Why, is the first thing I thought when I watched this movie, why the hell have they made this mess of a sequel to something that was so unique and shocking that it only works once. The initial shock value of kids kidnapped by the government has gone now if you've seen the first film and this is just one of this films many problems.
The plot doesn't make any real sense, while this is true of the original too it managed to suspend dis-belief with it's sheer over the top bravado, while this film is mired in pretentious philosophical musings and over the top 9/11 imagery. The anti-American sentiment running through this film is so over-played it really works against it to often using heavy handed metaphors and one image in particular referencing the twin towers is way beyond the limits of making a statement. America and the war in terror is an easy enough target to hit so why the film makers have consistently missed the mark in un-known.
The acting quality of the film is a severe let down gone is the fine performance of 'Beat' Takashi and in its place is an actor who wouldn't look out of place at Wrestlemania. The kids fare no better than the adults they just seem to be trying to out scream each other and the main 'star' seems to have only two facial expressions dumb shock and angry. The script is second rate, the action scenes seem like a low budget Saving Private Ryan, I could go on and on listing the faults of this film but by now you'll have got the point this is a bitterly disappointing sequel that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
3/10 Dumb where the original was smart, blunt and offensive where the original was laced with cutting satire, a dour nasty mess of a sequel that sours the memory of the original avoid!
The plot doesn't make any real sense, while this is true of the original too it managed to suspend dis-belief with it's sheer over the top bravado, while this film is mired in pretentious philosophical musings and over the top 9/11 imagery. The anti-American sentiment running through this film is so over-played it really works against it to often using heavy handed metaphors and one image in particular referencing the twin towers is way beyond the limits of making a statement. America and the war in terror is an easy enough target to hit so why the film makers have consistently missed the mark in un-known.
The acting quality of the film is a severe let down gone is the fine performance of 'Beat' Takashi and in its place is an actor who wouldn't look out of place at Wrestlemania. The kids fare no better than the adults they just seem to be trying to out scream each other and the main 'star' seems to have only two facial expressions dumb shock and angry. The script is second rate, the action scenes seem like a low budget Saving Private Ryan, I could go on and on listing the faults of this film but by now you'll have got the point this is a bitterly disappointing sequel that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
3/10 Dumb where the original was smart, blunt and offensive where the original was laced with cutting satire, a dour nasty mess of a sequel that sours the memory of the original avoid!