Red Scorpion 2 Reviews

With state-of-the-art demolition, expertly choreographed battle scenes, and enough weaponry for a military garage sale, this special-forces flick feeds hunger for action but suffers a story line that's hard to swallow. The National Security Commission assembles a crack team to undermine the white supremacist empire of Andrew Kendrick (John Savage). Despondent about losing a partner on his last mission, Agent Nick Stone (Matt McColm) reluctantly heeds the call of his mentor Colonel West (Michael Ironside) to work on the case. Stone soldiers up with, among others, Sam Guiness (Jennifer Rubin), computer expert Vince D'Angelo (Paul Ben-Victor), and Billy Ryan (Michael Covert). Initially, the agents play tag with Kendrick's Citadel Organization as it carries out hate crimes nationwide. After journalist Steinberg (Jerry Wasserman) is kidnapped for liberalism and an elusive computer file makes Kendrick's deadly targeting obvious, Stone and his comrades decide to infiltrate Citadel headquarters. Posing as right-wing backers, Stone and Guiness snoop around while Billy Ryan palms himself off as a bigoted redneck. Although Kendrick knows of the charade, West stations other squad members at the Citadel's periphery to support the advance team inside. After slaying Steinberg and separating the now-captured government spies, Kendrick begins his plot to assassinate liberal politicians. Fortunately, Guiness breaks loose, D'Angelo blows up power transformers, and Stone eventually gets free and rescues Billy Ryan. While Kendrick holds a recaptured Guiness as bait, Stone eliminates Kendrick's right-hand man Hans (Vladimir Kulich) before demolishing Kendrick's computer. With the Citadel stronghold and his plans destroyed, Kendrick waits for flames in an escape tunnel to consume him. The surviving agents are left to dismantle the racist network. Once the Red Scorpion super soldiers storm the Citadel, the action swings into thrilling overdrive. Unfortunately, the build-up to this assault is marred by sequences that distract the audience with high action before properly introducing the participants. The movie's unsubtle caricature of neo-Nazism is equally sloppy. In a role similar to one he had on the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger," Savage's overplaying exceeds the worst of Brion James, Richard Lynch, and Trevor Goddard combined. The combination of blatant rancor and unfocused energy will leave escapist moviegoers eyeing the exit sign. (Graphic violence, profanity, nudity, adult situations.)