NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 is unconnected to the original movie, other than having the same director in Corey Yuen. Instead this one's an open rip-off of RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, featuring a group of people heading to south-east Asia and battling some Vietcong as well as Russian military types. Really, that's all there is to the plot line: it's a lightweight movie with plenty of comedy in the scripting and plenty of action to keep things moving along. Once again, the best thing about the film is the participation of Corey Yuen who delivers some outstanding action sequences that make the movie probably better than it has any right to be.
The story is extremely limited and the script what you'd expect from a cheesy '80s genre flick, although this isn't quite as dated in the fashion stakes – only the clothing looks its age here. This one takes a long time to get going, but Yuen carefully paces his action so there's always something going on to keep you entertained. I was disappointed when I learned Kurt McKinney and especially Van Damme didn't return for this film, but when I saw the new cast I realised it was actually better. Loren Avedon is another youthful hero but he's a fantastic fighter, very flexible and agile and everything he does impresses. Here he's cast alongside Max Thayer who plays a comic relief character and who reminded me a lot of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Thayer doesn't fight and is frequently doubled, but he is good value for money and gives the movie's best performance. The third name in the cast delighted me: Cynthia Rothrock. This film was made when Rothrock was in her physical prime. She doesn't take part in that many fights but those she does appear in are simply great.
The bad guys are headed by Matthias Hues, a hulking German actor who looks like he could tear you limb from limb without breaking a sweat. Okay, so his acting is pretty cheesy, but he's an indomitable presence in the action stakes and even more imposing than Van Damme in the first movie. I was also pleased to spot Hwang Jang Lee in the cast, an actor famous from many period kung fu films, although sadly he only takes part in one fight scene (although it's a good one!). The final reel goes overboard on the pyrotechnics, with all sorts of things blowing up spectacularly for no apparent reason, but the main action fun comes from the fighting. Obviously, the final extended battle between Avedon and Hues marks the film's peak, but the showdown between Rothrock and Lee is also decent, along with all the other bits and bobs thrown in. The movie makes good use of an alligator pit and features a hilarious fate for the villainous Hues. All in all, NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 is good '80s fun, not quite as good as Yuen's best movies made in Hong Kong, but coming close at times.
The story is extremely limited and the script what you'd expect from a cheesy '80s genre flick, although this isn't quite as dated in the fashion stakes – only the clothing looks its age here. This one takes a long time to get going, but Yuen carefully paces his action so there's always something going on to keep you entertained. I was disappointed when I learned Kurt McKinney and especially Van Damme didn't return for this film, but when I saw the new cast I realised it was actually better. Loren Avedon is another youthful hero but he's a fantastic fighter, very flexible and agile and everything he does impresses. Here he's cast alongside Max Thayer who plays a comic relief character and who reminded me a lot of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Thayer doesn't fight and is frequently doubled, but he is good value for money and gives the movie's best performance. The third name in the cast delighted me: Cynthia Rothrock. This film was made when Rothrock was in her physical prime. She doesn't take part in that many fights but those she does appear in are simply great.
The bad guys are headed by Matthias Hues, a hulking German actor who looks like he could tear you limb from limb without breaking a sweat. Okay, so his acting is pretty cheesy, but he's an indomitable presence in the action stakes and even more imposing than Van Damme in the first movie. I was also pleased to spot Hwang Jang Lee in the cast, an actor famous from many period kung fu films, although sadly he only takes part in one fight scene (although it's a good one!). The final reel goes overboard on the pyrotechnics, with all sorts of things blowing up spectacularly for no apparent reason, but the main action fun comes from the fighting. Obviously, the final extended battle between Avedon and Hues marks the film's peak, but the showdown between Rothrock and Lee is also decent, along with all the other bits and bobs thrown in. The movie makes good use of an alligator pit and features a hilarious fate for the villainous Hues. All in all, NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 is good '80s fun, not quite as good as Yuen's best movies made in Hong Kong, but coming close at times.