It isn’t often that a sequel to a film turns out better than the first. But that’s exactly what happened with STRIKE COMMANDO 2. Given a bigger budget this time director Bruno Mattei and screenwriters Claudio Fargasso and Rossella Drudi came up with a much better picture. Not only that, this time they brought along a major star in actor Richard Harris.
The group also did the smart thing of not bringing Reb Brown back to reprise the role of Mike Ransom. Instead this time he is played by Brent Huff who went on to numerous other films and can currently be seen on TV’s THE ROOKIE. He turns in a much better performance than Brown and adds a touch of humor to the character not seen in the first film.
This time around Ransom is called in by an old friend to help with a situation. An old Army colleague named Vic Jenkins (Harris) has been kidnapped and is being held by the KGB. In flashbacks we see that Jenkins save Ransom’s life in battle and there is a bond, a debt between the two of them. He agrees to take on the job and attempts to save Jenkins only to discover he was duped. The CIA were holding onto Jenkins to protect him. Now Ransom has put down his help and the real bad guys move in and capture Jenkins.
Ransom is taken in by the CIA and told what’s going on and agrees to go in and clean up the mess he has made. He still owes Jenkins and looks at him as a father figure. Ransom is given the $10 million in diamonds the kidnappers are demanding and hits the road. Making his way through the jungle he comes across a seedy bar where he meets the owner, Rossana Boom (Mary Stavin) while looking for information. A fight ensues, the bar is burnt to the ground and Boom invites herself along as a partner with Ransom.
Along the way Ransom learns that the person behind the kidnapping is Kramet (Mel Davidson), a Vietnamese drug lord in charge of a major heroin ring. The diamonds he is demanding will expand his business globally and increase his power.
As with all movies in the Rambo-esque world these films become there are crosses and double crosses galore. But the film does toss in some comic relief at times that makes it bearable. In addition to that the stunt work here is among some of the best seen from the stuntmen in the Philippines.
It has been said that Mattei and his writers wanted to combine the concepts RAMBO and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and from the way it turns out there seems a touch of ROMANCING THE STONE going on here too. Strangely enough it almost works. The film does entertain, far more so than the first film. Apparently it wasn’t successful enough to see a third film.
Severin has released this one in an amazing transfer as well with another 2k scan of the original film negative. The extras are also pretty good for a film this old including both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film, “Guerilla Zone” an interview with co-director Claudio Fragasso, “Michael Ransom Strikes Back” and interview with actor Brent Huff and the trailer for the film.
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