China's deadliest special forces operative settles into a quiet life on
the sea. When sadistic mercenaries begin targeting nearby civilians, he
must leave his newfound peace behind and return to his duties as a
soldier and protector.
Wolf Warrior II (2017)
Director:
Jing WuStars:
Release Date:
27 July 2017 (China) See more »Also Known As:
Wolf Warriors See more »Filming Locations:
South AfricaBox Office
Budget:
$29.700.000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$219.022 (USA) (28 July 2017)Gross:
$219.022 (USA) (28 July 2017)
See more »
Company Credits
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Wu Jing plays a former Chinese Special Forces operative who finds
himself in the middle of an African revolution in this sequel to the
2015 hit.
Wu Jing again stakes his claim as the natural heir to Jackie Chan
with the sequel to his 2015 action movie that was a hit in his native
China. Starring, directed and co-written by Jing, Wolf Warrior 2
is even bigger and bolder than its predecessor, which doesn’t always
work in its favor. But genre fans will definitely relish the
near-constant barrage of elaborate set pieces that are choreographed and
filmed for maximum impact.
Jing again plays Leng Feng, now living a quiet life in Africa after
having left the titular Chinese Special Forces unit under unfortunate
circumstances depicted in the previous installment. But that doesn’t
mean he isn’t ready to spring into action when necessary, as illustrated
by an elaborate pre-credits sequence in which he battles a group of
pirates in an underwater fight that could easily fit into a James Bond
movie.
Apparently beloved by all of the Africans with whom he comes into
contact, even when he beats them at drinking games, Feng doesn’t
hesitate to get involved when the country is wracked by a civil war and
invaded by a group of bloodthirsty American mercenaries led by Big Daddy
(Frank Grillo). He also strives to protect the local Chinese community,
since the Chinese government is apparently helpless to intervene due to
internecine rules of international engagement.
Although the convoluted plot also involves an epidemic of a deadly
disease for which a Chinese doctor (Celina Jade) is attempting to find a
cure, it’s basically an excuse for a relentless series of action
sequences featuring martial arts combat, gun battles, car chases, a tank
battle and pretty much anything else you can think of. The star’s
charisma is enhanced by his athletic prowess, which makes the
hand-to-hand combat particularly arresting, especially a brutal brawl
between him and Grillo (no slouch himself) that provides a fitting
climax.
Hard to believe that the director/star needed two collaborators on
the screenplay, judging by such lines as Leng’s declaration, “Once a
Wolf Warrior, always a Wolf Warrior!” Grillo, too, doesn’t have much to
work with, as he’s often reduced to looking sinister while smoking a
cigar and issuing such commands as “I want that son of a bitch!”
American audiences, at least, may also be put off by the relentless
Chinese jingoism on display, although, to be fair, it seems a fair price
to pay for such American movie characters as Rambo.
The breathless pacing thankfully doesn’t allow much time for viewers to
ponder the plot holes or worry about character development, although the
two-hour running time (more than 30 minutes longer than the original
pic) results in overkill fatigue. As with Jackie Chan’s efforts, the
outtakes during the end credits indicate that the film must have been a
lot of fun to make, at least when the performers weren’t getting hurt.
And in case fans were worried, a post-credits sequence sets up the
inevitable sequel, which, they won’t be surprised to learn, will be
entitled Wolf Warrior 3.
7/10 genre
6/10 overall
Thanks for reading and have fun watching movies.
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