.  He’s obviously physically capable of doing his own fighting, because Mr. Wilson was still actively competing.  The other guy that Bloodfist draws attention to is Billy Blanks.  His character doesn’t really come across as a villain, but rather, just an opponent.  An obstacle for Mr. Wilson’s character.  But there’s something about Billy Blanks that you tend to pay attention to.

Unfortunately, the action in the film isn’t quite where I think it needs to be.  It’s also been dealt a blow by some camera-work that feels really inept at times.  Some of the action that you can see is actually not bad.  The fight between Mr. Wilson and Billy Blanks is probably one of the biggest highlights of the film, as is the final fight between Jake and Kwong(Spoiler Alert! Kwong’s a bad guy!)  Overall, the action is hit and miss.  Don’t get me wrong, Don Wilson gives it his all, as does Billy Blanks, but they’ve been dealt a disservice by some questionable film-making.  So, what Bloodfist has going for it is decent acting by Don Wilson, Billy Blanks and some decent fight scenes.  I definitely understand that this is a real low-budget movie, but I can’t say that’s an excuse for a film that really could have been a lot better.  That being said, it did give us “The Dragon” and it also opened up for more movies.  Thankfully, the follow-up film is really good.

Final Recommendation for Bloodfist: It’s worth checking out to see how Don Wilson fared in his first lead role.  Aside from that, the film is kinda….meh.  6.5/10

Bloodfist 2:

While the first Bloodfist was quite underwhelming for me, I can’t blame Don Wilson for that.  That was a result of some questionable decisions on the part of the director and producer.  It did give us one hell of a new lead actor, though.  While Bloodfist wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, the follow-up film, Bloodfist II not only gets everything right, it does so with gusto.

Don “The Dragon” Wilson returns as Jake Raye in Bloodfist II, as he takes on a competitor at the beginning of the film.  Jake inadvertently kills his opponent, and as a result gives up his title and walks away from the sport.  Some time later, Jake gets a call from an old friend, Vinny, who says that he’s in trouble with a gangster by the name of Su.  Flying out to Manila in the Philippines, Jake is ambushed and kidnapped.  He, along with a number of other fighters, have been taken to an island off the coast of the Philippines where they are forced to fight to the death.  Like the first film, the story here is nothing that we haven’t seen before, but it’s enough to get from one fight scene to another.  In a film like this, that’s really all you need.  This isn’t Citizen Kane.  If you want Citizen Kane, then go watch Citizen Kane.  But if you want to see people get kicked in the face a lot, there is definitely something of value here.

I have to come right out and say it:  Bloodfist II is one of the most underrated action films of 1990.  I mean, yeah, Don Wilson didn’t get the exposure that Jean-Claude Van Damme did, but this movie, I think, is somewhat better in many ways than movies like Bloodsport.  I loved Bloodsport, but there’s something about Bloodfist II, that had me on the edge of my seat.  Most of the problems that I had with the previous film have been rectified for this entry.  The camera-work is infinitely better.  The direction is somewhat inspired and the performances are decent.  Don Wilson gets the edge here as Jake Raye, who is having to deal with the death of an opponent in the ring.  I’m a sucker for a good redemption story, and there’s definitely one at the heart of this movie.  The leading lady, played by Rina Reyes, is not a damsel in distress.  She can hold her own against Su’s thugs.  Joe Avellana is given a full-blown role as a villain, and he’s not too bad.  The villain that inadvertently steals the show is Dieter.  He’s kind of an over-the-top character, but I found him to be very bizarre.  The actor’s clearly having fun.

The action in Bloodfist II is not only multiple steps above the first movie, but the fights and choreography rival that of a lot of the bigger budget action movies that were released that year.  The camera allows us to see what’s actually happening, and it looks like a lot of the punches and kicks are landing.  Often, the opening of a film can really determine what the rest will be like.  Bloodfist II opens with an awesome match between Jake and his opponent.  I got hooked the moment the film started.  It’s also not very long before the next action sequence.  While Bloodfist put Don Wilson on the map, it’s Bloodfist II that allows him to really tear things up, and I have to say this:  Why the hell didn’t I see this movie years ago?  This is awesome!  Not do we get to see Mr. Wilson’s phenomenal skills, the other guys that are part of the scene get to show off too.  We’ve got a guy that’s an expert in Shotokan Karate, a guy who is a military combat instructor, a Greco-Roman wrestler, a Tae Kwon Do expert and a boxer.  Each of these guys get their moment to shine, mostly because the actors are legitimate experts in their specific art.  THAT is what I love to see in movies like this.  It’s Don’s show, through and through, but allowing these other guys to strut their stuff, makes the film more expansive.

If there’s a nitpick that I can honestly say that I have with Bloodfist II, is that the DVD is out-of-print.  You have to buy it used.  It’s too bad, I would love to see these movies in high definition.  Overall, Bloodfist II is a hell of a good time.  It’s non-stop action, with solid performances from Don Wilson, Miss Reyes, and Joe Avellana.  Bloodfist has become something of a cult phenomenon.  There are currently nine Bloodfist films.  Don Wilson stars in eight of them.  I’ve seen Bloodfist 2050, which wasn’t that good, but I’m really curious about the other ones.  Obviously, Mr. Wilson has done more than just the Bloodfist movies, so I’m also looking forward to checking out his non-Bloodfist movies.  My final conclusion is that while Bloodfist I put “The Dragon” on the map, it’s the second film that sets him loose.  I don’t think I can recommend Bloodfist II enough.  It’s that much fun.

Final Recommendation(Bloodfist II): 9/10