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I haven't seen Kill 'Em All (nor do I feel particularly inclined to, since it appears to be mostly set in a near-deserted hospital), but the sequel is a decent film, and a good timewaster that, at slightly under 90 minutes, doesn't outstay its welcome. A substantial improvement over Van Damme's other 2024 project, Darkness of Man, Kill 'Em All 2 has a solid plot with some twists and turns along the way; some settings which are pleasant to look at, given the limitations of the budget; and generally okay action scenes. Van Damme gets a less interesting role than in Darkness of Man, but still delivers what you expect of him. The rest of the cast is competent enough, with the standout being Peter Stormare, playing the guy you love to hate and bringing much-needed flavor to the film. The action is fine. Though it's edited in that quick-cut, tight-shot style of the Taken films, it is actually Van Damme we get to see on the screen for the most part, with stunt doubles being reasonably well hidden. Every once in a while, there is an inspired moment, like Van Damme reloading the gun while lying on the floor in the first action scene, or the projectile which fails to explode in the climactic battle. The main bad guy is suitably slimy, if not particularly memorable, and I like that by the end of the movie, him and each of his henchmen have been clearly established and they all get their moment to shine... as they get killed. As mentioned, the plot is solid, though not without room for improvement. In general, the main changes I would've made in the film would've been to get rid of Van Damme's blatant dubbing in one part of a scene, and cut a certain other scene with the townsfolk near the end of the film, which, while provocative to watch, feels a bit jarring considering the celebratory mood of the scene that comes right after. Of course, the other big improvement would've been to make the film with more money.
Once all is said and done, Kill 'Em All 2 is okay, especially compared to Darkness of Man. It's certainly worth a watch if you're a Van Damme fan, but in my opinion, it still can't match the quality of the European productions he's been involved in as of late, with some truly enjoyable, well-made films like The Bouncer and The Last Mercenary. Here's hoping Le jardinier, directed by the same man behind The Last Mercenary, is another winner for him.
Proves Hollywood can make decent films occasionally, shame this only went straight to streaming in the UK.
I'm looking forward to seeing this today, and Megalopolis. This one particularly looked like a lot of fun, and those two together on screen are always a blast.
You might want to watch Mark Kermodes review of 'Megalopolis' before seeing it! I've never seen such vitriolic hatred of a movie in a long time 😂
I don't let reviews dictate what I watch thankfully but no doubt this one's one of the most divisive films to release in quite some time.
I think you're right on this, @Creasy47 . However, won't stop me from watching it.
After all, this is the man that delivered four masterpieces in a row (GODFATHER I and II, THE CONVERSATION and APOCALYPSE NOW).
I didn't love his output in the 80s, but I liked his steady hand in the 90s. If anything, this latest film will most certainly be an original piece of cinema.