Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms

Ultra-schlocky sequel is derisively amusing for a while, as Battaglia in a Neanderthal-ish way attempts to humanise himself, while Busey huffs and puffs back on the ranch (in fact Busey is the only cast member who delivers anything approaching an interesting performance). Its made for TV roots become all too clear as the film plods along for an hour, until ratcheting up in the last 30 minutes to some lukewarm action, marked by a surprisingly high level of gore (especially a nasty encounter in a trash compactor). It’s all kind of lame and half-baked, with the highlight being a hilariously discreet and underhanded utilisation of Reynolds on what would have been his BOOGIE NIGHTS up-swing!