Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Better Late Then Never

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

It's been 5 years since the first one(at least in real-time, and I'm not sure there's anything indicating if that's at all incorrect within this), and Durant now wakes up from the... coma... he was somehow left in. Oh, he got hurt, he has... a single facial scar... well, they wanted him back, and I can't fault them for that(and Drake(back!) is enjoyable, if considerably less threatening, here... well, that goes for both titular characters, as they are given entirely too little to do, with this feeling padded because the conflict doesn't come to a head, though it seems like it could, for most of this(because it would end really quickly once it did... without an origin left to tell, this meanders instead). His "business" has deteriorated, left in the hands of those less capable, so, like before, he tries to get more territory, this time dipping into science fiction(granted, there is some of that in the predecessor to this), with a high-powered weapon. Once you hear the details of the plan, it's reasonably clever. Darkman has been... hm... you know what, I have no idea, because it doesn't seem like he's embraced the vigilantism thing. He stops a little crime early in this, but that seems incidental. Anyway, he gets new hope for perfecting the synthetic skin(I suppose that's what's been taking up all his time?), when he finds fellow scientist of the field, Dr. David Brinkman. The tactics and logic of either is lacking in this. This is a serviceable sequel. If you adjust your expectations appropriately, and you really want more of this franchise, this isn't too bad. Gone is the theatrical production quality, the dynamic quality aided by the Raimi/Pope coupling(which gave us a manic, visual feast), the fast pace(this one isn't outright boring, and it is only 89 minutes long without end credits) and the Gothic inspiration. Remaining is roughly the same amount of action(if the scale is obviously smaller) and it's exciting enough... these remain more in the thriller genre, and this can be quite tense. Also still present is that it's genuinely engaging... you want the good guys to win and the villains to suffer. With the arc of the '90 one sufficiently covered in that one, this one goes for a new thematic of "lost dreams", retaining the dark tone. New characters are fine. A reporter helps our anti-hero with some detective work that doesn't seem like it helps much. This is too similar to the one before it, in structure... it appears they somewhat understood what made that one work(without being able to recreate the aesthetic), and simply had no new ideas for "gags". There is some moderate bloody violence, disturbing content, strong language and a little gore and nudity-free sexuality. I recommend this to fans of the concept who can live with the lower... everything. 5/10

1994's "Darkman II: The Return of Durant" is a direct-to-video sequel to Sam Raimi's original pseudo-super-hero flick "Darkman", and in every way this follow-up seems to be plagued by a classic case of "unfounded sequel syndrome", where a sequel to a successful film is hastily made for no real reason other than to cash in on the success of the original. Though, for a direct-to-DVD film, "Darkman II" certainly isn't the worst.I will admit that while it is no modern masterpiece, Raimi's original "Darkman" is a favorite of mine, because it is a dark tale of vengeance that is well-executed and has some of the classic Raimi touches I love so much. (I give the original about a 9 out of 10 for sheer thrills.) Bradford May's first sequel (this film was followed by an even zanier and more non-sensical third chapter) is really just a re-tread of the original film. No new villains, no new heroes, just more of the same. As the title implies, Robert G. Durant (Larry Drake), one of the main villains from part one is still alive, miraculously having survived his explosive helicopter demise as seen in the original film. And while he should be more scarred and flayed than the film's burnt hero, all he really has is a few lines on his face, a story about being in a coma, and a thirst to get back into organized crime.At the same time, Peyton Westlake a.k.a. "Darkman" (Arnold Vosloo) is still trying to perfect his liquid skin formula to restore his own identity, after Durant and his thugs left him burned beyond recognition and in a state self loathing and insecurity in the first film. He is now using his semi-superhuman abilities (granted to him by the medical procedure given to him to stop his pain, which resulted in emotional rages and constant adrenaline surges) to fight petty crime and steal money from bad-guys to use for his secret underground lab. Yes, he's still completely off the grid, as he was in the original.But after meeting another scientist with similar interests, things might seem to be looking up for our toasty anti-hero... until of course Durant kills his new friend and makes Peyton realize he's still alive.From there on in, it's basically a repeat of the second act of the first film- Darkman infiltrating Durant's organization and tearing it apart from within. This time, Durant does seem a bit more prepared, but the predictability just takes away any of the surprise- we saw this all happen in the last movie! There is also a new sub-plot about Durant commissioning a wacky scientist to create, and I'm not kidding, Particle Beam firearms like something right out of a "Star Trek" episode, and selling them for millions as the "new guns for a new era." There's also a nice sub-plot about an investigative journalist who befriends Darkman and wants his help to expose Durant for his crimes. But these really don't go anywhere. They're just there to kill time.Yes, the movie is really just about Darkman trying to kill Durant once and for all, which he apparently didn't do in the first movie. Simple as that- a revenge story.Like I said, this film isn't bad, but it doesn't add a single new thing to the "Darkman" story.Now, onto the director, Bradford May. He does a decent job at times emulating Raimi's visually delightful style that made the first film so fun to watch, but overall, his take on the material is just straight-forward and uninspired. There are a few cool scenes and shots, but overall, the direction is very "blah." Also, May has crafted a film with a darker tone, and frankly, it hurts this movie- it just isn't as much fun as the original.The acting does shine, as Drake does a great job reprising his role as Durant with fiendish glee. And Vosloo does a decent enough job taking over for Liam Neeson (the original Darkman), though Vosloo does seem a little more wooden, as though he is trying to bring a darker, more stoic edge to the character. He's good, but not Neeson good.All-in-all, "Darkman II: The Return of Durant" is a retread of the original with a few cool sub-plots and some nice acting. But too much of the movie is a simple repeat of the first film, and the direction (and script) is very uninspired, adding nothing new to the mythos.I would recommend that fans of the original give this a shot for laughs. Everyone else need not apply. A 5 out of 10.

Sam Raimi created Darkman with a potential franchise in mind, and his original movie had enough flair to suggest a sequel was warranted. Unfortunately (or perhaps wisely--for Raimi), he handed over the straight-to-video sequel duties to rookie director Bradford May, and nobody bothered to come up with much of a screenplay. As a result, Darkman II plays like a bad pilot for a proposed Darkman TV series, with Arnold Vosloo (best known as a villain in Jean-Claude Van Damme's Hard Target) doing his best to replace Liam Neeson in the title role. Sporting a dastardly scar and delivering lackluster punch lines as he kills his many enemies, Larry Drake returns from the first film as the villainous Durant, who wreaks havoc in his attempt to finance and manufacture the world's most destructive automatic weapons. As he supports the synthetic skin experiments of a like-minded scientist, the scarred hero known as Darkman thwarts Durant's ruthless plot, but the case proves costly for the intrepid crime reporter (Kim Delaney, Pr-NYPD Blue) who allies herself with Darkman's efforts. Basically, this by-the-numbers plot serves as a tissue-thin vehicle for lots of explosions and gratuitous violence, and it's all about as inspired as a bad syndicated action show. Of interest only to those who were dazzled by the original Darkman, and even then it's a disappointment.

This is a good sequel and better then the original in my humble opinion. While it may not be as flashy or visually spectacular as the 1st, i found it more entertaining and i preferred Arnold Vosolo over Liam Neeson, i just dig him more now Liam was awesome as Darkman, i just liked Vosolo's performance better. Larry Drake is awesome as the main villain once again, and, this was much more violent then the original. For a Direct to video film, this movie is top notch in a lot of aspects, i enjoyed Darkman but enjoyed this one a bit more, due to better pacing, and better performances (in my opinion). It's also a bit more interesting, and not so grim, plus Vosolo was kinda more mysterious and creepier then Neeson as well. The Direction is very good. Braford May does a very good job here, while not as flashy or as stylish as Sam Rami, he still has a few little camera tricks of his own, with slick camera angles, some cool POV shots of Darkman, and overall keeping the film at a very good pace!, very good job. There is a bit of gore. We get some bloody car crash victims,a few bloody gunshot wounds,nasty facial makeup,someone's teeth are knocked out with a golf club,harsh bloody beating a bloody gunshot wound to the head, and some bloody corpses. The Acting is very good. Arnold Vosolo is awesome here as Darkman, he is very convincing likable, had some cool one liners, and was a lot of fun to watch!, i really dig this guy. Larry Drake is also awesome here as the main villain, he is very menacing, very convincing, and was also a lot of fun to watch. Kim Delaney is hot and was decent as the reporter. Renee O'Connor is good with what she had to do, and was decent looking. Lawrence Dane is good as the quirky doctor. Jesse Collins is good and wished he didn't go so soon. Overall i highly recommend this sequel! ***1/2 out of 5(barely)