Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002)

Normally I access the "sarcasm and analogy database" in order to tear apart films that I don't like, but for this one I'll attempt to make it plain: It was a very bad film! In spite of this, there were some entertaining elements but nothing to change it's status as a complete flop. My biggest issue with the film wasn't the bad special effects, the overly theatrical martial arts action or the lack of a stable plot (Seeing as the biggest threat in the film was a last minute idea of one character, instead of being a planned and looming threat). My issue with this film is that it was in no way a sequel to the first film. For starters, the main character is clearly not the same "Black Mask" from the first film. (And I don't mean that the actor was not Jet Li) Jet Li's character Simon (or Michael to his former partners) was a Super soldier from the 701 project and each participant was labeled as such; a 701. His commanding officer was the only surviving authority figure from the project (meaning the scientific minds responsible for their creation and the Military Brass who authorized it are probably dead) and he is attempting to save himself and the other 701s from a certain death; as their enhanced bodies have a shortened lifespan and each has only a year to live. The Black Mask in this film is NOT the same character. He was a Super soldier from a nameless unit, who was "created" by a giant, talking brain and the only side effect was that each subject was devoid of human emotion. (This instead of the death sentence which the 701s faced. And on a side note, the giant brain was just plain stupid. Whoever wrote that bit in, misplaced their own brain in the script and went looking for it later) Also, Black Mask's arch nemesis in this film is another Super soldier who was not at all mentioned in the first film. (Neither was the brain!!!) Also not present in this film, was the fact that the main character GAVE UP BEING BLACK MASK AT THE END OF THE FIRST FILM! As his only purpose in donning the mask and coat was to put a stop to the machinations of his fellow super-soldiers. With his job was done, he was left with either settling down in the quiet life again until his death, or finding a cure. This film's character basically moonlighting as a "Superhero" just wasn't what the first film was about. (Neither were the exaggerations of his abilities as a super-soldier, or the fact that he wasn't trying to find a cure to save his life) These elements even more so than the absence of Jet Li, gave this film an entirely different feel. I think the one redeeming quality of the film, was Teresa Herrera's character. It was a bit funny to see her acting out her Haphephobia and of course at tad ironic that she ended up having to save the main character by doing what terrified her. Other than that, this film's fantastical elements (the Wrestlers and the humanoids and the big plant-like mutant) really play well on a child's imagination and therefore would satisfy a much younger age group; I know because I first saw this film when I was 15 years old and loved it. I watched it again at age 27 and couldn't remember why I liked it as much as I did. I purchased the film because it was $3 and I wanted to see it again- it now sits collecting dust in my large collection and probably won't be watched again until I have kids who've become teens.

Not since the day I was introduced to the vomit inspiring cinema of Uwe Boll have I ever seen a movie so obnoxiously bad as "Black Mask 2". This is an abomination, a pretentious relatively high-budget production that makes the likes of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" seem like a masterpiece. Well at least mister Wood had passion for film-making, what does Hark Tsui have? A big salary for making crap? Probably.To sum up the storyline. "Black Mask 2" is a coughed-up roughly sewed together tale about a genetically enhanced crime fighter named Black Mask who battles a genetically enhanced group of pro-wrestlers that intends to set of a genetically enhanced bomb that will cause more genetically enhanced mutations. All in all it's a story (and I call it story only vaguely) about the classic comic book superhero-villain confrontation, with an added bonus of a lot of genetically enhanced stuff and some incredibly pathetic attempts of creating dramatic tension.I knew it wasn't going to be good. Hell, I was at least expecting to have a good time and watch some martial arts fighting and cheesy dialogue on the "so bads it's funny" side. But nothing could have prepared me for the shock of the film's actual content. To say that "Black Mask 2" is a bad movie is an understatement. It's farce. Like watching a full-blown out of proportions Power Rangers movie with costumes taken directly from it. Dialogue so putrid and disgusting that can make your ears bleed. Characters are shallow and devoid of any sensible reason to exist but to be kicked around by the main star. Tsui's attempts to create drama by adding the boy whose father has become a victim to the evil wrestlers's boss as a supporting character does even more to deteriorate the film's already low quality. We don't need drama when you're trying to make comic book movie with wrestlers in it!! Please remember that Mr.Tsui. The action choreography is as equally bad as everything else in the film. Filled with an insane amount of bad CGI it makes me crave for the days when Bruce Lee was alive and kicking, at least his movies had a feeling that you were actually watching a fight rather than these almost dance-like action scenes here."Black Mask 2" is not something I can recommend to anyone but the people I hate the most. It's clear that Hark Tsui wanted to make a cross-genre film by combining super-hero/martial arts/"drama" films. What he made in the end was something completely different, 100 minutes of visual torture that left a permanent mark as one of the worst films I've ever seen.

Many critics thought that the first Black-Mask film was too over the top to be believable, let alone likable. But actually, its humor depended on its being unbelievable without being campy - a remarkable feat, largely accomplished by the actors. At any rate, as with The Heroic Trio, the humor was absolutely necessary to offset the extreme violence of the film. For me it worked.In making this film, Tsui Hark seems to have kept one eye on developments in Hollywood surrounding the rise of the comic-book movie, of which the X-Men films became exemplary.Big mistake. For one thing Asia has its own comic-book tradition, which has recently had a major impact in the West, so why try to make a Western style comic-book movie in China? And what is with all these professional wrestlers, anyway? we all know they're X-Men wannabes, that's why we watch professional wrestling, but who wants to see them morph into real X-Men/ Doesn't that kind of miss the point? Also, this isn't really a sequel to Black Mask at all, these are all new characters - I feel cheated! Bring back Jet Li! I wish Hark would get his eyes off Hollywood except when he makes a film there - and even then! There's nothing wrong with being Chinese - especially if you happen to be making a kung fu film!

Not the worst film I have ever seen. The acting is not up to much. Traci Lords is a bit better than most of the others. The action is okay though although Lords is invisible for most of her action sequences. The story has a good anti drugs message for kids even though some of it may not be that suitable for all youngsters. Watch out for WWE wrestler Rob Van Damm, his acting is terrible!