The Horror Show
Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance
by Gregory Hatanaka
In the world of campy, fun cinema there are a number of classic subjects: zombies, Cannibals (there's a huge difference), radioactivity, etc. One of those subjects that is high on the list is martial arts action. We've seen it in Miami Connection, the German Violent Shit series, and in 1991, we were blessed with the cop/mob fighting marvel Samurai Cop. The original film concerns two cops, Frank Washington (Mark Frazer) and the titular “Samurai Cop” Joe Marshall (Matthew Karedas). With mostly dubbed dialogue, single-takes, and campy facial expressions, it's a fun example of campy fun and is a blast to watch. The film also features the late great B-movie star Robert Z'Dar as well as many other cinematic favorites. But I'll get to that later.
Two and a half decades after the first, the world was given a chance to revisit our heroes and villains alike with the Kickstarter campaign that brought to life what fans had been asking for: a follow-up to the early 90's cult classic. The first bit of good news is laid down right away as both of the original stars, Matthew Karedas and Mark Frazer, have returned. But what kind of trouble would they be finding themselves in this time?
I'll put a mild spoiler warning for the next line only, as it affects a character from the original and fans may prefer to be surprised. After the assassination of his wife Jennifer, (Kayden Kross in present, played by Janis Farley in original. Flashbacks to the original are present) Joe Marshall has given up on violence and secluded himself in the role of a hermit.
Joe is brought out of retirement, however, when a string of assassinations are going down. A lot of possible gangs/mobs are involved and the son of one of the victims named Linton (cult icon Tommy Wiseau) is out for blood. Joe is tentative to get involved and give up on his decision to stay away from the life he once had, but after his partner Frank comes to visit him, soon followed by trouble, he finds himself all wrapped up again. Along the way he gains a new love interest named Melina (Kayden Kross) but it is clear he wishes she were Jennifer. This leads to some trippy scenes that will all make sense in the end.
Similar to one of my favorite Kickstarter success stories, Thankskilling 3, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance follows a campy original with absolute insanity, which I don't mean in a bad way. 1991's Samurai Cop was a pretty straight-forward film. It had several wacky elements but was pretty grounded other than that. Deadly Vengeance amps things up quite a bit and throws more and more chaos into the mix. There isn't much time for sitting still as our characters are thrown into several over-the-top situations. Whether it be a plane attack, double-crossing, hallucinations, or gang rivalry erupting at every corner, there is plenty going on. At times this can make things feel congested and a touch difficult to follow but it's all forgivable as there is always something fun to look at. I'll take that over a film growing dull any day.
I love seeing Frazer and Karedas paired up again and I can't oversell how happy I am to have them both return for the sequel. A lot of the film is a personal journey for Joe Marshall so I understand why they couldn't share as much screen time as I'd like to have seen. They're both such great characters I'll take them separately or together, and at the end of the day, I got both. There's something so entertaining about Mark Frazer's performance in both of the Samurai Cop films and he manages to make me smile with no more than a look at the camera. Matthew Karedas gets points alone for still being in the same shape as he was in the first, but focusing on that alone would be doing him a disservice. He carries a bulk of the film and handles the craziness that ensues by giving it his all.
The fight sequences aren't so much for wall-to-wall authenticity as much as people who just like to see some blood-spraying and fun craziness accented with a variety of backing tracks; everything from rock to rap to some mellow tunes that work in an odd way. It's not a super-gory flick by any means. Even the artery spraying is done in an animated fashion, but for this type of film it just adds to the absurd thrill of it all.
Besides the stars, several returning characters are present, including the lovely and talented Melissa Moore as Peggy, the great Gerald Okamura as Okamura, as well as multiple other familiar faces making an appearance The film also features other big-hitters in the genre's world. Mel Novak from such classics as Black Belt Jones, The Ultimate Warrior and Game of Death enters the mix in the role of Cutter, and Laurene Landon of Maniac Cop entertains as Detective Higgins. I was also so happy to see the always-lively Joe Estevez on the screen as Captain Harmon.
Being a huge fan of Tommy Wiseau's epic disaster-piece The Room as well as his confusing and charming series The Neighbors, I was pumped to see him in something else. I was not disappointed as he gives another Wiseau- performance. I would expect nothing but absolute nonsensical energy from the man and that's exactly what I was given.
All in all, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance is the type of film you have to just jump into and take it as it comes. Director Gregory Hatanaka takes over the series from Amir Shervan and does a great job taking on a sequel so far removed from the twenty-five year old original. He doesn't merely copy the first and bring it into modern times. He also doesn't ignore what made the first film work, bringing back the shameless blood, nudity, and comedic moments that made the first installment work so well. While this is not a film I would bring to someone who has seen nothing outside the mainstream, I will absolutely recommend it to fans who know what they are getting themselves into. If you are a fan of the first Samurai Cop film or similar titles I say give it a go. It's never boring and isn't afraid to put itself out there and be what it is. Which is far more than I can say for a lot of films that play it safe.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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