1992's 'Rage and honor' surprised me by being more balanced and mindful in its writing and storytelling than I anticipated. While only loosely connected, I'm pleased to say that 1993's 'Rage and honor II: Hostile takeover' quite follows that approach, and if anything is arguably a step up from its predecessor. Make no mistake, this is still second-tier action/crime thriller territory, but for being B-grade, it's gratifyingly solid. Stunts and fight choreography are terrific, and emphasized here even more than they were in the first film. Darryl Way's music is even tighter, helping to build the mood in any given scene, and some meaningful tension and suspense. There's no risk of this movie being mistaken for a major blockbuster, but I think it's a pretty great time!
It's noteworthy that this is the film debut of actor Patrick Muldoon. Perhaps more relevant to the craft of this, specifically, it's the directorial debut of Guy Norris, the first writing credit for Steven Reich, and the only writing credit for Louis Sun. Experience or the lack thereof is no guarantor of quality, and 'Hostile takeover' kind of proves it in my opinion. One of the biggest sticking points for me in features like this - sequels, at that - is how established characters will be purported to find themselves in an entirely different locale; very often the meeting is altogether contrived. Here, the continued partnership of lead characters Kris and Preston seems natural and genuine. That rather goes for the screenplay at large, truthfully. There will always be a degree of Movie Magic behind any action film, sure, but the story feels plausibly real and believable, and is duly absorbing as a viewer - with a twist late in the length I admit I didn't see coming. The scene writing is strong, suitably varied to remain fresh, and geared always toward invigorating fun. Characters and dialogue are likewise well considered - diverse, with secrets, and differing values and motivations; and a little cheekily overt, as it helps to build the plot.
'Rage and honor II' trades in a fair bit of the levity that characterized its antecedent, becoming more seriously-minded in the process. That doesn't make it any less entertaining, though, particularly as it seems to me like the action is given higher priority in its stead. Why, though this marked only Norris' first venture as director, he has experience in other capacities with action flicks that tells me he had a fine sense of what this picture needed. Indeed, he arranges some fine shots; my chief critique is perhaps that camerawork and editing, broadly worthy, are often overzealous when it comes to fight scenes. Yet that's the only especial point to come to mind as a shortcoming, and otherwise it's just a question of personal preference, and how well the feature achieves its goal of being a jolly action romp. And I think it succeeds very well.
All manner of technical construction and rounding details look fine - blood, explosions, hair and makeup, costume design. Acting tends to take a backseat in titles such as this, but for what it's worth I believe Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Muldoon, and their costars all illustrate able skills to help bring their characters and the story to life. The end result of all this is an action/crime thriller that consciously operates on a level below that of major studio productions, but makes the most of that space with action, storytelling, and film-making that is nonetheless of deserving, enjoyable quality. I sat to watch 'Rage and honor' and 'Rage and honor II' with mixed expectations, as some movies of this nature are a marvelous joy, and others fall flat. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the good ones - an engaging, satisfying slice of cinema that I think most fans of action flicks could appreciate. Recommendable most of all for fans of the cast, I give 'Hostile takeover' an earnest thumbs up!
