SPL 2 a.k.a Kill Zone 2

Released: May 2016(USA)

Director: Soi Cheang

Not Rated

Run Time: 121 Minutes

Distributor: Well Go USA

Genre: Action, Drama, Martial Arts

Cast:
Tony Jaa: Chatchai
Wu Jing: Chan Chi-Kit
Simon Yam: Chan Kwok-Wah
Zhang Jin: Ko Hung
Louis Koo: Hung Mun-Gong

About 11-12 years ago, a very interesting martial arts movie was released.  In Hong Kong, the film was released as SPL or Sha Po Lang.  The film was kind of a film noir crossed with kung fu.  It starred Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, and Sammo Hung.  It was considered to be one of the best martial arts movies of that year in Hong Kong, with Donnie Yen providing the fight choreography.  When I first saw it, I LOVED it.  It was an atypical kung fu movie that focused more on the characters and the story rather than the action.  Oh, there was definitely action.  It was some of the best action I had seen in years.  The fight between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung was one for the ages.  It was THAT damned good.  But the fight between Yen and up-and-comer Wu Jing is one of the most memorable fight scenes I’ve ever seen.  The story was complex with the characters having a hidden agenda, and the finale of the film was shocking.  It was not something I was expecting.  So, jump forward about 11 years and we finally get a follow-up film…..of sorts.  The film?  SPL 2: A Time For Consequences or Kill Zone 2 as it’s called in the West.  Let’s see how this one stacks up to the original, shall we?

The story begins as a young and pregnant women is abducted and brought to a warehouse.  A man with a weak heart is in the waiting room of a hospital waiting to see if the girl’s heart is compatible with his.  The girl is then brought to Thailand and placed in the “care” of a warden who is also tied to the underground organ trafficking ring.  In the same prison, a guard, Chatchai is trying to find a way to save his daughter’s life, because she has leukemia and needs a donor.  In Hong Kong, an undercover cop, Kit, has become a drug addict in order to infiltrate the Triads.  His goal is to save the life of a businessman who happens to be the only donor available for the man with the weak heart.  To go any further into the story would really spoil it, so I won’t do that.  What I will say is that like the original film, the story in SPL 2(I’ll only refer to it by that name) is surprisingly complex with quite a few interesting twists and turns.  It’s not very often that you have an action movie with a very compelling story.  It’s pretty good.

The acting in the film is uniformly excellent.  Everybody brings their A-game.  Simon Yam is phenomenal as the detective who sent Kit in to infiltrate the mob.  The character has a lot of depth and is surprisingly very sympathetic.  Zhang Jin plays the warden with a straight face.  This guy is not to be messed.  Jin is a phenomenal martial artist and actor.  Given his performance in Ip Man 3 and this one, I expect many great things from this guy.  He’s captivating to say the least.  Louis Koo plays the main villain, Hung Mun-Gong.  Koo has played MANY different roles over the course of his career, but never before have I seen him play such an incredibly evil person.  This is not the kind of guy that will flinch at murdering people of any age to save his own skin.  Not a nice guy at all.  I would never have expected it, but Tony Jaa is allowed to flex his acting muscles, and he is extraordinarily convincing as the prison guard who is trying to save his daughter’s life.  Considering that Tony Jaa is a father himself, that really helps ground his performance and makes him a compelling character.  Wu Jing is absolutely amazing as Kit.  Not only is he physically capable, but when you see how he reacts to certain situations, you really feel that his character is in some seriously deep trouble, and you root for the guy to succeed.  As I said, the acting is really freaking good, and when you combine that with a top-notch story, you have a very compelling experience.

Considering that SPL 2 features some pretty top-notch martial arts actors, you would expect the fighting to be amazing.  Amazing it is.  The first time you see Tony Jaa and Wu Jing mix it up in the prison, you kinda know what sort of action movie you’re in for.  Now, to be fair, the story and characters are front-and-center while the fighting is secondary.  The story needs to drive the action.  You have to get a feeling for the characters if you expect them to get out of a fight alive.  The fight choreography is fast and brutal.  Tony Jaa is in top form with his unique Muay Thai skills.  This guy knows how to move.  Wu Jing is fast and furious and goes toe-to-toe with some of the best martial arts actors out there.  He has a bit of a flashy style but it’s mostly grounded.  Zhang Jin is clearly a fantastic martial artist and he is more than up to the challenge.  He goes up against Tony Jaa and Wu Jing in one of the most bad-ass fights I’ve seen in a while.  The downside, is that Zhang Jin ends up using a lot of wire-work for his moves, and I don’t think he really needs them.  While it’s not overly distracting, it does bring the fight down a little bit.

I really, really wanted to like this one, and it come through.  It is by far, one of the most compelling action movies I’ve seen in years.  Is it as good as the previous movie?  Not really, but it’s only a sequel in name only, so comparing to the original is kinda strange.  Regardless of the name, this is an absolute blast of a film.  Tony Jaa is really at the top of his game right now.  Since his breakout role in 2003’s Ong-Bak, he has not shown any signs of slowing down.  He may have hit a few bumps along the way, but with movies like Furious 7, SPL 2, and the upcoming xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, Tony Jaa is finally coming into his own as an action star and actor.  So….do I recommend SPL 2?  Hell, yes I do.  This movie rocks.  My final verdict is an 8.5/10.

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