Hard Target 2

2016 Universal 1440 Entertainment
Directed by: Roel Reiné; Written: Dominic Morgan and Matthew Harvey
Starring: Scott Adkins, Robert Knepper, Rhona Mitra, Ann Truong, and Temuera Morrison
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 104 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 6/10

MMA fighters, Wes Baylor and Jonny Sutherland, are best friends forever...until Wes accidentally murders Jonny in the ring. Now Wes is wandering the globe like a zombie, taking underground fights just to buy his pity party booze. That makes him easy prey for Aldrich, a man who offers Wes a million bucks for one fight in Myanmar. Turns out the only fight Wes will be in is for his life. That's because Aldrich has actually recruited Wes to be hunted by wealthy, well-armed psychopaths through the Myanmar jungle. However, Aldrich has bitten off more than he can chew. Many years ago, Jean-Claude Van Damme proved himself to be a Hard Target. Looks like Scott Adkins, as Wes, is a Hard Target 2.
Straight to DVD isn't really a thing anymore. Now we've got "straight to streaming." However, in 2016, Redbox machines still dotted every corner, and I remember seeing Hard Target 2 at one and thinking it looked pretty silly. Watching the movie now...by streaming...it is silly, but it is also a lot of fun. Most of that comes down to star, Scott Adkins. Adkins is an incredible martial artist, and like his idol, Van Damme, isn't going to win an Oscar for acting, but is very charismatic. Now, Adkins gets to follow his hero to the world of Hard Target, 23 years after the original. Like in the original, the martial artist star's fighting skills don't come as much to the fore, as all forms of action are highlighted. In addition to some fighting, Adkins gets to ride on a motorcycle, fire guns, and run and jump through the jungle. It's all just as dumb as the first Hard Target, and director, Roel Reiné, might not be John Woo, but he still knows his way around some solid action...I might as well add another ellipsis to end this review...if you want some dumb fun action, you can't go wrong here.