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We are tacking up on The Action Fix Podcast as we are talking JCVD’s KILL ‘EM ALL 2 or otherwise known as the sequel no one asked for. Is it better than the first? is there more Van Dammage? Is it just plain watchable? Join me as we are jocking up and going to war with the Muscles from Brussels and Kill ‘Em All 2!
Action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme returns for the sequel that absolutely no one asked for. Seriously, not even his most diehard of legionnaires asked for a follow up to his 2013 DTV actioner from longtime friend and collaborator Peter Malota who also was featured in Double Impact. The first film was a somewhat watchable Die Hard clone with JC playing a mysterious agent named Phillip with amnesia who must take one mercenaries who have descended on a hospital where Phillip was brought to after he was injured.
The movie did contain some solid action design with veteran action star Daniel Bernhardt playing a ruthless and formidable henchman. The main issue with the first one was that there were some massive pacing issues that stomped on the brakes and made it almost unwatchable. At any rate, Kill ‘Em All serves as an addition to VD’s filmography arsenal that is pretty much reserved for completists who need all of his movies for their collection. Yes, I do have it, but I did but it at a Dollar Tree for $1.25.
Now Van Damme is back and it’s seven years later and Phillip is living a quiet life off the grid with his estranged daughter Vanessa, and both are kicking it in Phillip’s childhood village. Unfortunately for father and daughter, the brother of the Serbian slime all that he killed in the first film wants Phillip dead at any cost and he and his army have invaded the small Italian town to eliminate both with extreme prejudice.
The plot is standard revenge fair, and I will say that Kill ‘Em All 2 is far better than the original with a lot more fight sequences and Van Damme doing Van Damme things and while it’s mainly a disposable watch, the sequel should please fans who are looking to scratch that itch when it comes to JCVD kicking ass onscreen.
The main issue I had with the movie is its lack in dominating villains as all of them are forgettable and wasted Eastern European trash. Andrei Lenart takes over as the main villain Vlad Petrovic, but he is hardly intimidating and just comes off as whiny and useless. The first film at least had Bernhardt, so you knew you were going to get a climatic dual with two action stars but here, there is no one so write home about.
Peter Stormare and Maria Conchita Alonso return as well from the first film, but their character arcs are nonexistent, and you can see the twist coming a mile away. Stormare does the work as usual, and he’s been around a long time having been in several Bruckheimer flicks like Armageddon and Bad Boys 2.
Jacqueline Fernandez, who played Jasmine in 2009’s live action Aladdin, is a great counterpart to Van Damme‘s Phillip. She plays his daughter Vanessa, and she is hardly a damsel in distress. Fernandez gets plenty of opportunities to beat down the baddies and it was refreshing to see her character be a strong and lethal lady.
There is plenty of action and fisticuffs to be had and Van Damme does get physical as he executes several tight and taut CQB style altercations and there’s also some flashy moves executed but once again, most of the action is marred due to the fact that JC is noticeably doubled in several scenes. It’s sad as we all know we get older and even our heroes do as Jackie Chan even gets doubled in his newest entries. It unfortunately took me out of a lot of the fights.
In terms of setting and cinematography, the movie does look slick, and the foreign locals do add a little something as it’s gorgeous everywhere the actors go. The action is shot well and the editing, while suffering from quick cuts at times, does do the action star and the stuntmen justice.
All in all, this is standard, disposable DTV action that will not rise above some of the better outputs out there. Van Damme is middle aged now and it’s showing a great deal in his later roles, but I will commend the man as he is still in phenomenal shape and can still deliver a little if that old Van Damme signature butt kicking.
The villains are forgettable, and the sequel lacks a rousing climatic showdown but there is enough solid violence to be had, and Van Damme looks great when it’s him doing it.
I am a diehard JCVD fan so I will always look for the good in his movies and quite frankly, it’s awesome enough that we are still getting these physical roles from the icon. This is a far better cut above sequel to a forgettable flick and with everyone’s favorite Belgian brawler taking out the Euro Trash so just sit back, crack open a brew, grab a slice of pizza and enjoy the carnage on screen as JCVD still has it!
VERDICT: 3 Out of 5 Stars
JCVD shines as always and brings the Van Dammage to an otherwise disposable DTV action sequel.
