Pretty Good

One of my all time favorites.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Some clever fight scenes and a fairly well paced plot, despite the awkward acting and sped up punching/kicking. Works well for what it is.

NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 is unconnected to the original movie, other than having the same director in Corey Yuen. Instead this one's an open rip-off of RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, featuring a group of people heading to south-east Asia and battling some Vietcong as well as Russian military types. Really, that's all there is to the plot line: it's a lightweight movie with plenty of comedy in the scripting and plenty of action to keep things moving along. Once again, the best thing about the film is the participation of Corey Yuen who delivers some outstanding action sequences that make the movie probably better than it has any right to be.The story is extremely limited and the script what you'd expect from a cheesy '80s genre flick, although this isn't quite as dated in the fashion stakes – only the clothing looks its age here. This one takes a long time to get going, but Yuen carefully paces his action so there's always something going on to keep you entertained. I was disappointed when I learned Kurt McKinney and especially Van Damme didn't return for this film, but when I saw the new cast I realised it was actually better. Loren Avedon is another youthful hero but he's a fantastic fighter, very flexible and agile and everything he does impresses. Here he's cast alongside Max Thayer who plays a comic relief character and who reminded me a lot of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Thayer doesn't fight and is frequently doubled, but he is good value for money and gives the movie's best performance. The third name in the cast delighted me: Cynthia Rothrock. This film was made when Rothrock was in her physical prime. She doesn't take part in that many fights but those she does appear in are simply great.The bad guys are headed by Matthias Hues, a hulking German actor who looks like he could tear you limb from limb without breaking a sweat. Okay, so his acting is pretty cheesy, but he's an indomitable presence in the action stakes and even more imposing than Van Damme in the first movie. I was also pleased to spot Hwang Jang Lee in the cast, an actor famous from many period kung fu films, although sadly he only takes part in one fight scene (although it's a good one!). The final reel goes overboard on the pyrotechnics, with all sorts of things blowing up spectacularly for no apparent reason, but the main action fun comes from the fighting. Obviously, the final extended battle between Avedon and Hues marks the film's peak, but the showdown between Rothrock and Lee is also decent, along with all the other bits and bobs thrown in. The movie makes good use of an alligator pit and features a hilarious fate for the villainous Hues. All in all, NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2 is good '80s fun, not quite as good as Yuen's best movies made in Hong Kong, but coming close at times.

Seriously this is in my top 10 worst movies of all time its position would probably be around 4. I think this movie is like pointing a gun at a child's face watching them scream moving the gun away from them then pointing the gun over and over again at their face disturbingly funny yet immorally wrong, why don't these actors think am i actually in a movie like this or why Michael Dudikoff is in any film for that matter. Overall this movie was a complete toss fest and should be watched by anyone who loves action movies that are never suppose to have been made..................................I needed an exorcism after this movie

This was originally intended to be a direct sequel to the first 'NR, NS' which launched the career of a certain Jean Claude Van Damme. However Van Damme pulled out feeling the film would not have furthered his career while persuading co-star Kurt McKinney to do the same. As a result, the story was changed with Tae Kwon Do expert Loren Avedon and Matthias Hues drafted in to play the American and Russian stereotypes.The basic synopsis sees Avedon's character call in some friends in an attempt to rescue his Thai girlfriend, while strangely coming across a contingent of the Russian army (camped out in the Vietnamese jungle!) in the process, as well as a group of fake Shaolin monks. (Blame Keith W. Strandberg for the script!).Surprisingly, for an American film, there are some well executed and imaginative fight sequences predominantly showcasing the excellent kicking skills of Avedon. This is clearly the influence of Yuen Kwai who was not prepared to concede too much to the American filming and time constraints. The finale, while inferior to the first films final reel, features Cynthia Rothrock as a hard-hitting, tough talking helicopter pilot (not a cop/CIA/FBI agent for a change!) showing some of the moves which made her name on the Jade screen. This movie is one of the only 80's flicks that uses her real voice! Loren Avedon did not follow Jean Claude's example and stayed on after this film fulfilling his 3 picture contract, notably with the decent third instalment of the NR, NS series: 'Blood Brothers' with the excellent Keith Vitali (Yuen Biao's opponent in 'Wheels on Meals') and I am surprised he was never used in a 'real' Hong Kong picture as he is clearly skilled and quick enough to have made a good screen villain.