First of all, I daresay that the rating for this movie is too low. I give it a 5 out of 10, which is more in line with the overall quality of this than the measly 3.3 displayed on the IMDb at the moment. It's of course nowhere near as good as the first Kickboxer, but it doesn't have to be. Sasha Mitchell is no van Damme, but he does his job in a way I won't complain about. One of the good things about this is the return of Michael Qissi as Tong Po. This gives a link to the first film and makes the whole thing more interesting. But most importantly, the fight scenes are decent, the plot is not that bad and if you sit back and relax you'll see that this movie is entertaining if you have the right kind of expectations beforehand. Nothing Oscar-worthy, but as a simple martial arts/action movie this is more than OK for a night's viewing.
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sveknu7 March 2010
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Howlin Wolf20 May 2001I am known for willingly watching ANY movie I haven't seen, whether it has the potential to be awful or not. To this end, I borrowed the first 3 "Kickboxer" movies from my mate. I actually found "Kickboxer 2" to be quite watchable, and an improvement over the original. Sascha Mitchell can deliver a line marginally better than Van Damme, and pretty much everyone involved with this film tries as manfully as they can to treat it with as much seriousness as possible. You get the sense that Albert Pyun could be an average director in Hollywood were he to take on better projects. I also found the fight sequences more realistic and less narcissistic than in the first one, although my friend disagrees with me. Mitchell seems less obsessed with the idea of the audience seeing him flexing his muscles than Van Damme did. I should point out that the buddy I refer to is the martial arts aficionado of the two of us, so maybe his opinions count for more than mine from an aesthetic perspective.
Yes, it is a basic fight film, but it provides what its fans want with a modicum of style. I am in no way trying to claim that this is as good from a technical standpoint as any of the other films I've rated 6, but from an entertainment perspective you'll be surprised to find it's solid, if unspectacular fare. That assessment is from a viewer whose tastes are usually a little more refined. -
fmarkland3211 June 2006David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell) is content to keep his nose clean and stay out of the kickboxing business (Yeah, right) and run a gym that caters to kids. However his gym is on hard times and the only way to keep the gym his brothers helped build is to fight again. Enter Tong Po(Michael Qissi) who is looking to regain his honor after losing to Sloan's older brother Kurt(Who was played by Van Damme in # 1) Suffice to say David will have to step into the ring. I picked up the Kickboxer 5 pack because I remember seeing these on Cable TV when I was younger and enjoying them a lot. While there is some fun to be had in this sequel there is far too much plot that stops the movie dead in it's tracks. Mitchell is an adequate martial artist and okay actor but the role gives him little to do and it's only the well staged fight sequences which give K2 the only watchable edge it has.
* * out of 4-(Fair) -
sliat_19811 March 2009This was just a dream. What REALLY happened after Kickboxer, was that Kurt and Eric decided to live in Thailand where they opened there own Muay Thai school. Kurt eventually married Mylee and they are still there partying today.
As the first movie pointed out, there was only two brothers. There was never a secret brother. The "brother" subplot was used in the first one, even if they did have yet another brother (man what a cheesy, excuse to do a sequel!), they obviously don't care too much about him as they said in the first one "there's only you and me". I can't imagine Eric saying. "Dad was always on my case. But he made me harder. Oh wait on me AND David! I somehow forget that I grew up with a brother here!" Satcha Mitchell is really weak and wimpy looking. He could never be the brother of Kurt and Eric (as Tong Po correctly states in this movie, "You're the weakest of all the Sloanes". That's no bulls**t. It's true). He's really boring and can't act. I would stick to 'Step by Step', Satcha, because as an action star, you're pathetically weak. Kickboxer was a success mainly for the presence of Van Damme. When you put in an unknown actor who's as dull as ditchwater, you know you're in trouble. It basically confirms that this is not a sequel as the actor you see in the flashback is obviously not Van Damme. Maybe this is another person Tong Po fought that was also named Kurt Sloan (cause the Kurt Sloan we know only had one brother, Eric). When you put in a villain that was already defeated (Tong Po), it's kinda mindless. But somehow, despite being soundly defeated, the movie attempts to show him as "stonger than before (how?)" And if Tong Po REALLY killed Kurt (which he didn't, as I said, this film didn't happen), just bashing him up in the end is not getting revenge. Knowing he is a killer, you can only be satisfied if he is killed at the end and gets what he deserves (which he doesn't), so there's no stopping him from doing the same to David Sloan. I could relate to Kurt, I certainly couldn't relate to this "David Sloan". I didn't know who he was and I couldn't care less. I hope the fans of him were just and p**sed off as I was about Van Damme, when he was dumped from the series. The unexciting presence of Satcha Mitchell led to this being a series of direct to video sequels, which he was happy to star in (being a no-name actor). To most of us he's simply making money by being in Van Damme's movies. He wouldn't even have got to be in those without Vann Damme, so don't you dare think of him as the Kickboxer actor. I suppose if David was killed off and it was revealed there was yet ANOTHER brother you'd call it cheesy. Well I found this too cheesy to contemplate. Like I said, this was a Kickboxer imitator, not a sequel. There is no such thing as a "David Sloane". Just Kurt and Eric who are still living it up in Thailand. -
Elbow8 August 1999Kickboxer 2 is, well, an unnecessary sequel which unfortunately lacked the presence of the phenomenal Jean-Claude Van Damme. Despite this, the movie manages to be a great deal of fun. The fights are well staged and there is an excess of campy acting which is a requisite of this genre. It is one of many of these types of flicks which could make you cry if you take it seriously, in that you'll regret paying money to rent, or (God forbid) buy it. However if you ignore the lack of substance and enjoy it for what it is (which is very little), you will find that you may even start to love (perhaps pity) the movie for it's ignorant simplicity. Heck, Tong Po is back and in always ready for carnage. Sasha Mitchell makes a decent replacement for Van Damme perhaps lacking in physique and skill, but definitely on par in the brain power department. This is best described as a guilty pleasure.
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MikeSmash15 February 2006This film is a prime example of why some sequels discredit the original film. In this case, "Kickboxer" should have stood alone but instead was followed by B-movie reject "Kickboxer 2". The film was bad in every way possible with horrible acting performances by Sasha Mitchell, Peter Boyle, Matthias Hues, Michel Quissi, & Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Each actor was "wooden" & underachieving as well as overpaid for this film. Sad fight choreography, even worse cinematography, & ridiculous script writing doomed this film to failure.
It's not worth bothering with reliving much of the story because there isn't much to tell. Sloan(Mitchell) goes back to the UKA circuit to make $ for his decrepit gym to keep it open. Sloan wins his bout against enemy & current UKA champion Vargas(Hues), renounces the title belt, & announces his retirement again. Angered by his defeat, Vargas & his goons sneak into Sloan's gym, beat him up badly, & set fire to the building. Badly injured & financially strapped, Sloan endures a lengthy hospital stay. Once out of the hospital, Sloan finds a hotel room to recuperate & wallow in self-pity. A knock on the door presents Xian Chow, former Muay Thai trainer of brother Kurt Sloan. Chow offers to help train Sloan but he resists. Soon, Sloan & Chow work together with great results. Fellow kick boxer & gym rat Brian Wagner(Vince Murdocco) takes on corrupt fight manager Justin(Boyle) & fight czar Sanga(Tagawa) to turn pro. Wagner wins his first few fights, makes some money, & asks Sloan to come to his championship fight. Sloan agrees & takes Mrs. Wagner along to see him fight for the first time. Confident & arrogant, Wagner waits for his opponent to step to the ring. A last minute announcement calls for a replacement fighter who happens to be the ruthless Thailand Muay Thai champion Tong Po(Quissi). Tong Po punishes Wagner for several rounds before killing him in the ring. After a visit to the hospital with Wagner's mother, Sloan learns the truth about Tong Po & his brother's death in Thailand. Angry & in grief, Sloan vows to have revenge. When Sanga offers a challenge for a fight with Tong Po in the Ancient Way, Sloan accepts without reservation. The two men enter the ring, wrap their hands in rope & resin, dip their fists in broken glass, & prepare to fight to the death. The tall, muscular, & ruthless Tong Po beats up on Sloan for several rounds before finally displaying the Muay Thai fighting spirit needed to pound the Thai champion into a knockout. Revenge has been had by Sloan & he reopens his gym for the neighborhood roughs.
"Kickboxer 2" will not dazzle, uplift, or have you cheering for the hero. It is simply mindless entertainment, & I MEAN MINDLESS!!! This film will lurk in the depths of one of the worst martial arts action B-movies in film history. Just thought you should know that!!! -
SnoopyStyle24 May 2014David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell) is Kurt's younger brother. He runs a gym in LA teaching kids kickboxing. Justin Maciah (Peter Boyle) runs United Kickboxer Association and wants him to fight. David doesn't want to fight like his brothers but the gym is struggling. His best protégé Brian wants to fight and even David has to fight to keep the gym open. After winning against the champ, David quits and bad-mouths UKA. They retaliate by burning down the gym and Xian Chow (Dennis Chan) returns to help David recover from the burns and the lost. Sangha (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) has a plan to bring Tong Po to fight David. Tong Po had shot dead Kurt and thereby losing the opportunity to regain the country's honor in the ring.
What's the point if Jean-Claude Van Damme isn't in it? Sasha has just a fraction of Van Damme's charisma. It is simply a waste of time. It also lacks the exotic locations of the original and the fights are poorly shot. Besides all that, the story takes forever to get going. The crux of the drama is the return of Tong Po. That's the villain fans want to see. If Tong Po killed Kurt, I think that's enough reason for David to seek revenge. All the other stuff at the beginning is unnecessary. In fact, they should have Tong Po right at the start. -
bronsonskull7211 July 2003Sasha Mitchell stars as David Sloan the brother of Kurt Sloan (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who takes on Tong Po (Michael Qissi) a brutal fighter who was beaten in Bangkok by Kurt, however Tong Po has killed Kurt and now demands a match with David to reclaim his honor in this disappointingly dull sequel which takes itself far too seriously. The actionscenes themselves are okay, but overall the film is worthless.
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MARVMOOCOW8 November 2006...........sadly this film is not it.While I admit to watching this film several times,I really think that like most sequels to stand alone movies it suffers from lack of a good plot device,when the main character of the first movie is conveniently disposed of in flash back and quite easily at that and a new hero is introduced as a previously unmentioned brother you know that you are in trouble. I really enjoyed the first film I thought it was great,definitely one of Van Dammes best,and I wonder how this would've been had he returned for it but alas he wasn't offered enough money and passed on it. Sasha Mitchell came in as the lead and went for 3 films until his character was unceremoniously dumped at the start of Kickboxer 5 Redemption in much the same manner as Van Dammes was in this one.Sasha tries hard and isn't too bad its just the script let's him down. Peter Boyle must've needed the paycheque and Michael Qissi ( Van Dammes real life good mate) return's as Tong Po the Thai Kickboxing champion. Its not a bad way to waste n hour and a half of your life but its an hour and a half you could be wasting re-watching the original Kickboxer
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AndyVanScoyoc19 February 2003I have heard a lot of flack over this movie because it doesn't star Jean Claude but I thoroughly enjoyed it and think Sasha Mitchell did a wonderful job picking up where his predecessor left off.
Sasha stars as the kind, caring and human David Sloan, the youngest and last surviving member of the Sloan brothers, sole owner of the gym that has been left in his care from his deceased brothers.
Throw in a loud mouthed, wise talking, street smart little girl named Jeanell, played with wonderful realism by actress Heather McComb, who hangs out with David, and you have the start of a great movie.
Sasha brings a more human touch to the movie than was evident previously and shows that even though the Sloans are forces to be reckoned with, they are just like everyone else, at least David is.
Matthias Hues as the gorgeous, larger than life kickboxing phenom Vargas is great as he always is in "heel" roles.
And of course you can't go wrong with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Sanga, the major heavy in the movie and as ruthless as they come.
Peter Boyle did a nice job as the suave but ultimately too naive and trusting for his own good promoter, Justin.
Dennis Chan appears halfway through this movie as Xian Chow, Kurt's former trainer in Thailand who journeys to the US to help David train for the match of his life; an upcoming battle with Tong Po, played as only it can be by Michel Quissi.
Dennis Chan brings extraordinary realism to the part of Xian, the devoted and ever patient trainer who won't let David give up, no matter the odds and no matter the adversity he faces.
This is a great movie and I am proud to say that I own it. I highly recommend it. -
KICKBOXER is one of my favourite Van Damme movies. It has many classic moments, from the heightened revenge plot, to those classic, tortuous training sequences to the outstanding ending, one of the best-filmed fights of all time. It's a classic feel good movie. This sequel is none of those things and is in most respects an awful film. Van Damme passed on the chance to reprise his role, so we're saddled with the spurious 'missing brother' claim and the resultant film must be one of the most pointless ever made.
In essence, Tong Po didn't die at the end of the first film. He's back and seeking revenge, along with some loyalist Thais (a nation cast as the bad guys here, somewhat unusually). Mitchell, playing Van Damme's brother, ends up fighting Tong Po in a severe re-match, but before then there's lots of boring stuff about 'doing what's right', following one's path and all that nonsense. The first hour of the film is boring and the action sequences are few and far between; even they are mishandled. In one ring match, we watch as Mitchell beats the hell out of his opponent, with slow-motion blood sprays and the like; he's portrayed as a sadistic bully-boy, and this is the guy we're supposed to root for! Mitchell reaches a new low for an action hero in a genre already populated by guys cast for their brawn rather than brains.
Much of the blame for this film's failure must rest at the door of Albert Pyun, who really is one of the poorest directors in modern cinema. Absolutely all of the films I've seen that he's directed have been bad: I'm thinking CYBORG, TICKER, OMEGA DOOM, DOLLMAN, along with many others. In none of those films has the direction been good. Here, he shows himself to have no idea of pace or how to handle a decent fight scene, often shooting on the other side of the ropes in the ring battles! Sure, the blood and gore quotient is upped from the first movie, but it goes to show that that alone doesn't make a decent film.
In one, single respect does KICKBOXER 2 surpass the original, and that's in the casting. This film has an excellent cast. It's a shame they're not put to better use. The likes of Peter Boyle are here, along with Dennis Chan reprising his role from the first, even though he's utterly wasted. There's an early turn for Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as a stock bad guy, and man-mountain Matthias Hues pops up for a match. Michel Qissi also returns as the villainous Tong Po, but even though he looks the same he has none of the power or impact that his character had in the original; that goes to show how Pyun's direction sucks. In the end, this film is a wasted opportunity and time would be better spent watching the first film again rather than sitting through this mess. -
Vivekmaru4517 February 2011A solid 8/10. This sequel continues from the original Kickboxer. Kurt and Eric Sloan have been killed in revenge by Tong Po, under instructions from his manager Sanga. David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell), the youngest and last of the great Sloan dynasty, struggles to keep the family kickboxing gym afloat. His hopes rest on his pupil Brian Wagner (Vince Murdocco) who is a talent for the future and David hopes to get him into the big fights soon.
Financial problems eventually force Sloan to fight again in a new organization run by a crooked promoter (Peter Boyle). His surprising comeback ultimately attracts the attention of Tong Po who, having been disgraced by Sloan's older brothers, seeks to lure their younger sibling back into the ring.
David defeats opponent Neil Vargas (Matthias Hues) and retains his title.
But when Sloan announces his retirement after the bout, Po's manager Sanga (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) hires a group of thugs to burn down the gym, injuring Sloan and killing one of his young students.
While recovering in the hospital, Sloan is visited by Xian Chow (Dennis Chan), who trained his brother Kurt in Thailand. Though David initially wants nothing to do with him, he finally relents and allows Xian to nurse him back to health. Meanwhile, one of Sloan's most promising students (Vince Murdocco) has secured a championship bout and invites Sloan to watch the fight. However, his slated opponent is unexpectedly replaced by Tong Po, who brutalizes the young man and kills him in the ring. Now with no other recourse, Sloan is forced to accept Po's challenge....
Albert Pyun takes over as director. The fight sequences are competent enough, but he should have asked Jean-Claude Van Damme for some guidance.
I particularly like the song played in the opening credits: Suns will set and suns will rise, But I still see my brothers eyes, Suns will set and suns will rise, But I.... I'll always see my brothers eyes...
Or something like that! But this on on DVD and enjoy!!! -
I remember watching the hit "Kickboxer". But a sequel? Of course. But there's one thing mission.... The star of the original, Van Damme! In this sequel, the story starts off with the brother of Kurt Sloan, David(Sasha Mitchell). He runs the karate school that Kurt and his paralyzed brother started. It gets destroyed by a vengeful opponent. Worse, he gets to encounter a threat bigger than the fighter he took out: Tong Po! One night, Tong Po(Michel Qissi) gets into the ring one night, and kill Sloan's friend who went the way of another teacher. In order to avenge his death, he gets help from Xi'an(Dennis Chan), Kurt's sensei from Thailand. Seems like Tong Po cheated himself of a rematch with Kurt. He killed him, his crippled brother, and Xi'an's niece(In the first movie, he raped her). Now it's time for Tong Po to pay! David seems to carry on the honor Kurt has set for him. This sequel was a little too short, and needed more plot to it. Still good though. 2 out of 5 stars!
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sarmadsaad-6628824 April 2020This disappointing, Where is Van Damme, If you change actors.. Change all actors, Change Tong Po and others was actors in Kickboxer 1, Thanks for this work.
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Darkness87626 September 2003No one really seems to like this film however i think it is a solid entry. Sasha Mitchell is no Van Damme but he holds a strong screen presence and his martial arts skills are excellent. Don't expect a great plot but if you enjoyed the original Kickboxer and like martial arts this one is for you.
The plot revolves around Kurt Sloan's younger brother David who owns a gym and teaches kick boxing in an attempt to stay out of the ring. Both Kurt and Eric from the original were killed by Tong Po after the match and in this film Tong Po's managers attempt to get David to fight Po in order for Po to regain his title. The climax is a great fight and the film even if it is low budget is entertaining. -
The Bronson Fan22 July 2003Spoilers coming. Kickboxer two is not the worst movie in the rather dull series, but it is rather boring with low production values. Kickboxer two picks up with the apparent deaths of the Sloan brothers Eric and Kurt (Van Damme) from the first film and follows another brother, also no resemblance to the others and his gym. David Sloan (Mitchell) the youngest brother runs there gym in a run down hood with crapy equipment and low life brats coming around his gym. Story goes that his best student Brian ( Murdocco) wants to be a pro kickboxer, but David's holding him back in the mean time Sanga (Tagawa) has come to the US to help Tong Po get his honor back in a traditional pathetic showdown. Brian leaves to fight for Justin Mikia (Boyle), while David's gym is going under, so David goes back into fighting. David wins, but opponent takes revenge on him and needs help getting back into shape...enter Xian (Chan). He recovers while Brian fights for the title. The fight gets fixed and Tong Po comes out and proceeds to wreck Brian and kill him. David now must take revenge and fights traditional old school Muay Thai and defeats him.
Overall this movie is not all that bad, but really drags on at some points. It wants to have such a story in what should really be just a martial arts flick. There some aspects of the movie that are really annoying. The girl sidekick sucks and is a pain the entire movie. David's wanting to help out all the unfortunate gets old after while. And really David looks more like Brian in the movie that he looks towards what would have been his brother Van Damme in the first movie, I mean who cast this crap anyhow? The Acting is nothing to get excited about. Mitchell is Mitchell, nothing impressive and I had trouble seeing him out of his "dude" Cody role in Step by Step. Murdocco is another fighter turned actor who has been in some real turkeys, like Ring Of Fire, but again nothing that is total bad comes out of him and he's a good fighter. Tagawa is the man, he's evil in every film and is always a great lead bad guy, so I think he added to the movie well.
As for the fights. I was not that impressed with the rather cheap outfits and fight choreography. David is suppose to be poor, I know, but he wears like pajama pants into the ring to fight a guy twice his size wear tight blue spandex. What kickboxing match is this? IM a novice Kickboxing fan and believe me they don't wear that crap into the ring. And Matthias Hues who played Vargos would have owned Mitchell in the ring on any day. Lots of the fights are shown in slow motion, which isn't all that bad...somtimes. When Tong Po Fights Brian there are some really stupid scenes of Brian taking shots that don't even look like they land. Watch when Tong Po Throws the ref out of the ring with boxing gloves on, yet who ever through him out of the ring was bare handed.???? Cheap production. Even though Brian got killed and was a mess, who dumped all the blood all over his back, where did that come from? The fight at the end...typical. But it gets bloody and overall very fake, but it delivers violence so who cares. For some reason I kinda like this film, I think its 2nd in the series. I haven't seen 5 and 3 is the worst. So I'll give 5 out of 10 stars, I would have given it 6 had Mitchell knocked Brian Austin Greens teeth down his throat in his cameo scene as some wannabe tough kid from the hood. Brian Austin Green is a loser. -
tarbosh220003 February 2014David Sloan (Mitchell) runs a humble gym in L.A. where he teaches street kids the philosophies behind fighting. When hot shot fight promoter Maciah (Boyle) and his associate Sanga (Tagawa) offer to give Sloan some major fights and basically rocket him to fame, Sloan declines, because money and notoriety mean nothing to him, he has far too much integrity. Disappointed, they take on Sloan's friend and fellow fighter Brian (Murdocco) as a client. Unfortunately, Brian must fight the evil Tong Po (Qissi) - the man that killed David's brothers. So the fact that Kurt Sloane (Van Damme in the previous movie - who spells his name with an "E", which is either an indication of Estevez-Sheen-style family dysfunction, or a simple oversight) is now dead and there's a brother that was never previously mentioned, and it's something us as viewers are supposed to simply ignore. Seeing as how Tong Po has some sort of strange, unexplained obsession with killing the entire Sloan (e) family, Xian (Chan) trains David, and then the climactic moment finally comes when this new Sloan brother takes on the vicious Po in the ring. What will happen? While it's a good thing that Sasha Mitchell took over from Van Damme - if the Kickboxer series was to continue without him, anyway - because Mitchell is likable and has good screen presence, the other side of the coin is that Albert Pyun directed Kickboxers 2 and 4. Pyun's movies tend to have many scenes that drag, and this movie as a whole is too dark and logical. There are no wacky, bizarre edges. Thankfully, the non-Pyun-directed part 3 in the series was a much-needed shot in the arm and is a lot of fun. Sadly though, Pyun returned for part 4, as if to say "you kids were having too much fun in part 3". Old Albert does have an over-reliance on slo-mo, but Pyun does include a montage with a great song, "A Man Alone" by Savoy Brown and a training sequence, separate and apart from each other. So it's not a total loss.
Of course, none other than Peter Boyle himself is on board as Maciah, a man who wants to turn men beating each other into a worldwide commodity. In that way, this movie predates UFC. To see Boyle standing side by side with fan favorite Matthias Hues (inexplicably playing a guy named "Neil Vargas") was a rare treat. Vargas' brand of spandex-based fighting was certainly of its time, and perhaps an effective intimidation tactic. I know if I saw a long-haired musclebound brute with aqua tights on, I'd run the other way. But part of Xian's training ritual for David Sloan is to have him wear a similarly-colored half-shirt while working out in the park, so maybe he's fighting fire with fire. Or aqua with aqua.
Even before Sloan meets Xian, he seems to have a cultured philosophical mind, but Mitchell's Keanu Reeves-like California Dude voice makes him seem like he's going to end every thought-provoking maxim with "...Dude". But Chan plays the Mr. Miyagi-like role endearingly enough, a mirror image of the suave but corrupt Sanga, played by regular face on the site, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. So we've got Sasha Mitchell, Peter Boyle, Matthias Hues, Dennis Chan, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Vince Murdocco...what could be missing? Of course, Brian Austin Green! He plays a classic 90's punk kid with a King Diamond shirt who, much like Thomas did to Jesus, doesn't believe in the awesomeness of David Sloan. This must be what Megan Fox finds so endearing about him. Last but not least is Michel Qissi as the strange-faced Tong Po. Who now is just an out-and-out murderer who has the outward appearance of a kickboxer. He's a serial killer who just uses kickboxing as his method of death. But as we'll (briefly) hear about in part 4, he does become a record producer. So there's that.
Kickboxer 2 is something of a mixed bag. The cast is good, but the Pyunniness is not. It's a rocky way to start off the parade of sequels, but it's not without some charm. It's a mainstay in many used VHS sales, so if the price is cheap enough, it's a viable addition to your collection. -
generationofswine6 October 2020I didn't even know they made a sequel until it came on Amazon Prime... and I can see why. No van Damme. Sure, it has Sasha Mitchell, but no one knows who he is and really most people care about him even less than they do van Damme.
The real flaw, however, is the plot. Sasha is drawn back into competition to save the dojo. This is a problem because, well, we have seen this plot a thousand times over and it's just as interesting as all the other times we have seen it and far less interesting than when it was original and not a trope.
So, you have a plot that you have seen before and a sequel that doesn't have the original star. Of course it's doomed for failure. -
Jsimpson517 December 2006This was decent in my opinion. Sasha Mitchell (an amateur kick boxing champion in real life) replaces Van Damme (a person who NEVER fought in the ring a day in his life) as the lead role. David Sloan is the younger brother of Kurt and Eric Sloan, who are killed by Tong Po, some time between the first and second movie. David runs the gym that his brother's started. I won't explain the rest of the plot, as you can watch the movie to see it.
This film had some decent fight scenes in it. Some of the kick boxing matches could have been better, being an avid kick boxing fan my self. The late Peter Boyle did a good job, as Justin the person in charge of the UKA.
Many of the fighters in this film are real martial artist such as Sasha Mitchell, Matthew Hues (a Tae Kwon Do black belt), and Vince Murdocco (WKA North American, and Cadanian Cruiserweight champion, along with being the Japanese Shootfight Cruiserweight Champion).
There are some cheesy one liners, but overall a good movie the avid martial arts fan. -
this sequel is nowhere near as good as the original.there is lots of blood in this one,courtesy of the fight scenes.,which is a good thing.the fight scenes themselves aren't too bad.however, if found the plot to be lame and uninteresting.this martial arts movie did not really engage my interest very much.this movie lacks the depth(i,i said depth and martial arts movie in the same sentence)of the first film and even the following two sequels.the worst part of the experience is the song selections and choice of band.who picks this crap.these guy don't even rate as flea bag bar band.and the songs are pathetic.the only good things in this movie are Sasha Mitchell,who makes a credible hero and Dennis Chan,who plays the wise oriental sidekick.i suppose i could eke out a 5/10 for this movie,since it is watchable,but the music just sucks so damn bad,i have to give "Kickboxer 2" 4/10
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Captain_Couth23 August 2005Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991) stars Sasha Mitchell as David Sloane, the youngest of the Sloan brothers. He's trying to keep the memory of his brothers alive. They were murdered after Kurt defeated the evil Tong Po in a brutal match. Down, but not out David keeps the family gym open and teaches the youngsters self defense. A crooked kick boxing organization has tried several times to recruit David but he refuses ever single time. The owner sets his eyes out for David's buddy Brian. After pumping him up full of drugs and having the rankings fixed, Brian is the organization's champion. But a unknown opponent issues an open challenge to anyone in the company. It's Tong Po!! Brian believing that he's a great fighter answers his call. After a brief skirmish, Tong Po destroys Brian and wants to fight David TO THE DEATH.
David needs some convincing (I guess the death of his brothers and his best friend wern't enough). Tong Po's cronies burn down his gym. But David needs help in defeating Tong Po, so he finds the man who taught his brother Xian Chow (Dennis Chan). Xian puts David through and intense work out. After weeks of training, David's ready to take out Tong Po. The two slug it out in a bloody match with David avenging his family's honor and chasing Tong Po and his handlers away for good. Good times for all. But not for David, he and Tong Po would fight once more in Kickboxer 4.
Recommended for fans of the first film. -
zardoz-1329 November 2016Former Calvin Klein model Sasha Mitchell takes over the part vacated by Jean-Claude Van Damme in director Albert Pyun's "Kickboxer 2: The Road Back," co-starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Chan, John Diehl, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Michel Qissi. No, Mitchell doesn't play Kurt Sloane. Instead, he plays David Sloane, the youngest of the Sloan brothers. Honestly, I don't recall anybody mentioning David three years earlier in the original "Kickboxer" with Van Damme. Mitchell makes a nice enough guy, but he doesn't conjure up any of that Van Damme charisma. Nevertheless, Hollywood will do whatever it takes to keep a franchise like this one alive and kicking. As martial arts movies rate, "Kickboxer 2" is routine stuff. The David S. Goyer screenplay recycles the original movie's narrative. One of the hero's close friends is destroyed in the arena and our hero vows to even things up for not only his friend, but also for himself. You can see every blow coming at you in the by-the-numbers plot that ripples with no surprises. Apart from Pyun's competent directing, there isn't much of anything else to think about since you've seen this story before. Happily, Dennis Chan reappears. Chan trained Van Damme in the original. He takes on the responsibility of preparing David. The nemesis of the Sloane Clan shows up in a truly preposterous plot reversal. As it turns out, David is managing the gym now that Steve and Kurt once owned. We are told that Kurt got sick of fighting and left the business. David behaves like a true role model. He mentors children at his gym and takes aside one little smart aleck to teach him life's lessons. Unfortunately, David isn't much of a business man, and his friend Jack (John Diehl of "NBC-TV's "Miami Vice") struggles to keep the doors open and the bills paid. An antsy student who trained under David, Brian Wagner (Vince Murdocco), wants to become a contender in the kickboxing world. After our hero turns down an offer from an unscrupulous promoter Justin Maciah (Peter Boyle of "Young Frankenstein") to join him in the kickboxing world, Brian accepts Maciah's offer. Brian trains rigorously and becomes a champion. Maciah's new associate, Sanga (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa of "Rising Sun"), pressures Maciah into switching fighters. Indeed, Maciah breaks some pretty big rules when he allows an unauthorized boxer on his premise. Brian has been matched up with one fighter, but at the last moment, Tong Po (Michel Qissi of "Kickboxer") replaces him. Tong Po, you may remember, was the culprit in the original "Kickboxer" who gave Jean-Claude something to worry about. Pyun likes to reuse footage of feet, hands, knees, and legs battering opponents in rapid succession. Spittle and blood fly during their evocative scenes. The energetic fights salvage this opus. Dennis Chan has some amusing lines, but he doesn't give Sasha the treatment that he inflicted on Van Damme. Altogether, "Kickboxer 2: The Road Back" is strictly standard-issue. Why a gifted actor like Peter Boyle wanted to be in this derivative film is anybody's guess.
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superlitmario30 March 2021I love the first Kickboxer so much that when I saw the vhs of this back in the day at the video rental store, I was put off watching it as JCVD wasn't in this. I finally got over that and decided to watch it...... wow!
The quality of the movie isn't the best however the intensity and stress levels this movie brought me was incredible. A very good sequel. Watch with an open mind and enjoy.
The worst thing about this is the music... cheesy af. -
If you thought the first movie was great, chances are you will like/dislike this sequel. I recently watched Kickboxer 2. I thought it was really good.
SPOILERS COMING UP.
Kurt Sloane (SPOILER) was cowardly murdered after the fight in the first one. To add to this this cut scene where Tong Po runs off and shows only Kurt lying on the floor with a bullet hole in the forehead was actually much longer with Eric and Mylee shot down as well. Before the shooting there is a fight between Kurt and Po Recreated from Kickboxer 1 with a different actor playing Kurt (Emmanuel Kervyn) and this fight scene topped the end fight of David Sloan and Tong Po. After the Shooting Tong Po serves horrific Torturous training as his punishment and gains the scar across his face. Sangha (Tong Po new manager) wants Tong Po to fight David Sloan in order to regain Thailands honour and at the end fight we have the broken glass on the fighters hands except this time, they have to fight until one of them cannot continue.
This movie revolves around David Sloan who is played by Sasha Mitchell and did the part well (especially his kick-boxing skills).
Michel Qissi looks like he has gained a few pounds as Tong Po in this film as opposed to the slimmer version of Tong Po in the original.
overall rent it first. -
coltras359 November 2022Two of his brothers from the 1st film are dead, so David Sloan, who teaches martial arts in Los Angeles, reluctantly faces the champion (Matthias Rues) of a new kickboxing association to fund his gym. David wins, but abandons the belt of the champion, denouncing the environment dominated by corruption and drugs and for this he suffers harsh reprisals. Wounded, he receives a visit from Xian, the master who led his brother Kurt to conquer the champion, Tong-Po, in Thailand. Soon David will have to face Tong-Po ....
Not a bad film, but needlessly to say it doesn't measure up to its faster-paced and livelier Prequel starring Van Damme. For one it doesn't have that plot hook or is as gripping and fun. Sacha Mitchell fights well but lacks Van Damme's charm and passion, but it's still watchable. The fights are more brutal than the first, flinchingly so. Dennis Chan adds some humour as he takes David's side. Michel Qissi as Tong-Po is as intimidating as ever and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa does well as a villain who wants to regain his honour by defeating a Sloan.