Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #6: Galact-o-Massacre!

Review by Casey Douglass

(Minor Spoilers Below, it is the end of the story after all!)

Well, this is it, Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #6: Galact-o-Massacre! Over the course of the previous five issues, we’ve seen Rory Landell proclaim himself to be “Galactic Champion of the Universe”, managing to piss off a planet of alien wrestlers, and ultimately, getting his friends, and the Earth in general, into a bit of a sticky situation. Everything has been leading to the question of whether Rory will face Manifest Destiny in the title deciding Galact-o-Massacre. This issue answers that question, and also gives us an outcome.

This instalment opens with a shot of wrestling commentator hype, taken with a chaser of the kind of humour that we’ve come to expect from the Planet Wrestletopia series. “History’s greatest astronomers have contemplated the night sky while pondering the question that has perplexed mankind throughout the ages – Is there life out there... and can you wrestle it?” Who hasn’t pondered that very same question!? It’s also always nice to get a chuckle on the very first page of a comic.

Yes, Galact-o-Massacre is here. And yes, Rory does eventually make it, although the schemes afoot to keep him away almost succeed in their aim. His friends, both old and new, very much save the day, even the ones that sadly fell by the wayside, in one way or another. All you need to know is that Rory makes it to the ring and that the fight with Manifest Destiny happens. It is also suitably epic, twisting and full of surprises.

If you watch wrestling, either now or maybe during some time earlier in your life, you will probably remember how important bouts tended to play out. Why would the events of a fight flow from A to B when they can take in so many other letters of the alphabet. The kind of shenanigans you might see in an old WWF bout on videotape all seem to appear in this galactic battle. There are shifting allegiances, ring side interference, cheating, bad luck, good luck... it’s no wonder this issue is described as a 47 page megaextravaganza on its cover, most of it is devoted to the events of this one wrestling match!

I’m really pleased that the confrontation between the two galactic champions played out in such a fun way. I usually find anything that builds to something over a period of time can give a slightly disappointing finale. I didn’t experience that here, and it made me remember a few wrestling bouts I watched as a kid, which was a pleasant dose of nostalgia, and I don’t even class myself as still a fan. The humour persists throughout, and I particularly liked the turn-coat commentator who wants to embrace the planet’s new Wrestletopian overlords before the fight has even begun.

Does it end happily for Rory? I’m not telling, but I was certainly happy with the outcome. You’ll have to check out the comic to find out what happens.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #6: Galact-o-Massacre!

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Kendall Goode

Colouring: Jio Butler

Lettering: Sal Cipriano

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: August 12, 2020

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #5: Show-Me-State-of-Mind!

Review by Casey Douglass

(Warning: Minor spoilers below)

Layers are great when it comes to keeping you warm in the Winter. Layers are not so endearing when they consist of the things that go on in your mind, the negative self-talk, anxiety and other personality traits, that hold you back like some kind of smelly straightjacket. Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #5: Show-Me-State-of-Mind! Is an issue that peels back the layers in Rory Landell’s mind, all while seeing the roguish hero get ever closer to his date with Destiny.

After a very sticky situation in which Rory has to complete a reverse “Dukes of Hazard” move to escape a fiery end, he finds himself (pun intended... you’ll see) wandering in the desert. He comes across old wrestler Jay Warcloud. Some spiked sandwiches send Rory off into a peyote-fuelled wrestling event his mind has called “Egomania”. Here, he faces off against various aspects of his personality and his past, and it’s a fun thing to witness. It’s a trippy sequence of fights that reveal the various ways that Rory sees or remembers himself. It even ends with a surprise reveal, which adds even more juice to the trip.

Once Rory has finished battling his mental foes, his friends, who have overcome their own literal scuffle, appear just in time to almost run him over. Their RV is knackered, which leads this issue to culminate with the bright idea of some train-hopping. Sadly, this only puts the group in the clutches of some sneaky Wrestletopians. This surprise appearance causes a mass train-top grapple-fest, and a cliffhanger ending that sees the reader wondering if one of the companions might die in the opening pages of issue six.

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #5: Show-Me-State-of-Mind! Is another issue that moves the story along while also giving an insight into a character’s state of mind. It’s action packed, trippy and humorous, and still gaining momentum as Rory’s fight with Manifest Destiny looms. Most importantly though, there is a background news-report happening in one of the scenes, one that details how wrestling bear Kodiak Jack escaped from his handler and is running amok in a shopping mall: “...suplexing several shoppers before raiding a Steamin’ Weenie.” This really made me chuckle and I hope that Kodiak Jack puts in another appearance at some point in the series. He’s awesome. Roll on issue six.

Visit the Comixology page for more info.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #5: Show-Me-State-of-Mind!

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Kendall Goode

Colouring: Jio Butler

Lettering: Sal Cipriano

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: 11 Dec 2019

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #4: Road Games

Review by Casey Douglass

In my review of the previous issue of Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia, I said that we spend some time on the road with the hapless Rory Landell, and that it would be fun to find out if he makes it to his fight with Manifest Destiny. Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #4: Road Games, is still very much in road-trip mode, as you might have guessed from its title. The fun thing about this is that it places Rory and his friends into a variety of strange locations and barmy situations. It also puts them in touch with danger too, as is so often the way of things.

In the opening pages, Rory, Macho and Don find themselves crawling out of their upturned car just outside a theme park. They clash with more wrestlers from Planet Wrestletopia, and one part of this fight actually occurs as everyone involved slides down a twisting water slide. I found this hilarious. It’s also presented in a really stylish way, in cells that mimic the twist and turns of the water slide. It is shortly after this slippery slide that some old acquaintances turn up to save the day, prompting Rory and company to join together with them and to hit the road once more.

While in their friends’ RV, Rory and pals chin-wag and play a wrestling game on a games console. This leads to the origin story of why tag team partnership Three-D only has two members, which is pretty funny. Let’s just say that the love of money plays a role, and not in the way that you might immediately think. The humour in this issue is on point, just as in previous ones. There is an “almost drowning” (pictured above) that I did have to chuckle at, alongside an instance of a man determined to finish a ginger-ale he paid for, even though he no longer wants to drink it where he bought it, which amused me quite a lot too.

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #4: Road Games is an issue in which we hear about more of the fallout from Rory’s “I’m the Galactic Champion” boast, the effect it had on other people in his wrestling circle, and the hardship it caused. A scene in a strip club also causes Rory’s ego to flare once again, causing a walk-out that, at first, seems to save him from the event that befalls his friends, but by the end of the issue, sees him in just as uncertain a situation. I’m being deliberately cryptic here as I don’t want to blab about everything in the comic. Where’s the fun in that? What will happen to them? Time will tell.

One extra thing that I will say, is that the Earth-defending title fight has been dubbed the “Galact-O-Massacre” which is a fine name for a potentially world-ending bout. At the end of this issue, there is a fun page from the doomsday essentials collection, a selection of gear for wrestling fans who might feel inclined to prepare for a worst case scenario. I particularly liked the chemical toilet, in the main, because of the copy spiel that: “Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of Dark Covenant like untreated human excreta.” I must admit, it’s a fear that I can fully get behind.

Visit the Comixology page for more info.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #4: Road Games

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Kendall Goode

Colouring: Jason Lewis

Lettering: Sal Cipriano

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: 30 Oct 2019

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #3: Two Peas in a Pot

Review by Casey Douglass

The first two issues of Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia have seen wrestler Rory Landell declare himself to be the Galactic Champion of the Universe, triggering the invasion of Earth by wrestlers from Planet Wrestletopia. My reviews of those issues can be found here and here. Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #3: Two Peas in a Pot continues the hunt for the still missing Rory, with deals and power struggles causing many a crunching head trauma.

Manifest Destiny, the reigning Galactic Champion of the Universe, wants a title unification bout with Rory. He and his cronies approach Rory’s old promoter, someone who is quickly persuaded that it would be in his best interest to make this contest happen. Meanwhile, the hapless Rory, who ended issue 2 unconscious on the floor of a bar, finds himself tied to a lamppost as some alien wrestlers debate what to do with him. His friends, pint-sized wrestler Macho, and his old manager Don, turn up to rescue him, and to also fill him in on what has been happening in his absence.

It is later in this issue that the counter-faction to Manifest Destiny is also revealed to us. They have a vested interest in Rory not actually being found. During a later exchange with Rory’s ex-promoter, we find that the number one contender is someone called “Sunny” Jim Cooley “The peach blossom playboy”. Rory’s ex-promoter appears, once again, to be “persuaded” that he might just have to renege on his deal with Manifest Destiny. Part of this persuasion comes courtesy of a dominatrix Wrestletopian and her slave, which was an unexpected turn I must admit.

What we have in issue three, is more funny wheeling and dealing. On the human side, we can see greed and nationalism rear their heads, the latter particularly during a meeting of world leaders who can’t decide which wrestlers will stand in for Rory if he doesn’t show. As you might imagine, in the world of this comic book, it isn’t long before a brawl breaks out. As far as Rory, we spend more time on the road with him, and we are also treated to a glimpse of his little friend Macho’s origin story, how he came to be a wrestler, and why he is so good at kicking ass. I also liked the reveal of the number one contender, I mean, “Sunny” Jim Cooley “The peach blossom playboy” is such a great name.

At the very end of this issue is a page from a wrestling album, done in the style of those old WWF/WCW ones that I used to have in my youth. On this page we are treated to info bites about six wrestlers, including Rory, and Kodiak Jack, the bear with the coolest name ever. It’s a really great little piece of nostalgia and the whole style and tone was nailed nicely. As in previous issues, the humour in general, is just right too, with my favourite quote this time being Manifest Destiny’s response to being asked to sit down: “Your Earthling chairs are not fit to carry the Galactic Champion!”.

As always, it will be fun to find out what happens in issue four, whether Rory will make it to the fight, and what other conniving schemes or factions might emerge from the shadows to help or to hinder him.

Visit the Comixology page for more info.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #3 : Two Peas in a Pot

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Dan Schkade

Colouring: Marissa Louise

Lettering: Dave Lanphear

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: 19 June 2019

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #2: Two Worlds Enter, One Leaves!

Review by Casey Douglass

In my review of the first issue of Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia, I read about Rory Landell, a wrestler who declared himself to be the “Galactic Champion of the Universe”. By doing this, he managed to piss off not only people on Earth, but also aliens far out in the galaxy, aliens with their own idea of who the champion is: Manifest Destiny. Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #2: Two Worlds Enter, One Leaves! Is set to show how Rory’s words have sent a few pebbles tumbling down the mountain, the avalanche of the whoop-ass to come just starting to rumble in the heights.

In the opening pages of issue two, we are sucked into a flashback scene, one of a young Rory watching his parents argue and bicker sometime in the seventies. He has lots of newspaper clippings of his wrestler dad on his bedroom wall: Terry Landell “The Human Torture Rack”. Not a happy home, and an insight into some of the baggage Rory might be carrying around, baggage masked by his bravado. In the current time, we then see two astronomers picking up on strange craft that seem to be building something around the Earth. Yes, Manifest Destiny has arrived on Earth, to answer Rory’s challenge and to lay down the prospect of a Regal Rumble if Rory refuses the “call of Destiny”. What is a Regal Rumble? Well, think Royal Rumble, but with the population of two planets taking part!

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #2: Two Worlds Enter, One Leaves! Ratchets up the tension nicely from the first issue. Rory’s bold declaration of being the “Galactic Champion of the Universe” has given him the first direct bite on the backside. As in the previous issue, the clean, colourful art-style and crunching wrestling moves are fun to take in. I particularly enjoyed seeing the alien wrestlers body-slamming a camel in Cairo, and suplexing their way through Whitehouse security personal. It was great to take in some of Rory’s past too, even if, in one scene, he ignores the offer of pornography in a convenience store and opts for a wrestling magazine. I mean, in a magazine about intergalactic wrestlers attacking Earth, I guess there has to be something unbelievable. Chortle.

The humour of the first issue continues to flow in the same pleasing way, particularly with Rory trying to get an elderly woman to remember him in a bar; he even runs out of breath as he reels off his wrestling patter. In the same bar a little later, a cryptic comment is muttered over an unconscious Rory, one that hints at the alien wrestlers not being fully united behind Manifest Destiny. I’m guessing issue three will reveal if this is really the case, and that it might also resolve whether we will get to see a Regal Rumble or not. It will be interesting to find out.

Visit the Comixology page for more info.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #2 : Two Worlds Enter, One Leaves!

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Dan Schkade

Colouring: Marissa Louise

Lettering: Dave Lanphear

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: 15 May 2019

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #1 : A Date With Destiny

Review by Casey Douglass

When I was younger, I used to enjoy watching the wrestling on TV. Show me a growing boy who doesn’t like watching people throw each other around, flexing and laughing while they do it. At that time, it was the WWF, the likes of The Legion of Doom, Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. I drifted away from it over time, and today, I find myself generally disinterested. When I was given the chance to check out some issues of the Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia comic, I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. I saw enough though though, to think that it would be a bit of a light-hearted giggle, so I was happy to wade in and see what happened.

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #1 : A Date With Destiny, lays the foundation for what is likely to come. I remember how so much of wrestling used to be about someone’s mouth getting them into trouble, and the beat down that would often follow. The main character in this comic is Rory Landell, and he makes probably the ultimate boast that a wrestler might make. Live on TV, he proclaims himself to be the Galactic Champion of the Universe! In a universe in which we are the only life-forms, he’d still probably annoy enough humans to regret his words, but in this comic, there is life elsewhere, and it gets mightily pissed off to hear his words.

We get to see some of what brings Rory to make his claim next, his disillusionment with how things are, and his inspiration to turn the brag dial to 11. Part of this plays out in a particularly novel scene in which he argues with a wrestling promoter while a bear is sparring in the ring behind them. The bear is called Kodiak Jack, which I think is probably one of the best names I’ve ever heard a bear have. Stand back Rupert and Paddington! Rory later finds himself in disgrace, boozing and getting into trouble. At around this time, his TV broadcasted boast reaches far enough out into the stars for other beings to hear. Uh-oh!

The artwork of the comic is bold, colourful and very pleasing on the eye. The panel layout has enough variety to keep things looking fresh on each page, and I particularly liked the art style for the “universe hearing his boast” page. It made me think of retro sci-fi comics. The wrestling action itself, feels like it has impact and heft; you can almost hear the “slam!” as the bodies hit the ring’s floor. As far as the humour, I did find myself smiling, and I can be a moody git so that would probably be a laugh for a “normal” person.

At 36 pages, Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #1: A Date With Destiny felt like a nice, fun introduction to Rory Landell and the trouble that is probably (I hope) coming his way. I’m looking forward to reading the next issue to see how things progress, and I’m hoping things continue in the same amusing vein. Visit the Comixology page for more info.

I was given access to a review copy of this comic.

Comic Book Name: Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #1 : A Date With Destiny

Authors: Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin

Artist: Dan Schkade

Colouring: Marissa Louise

Lettering: Dave Lanphear

Publisher: Starburns Industries Press

Released: 01 May 2019

Price: $1.99

Dark Comic Review: Murky Waters: Tales From Beneath

Review by Casey Douglass

For a long time, I’ve been drawn to media that explores the ways that reality, perception and imagination all interplay in our view of the world. I believe this started for me, when I was in the first throes of undiagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as an almost teenager. I think I knew that my mind was taking liberties with the reality it presented to me, but I still fell down the rabbit hole of fear. Murky Waters: Tales From Beneath is a full colour, 56 page collection of eight dark comic book stories. These tales look at some of the ways that our minds play with reality, and reading this about it, was more than enough for it to get my attention.

There are a number of philosophical and unnerving elements on offer in Murky Waters’ pages. These range from the way that others view us and how this might define us, to paranoid notions of being watched or controlled, and ponderings about the nature of what happens to us after death. If that wasn’t enough, there is the way that suffering might affect the mind, questions about imprisonment and entertainment, and the internal pressures to be authentic. A number of these stories manifest in only one or two pages, so as you might expect, the imagery and layout has to do some stellar work in gripping the reader’s mind. I felt that they all achieved this nicely, each in their own way.

Darkness Unending is a prime example of this. It opens with images of a woman’s face, mainly her eyes and nose. She is pondering how different religions view the conundrum of the afterlife. The camera pulls back and we notice blood. We also hear the sounds of combat off to the side. This story felt like an ever expanding frame, with the woman as the focal point and the view pivoting around her. I really liked how almost every cell gives the reader more information and context as to what is happening in the scene, and the climax is certainly a fun one.

Cogito Ergo Sum is another story that I really enjoyed. I loved the colour palette. It made fantastic use of cool sci-fi blues and mellow greens, which is fitting for a sci-fi story set in 2047. A woman hears voices at work and fears she is developing schizophrenia. As with other stories in Murky Waters, nothing is quite as it seems, and it turns out that this woman might actually be right to worry, even if the truth is a little different, and far darker, than the one that she fears.

Above, I said that some of the stories tell their tale in very few pages. Breaking Down The Walls takes just one page to tell its own, a mere six panels. It would be very hard to comment on it without saying too much, but its brevity and fourth wall breaking both go hand in hand to make what I thought was a really impactful moment in time.

The last tale I will mention by name is House of Cracks, mainly because it brings me back to how I opened this review, talking about OCD and how the mind can colour what we see. House of Cracks features a couple trying to overcome loss. The woman initially sees problems with cracks in the wall, and no amount of reassurance sets her mind at ease. She becomes obsessed with other things as the story progresses, all of which seem to be distractions from the couple’s shared emotional suffering, or maybe just manifestations of her own torment. The artwork and colours of this story show how two minds can view the world differently, even through the lens of shared suffering, and again, I found this a very satisfying read.

All of the tales in Murky Waters are dark, thoughtful and clever. The twists and reveals all seemed very satisfying to me, and going back and re-reading each story once I’d got to the end gave me new things to appreciate and to notice. If you like horror, sci-fi and philosophical ideas, all rolled up in striking imagery and intriguing narratives, I think you'll enjoy Murky Waters too.

Murky Waters was created and written by Christian Carnouche, who is also the creator of The Resurrected mini-series. A whole host of international artists (see below) have come together to bring these stories to life, each bringing their own flavour to the images created on the page. A Kickstarter has just begun to try to raise funding for the initial printing run, and this has a whole host of rewards and benefits for the backers. If you like the sound of Murky Waters, head over to the Kickstarter and see if there is a support option that you might want to take advantage of.

I was given access to a review copy of this anthology.

Comic Book Name: Murky Waters: Tales From Beneath

Author: Christian Carnouche

Editor: Erica Schultz

Artists: Gabriela Contreras, Christian DiBari, Alex Diotto, Matthew Dow Smith, Triona Farrell, Ismael Hernandez, Maan House, Allison Hu, Dearbhla Kelly, Ariela Kristantina, Roshan Kurichiyanil, Lala Narita, Devmalya Pramanik and J. Schiek. Donna. Also, A. Black, Iain Laurie and Sachi Ediriweera produced pin-ups for the campaign.

Cover By: Tula Lotay.

Lettered By: Cardinal Rae

Publisher: Carnouche Productions

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2129323534/murky-waters-tales-from-beneath

Dark Review - AvP: Fire and Stone Issue 1

I take a look at Dark Horse Comics' Alien Versus Predator: Fire and Stone Issue 1 on Geek Syndicate here. A stylishly drawn inter-species clash that hints at more violence to come.

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Dark Review - Prometheus: Fire and Stone Issue 1

I take a look at Prometheus: Fire and Stone Issue 1 on Geek Syndicate, a new comic that is set to progress the story from where the film Prometheus ended. I loved the artwork but just found it a little hollow. Click here to read my full review.

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Dark Review - Kick-Ass 2

Kick-Ass 2 Review

By Casey Douglass

Image ©Universal Pictures

 

If you have no memory of watching a film featuring a weedy guy in a green and yellow wetsuit, or a young girl dressed in purple with a severe case of potty mouth, go and watch Kick-Ass right now! I’ll wait. If these characters conjure up mental images of jet-pack mounted mini-guns and mugs of hot chocolate stuffed with marshmallows, welcome to the sequel. While it’s not absolutely necessary to have seen the first film before viewing the second, you will get the most from it if you have.

The film begins at the tattered ends of the first one, with Mindy Macready / Hit-girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) adjusting to a life without her dead father (Nicolas Cage’s Big Daddy). A friend of his has taken her in, and is trying to push her into a more normal, less violent life. Mindy takes to it like a boxer to needlework. It feels strange and scary and she would much rather be out ridding the streets of criminal scum.

Her partner in heroism Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has also given up the mask, partly due to feeling like some kind of false superhero that, while inspiring to others, was nothing compared to Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. Dave decides to engage Mindy as his tutor and trainer, wanting to finally become the real deal.

It is not long into the film where a botched training session draws a lot of unwanted attention to “masked-vigilantes” and the two part company to pursue their own attempts at the lives they want to lead. For Mindy, this is being forced ever deeper into High-school culture, concerns of having to fit in and to be popular, all the while having the feeling that she is selling her soul for the price of a promise to her dead daddy. She pushes her Hit-Girl persona so far back into the closet that Aslan might soon be seen sporting a purple wig and swearing at Mr. Tumnus. Dave faces similar issues as he follows the opposite path and embraces his superhero alter-ego even more, having to fit into a new group of like-minded individuals and seeing if he can survive without Hit-Girl’s aid.

But what would a sequel be without the return of the evil mastermind in waiting Chris D'Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Having seen Kick-Ass propel and explode his father with an RPG from the top floor of a skyscraper, the boy certainly has vengeance issues. After the fortuitous death of his kill-joy mother, he reinvents himself as The Motherf**ker and sets about building his own evil empire to choke the city and to sever the veins of his father’s killers.

This ladies and gents, is the film. The story arcs of each character collide and then veer away at intervals, forming a deadly dance of dressing up in funny clothes and crude name calling, with the occasional brutal fight or one-upmanship in between. I think that it trundles along at a nice pace, the action never outstaying its welcome, nor the quieter scenes dragging on indefinitely. The humour that ran through the first film is still as pure in the second. If anything, the swearing is even more inventive and some of the one liners even more memorable.

The real strength of the second film is the ensemble of other characters that flesh out both sides of the conflict. Kick-Ass teams up with Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) and his crew of heroes, which also include Dr. Gravity (Donald Faison) and Night Bitch (Lindy Booth). The villainous ranks are also swelled, most notably by Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina), a giantess of a woman who’s epic stand-off with four or five police cars using nothing more than what is at hand is well worth the price of admission on its own.

The technical side of the film is very well done, with the variety of costumes and colours on screen a nice reminder of the comic book origins of the series. Every scene is clear and precise, and the accompanying score carries it all along nicely to its grandstanding conclusion.

While I did enjoy the film very much, it does suffer from the usual malady of simply being a sequel. While it does change the formula here and there, it did feel like a case of having “seen it all before”, even if it has been expanded and polished to within an inch of its life. I think that may be the reason the fighting was more brutal and the swearing more deviously placed; to cover the notion that it is all a bit samey. It is definitely still well worth watching, and if you loved the first, I am almost certain you will love this sequel.

Rating : 4.5/5

IMDb

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