Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991)

User Rating:

3.2/10   

Director:

Albert Pyun

Writers (WGA):

Mark DiSalle (characters) and
Jean-Claude Van Damme (characters) ...

Release Date:

14 June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

[Australia] Put Up! Shut Up! Or Die!

Plot:

This movie is suppose to be a sequel to the movie which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. Only now the...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Martial Arts | Kickboxing | Independent Film

Cast

Sasha Mitchell	...	David Sloan
Peter Boyle	...	Justin Maciah
Dennis Chan	...	Xian Chow
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Sanga
John Diehl	...	Jack
Michel Qissi	...	Tong Po
Heather McComb	...	Lisa
Vince Murdocco	...	Brian Wagner
Humberto Ortiz	...	Joey
Matthias Hues	...	Neil Vargas
Emmanuel Kervyn	...	Kurt Sloan
Joe Restivo	...	Ring Announcer
Vincent Klyn	...	Thai Thug
Brian Austin Green	...	Tommy
Brent Kelly	...	Carl

Also Known As:

Kickboxer 2 (USA) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

Netherlands:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:R | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

Jean-Claude Van Damme turned down this movie to do Double Impact (1991) instead.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): David and his manager talk about taking some exhibition kick-boxing bouts like Kurt used to take. This is impossible, because Kurt Sloane never competed in kick-boxing in US. Even though he did have previous martial arts experience, his background was in karate, not kick-boxing. He only had two kick-boxing matches before he was gunned down by Tong Po, and both of them were in Thailand.

Quotes:

Sanga: [Sanga's Thug Set's Up A Video Recorder] The video's for out people at home, prooves that we have regained our honour.
David Sloan: It ain't over...
Sanga: ...until the fat lady sings. Yes I'm familiar with that expression. You fight Muay Thai until one of you can no longer continue. Understood.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Kickboxer 5 (1995)

Soundtrack:

It's All Up To You

"Kickboxer 2" unworthy of a sequel to "Kickboxer"

This 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!!!