Escape from the Bronx (1983)

Outstripping its predecessor by 3 score and ten this little beauty ranks with Hard Boiled for relentless, brutal action.

Depending on which copy of this film you own it is either "a few" or "ten" years after Bronx Warriors and another sinister corporation (or it may be the same one with a different name as Thomas Moore is the boss again, but he has a different name too) is diddling with the denizens of the Bronx, this time by "burning and gassing the last remnants in order to build the city of the future". Understandably pissed off at this "the murdering warrior gangs unite to defend their homeland sewer by sewer" from the silver suited sadists that are roaming around wielding bombs, machine guns and flamethrowers. Henry Silva is leader of The Disinfestors and when knocking out several squads fails to halt the clean up, Trash and a crusading but hideous reporter Moon, decide to kidnap the GC Corporation president as a bargaining tool. A final assault involving The Disinfestors against everyone else rounds off the show.

Removing the loathsome martial arts from the first flick and also the tiresome expostion this move almost never relents and has an orgasmic final 15 minutes involving so many dead bodies that it defies belief. Trash (unarmed) taking on 3 heavily armed men with a helmet plus the scene where he trips up a couple with a conveniently placed drainpipe are cartoon-like in their energy and ludicrousness.

Mark Gregory has lost the mincing gait this time and looks like he really means it when he offs people (check his expression as he burns Disinfestors).

The only other bona fide returning character from part one is Carla Brait in a cameo as the Iron Men leader although the lack of continuity isn't a big deal as this film was quite clearly meant to stand alone and was only called Bronx Warriors 2 in the UK.

The theme score is cracking and hits home all through the set pieces. It seemed that a loose plot was formuated and Enzo Castellari decided daily to create ever more ambitious set pieces to fill time. The first ambush on a clean-up squad, the hostages rigged with bombs scene, Clark's kidnapping and the final scrap are pure energy.

It's not high art, it's dubbing is shite but it has a good-looking, hard as nails hero, a body count that is in the hundreds and easy-to-hate loathsome villains.

Negative points: The ease with which they kidnap Clark; Little Strike; Trash's high explosive bullets.

Positive points: Everything else

Joy!