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OccuIt_Detective
Reviews
Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)
Not entirely sure these tales were worth telling...
In 1995, Rusty Cundieff graced us horror fans with an interesting anthology film that was horrifying, fun, and provided very outspoken social commentary. Twenty years later, he announced a sequel was going to be made. I was overwhelmed with excitement, and followed the production as I awaited to hear what that devil Simms had to offer us in a second trip to 'The Hood.'
Unfortunately, my eagerness to go on this campy adventure came to a screeching halt during the first story, and never quite resumed. While the original was by no means a masterpiece, this one felt as if it was made of stories that should have been rejected as duds from the original. While anthology films should have a dose of humor to them, it should be balanced with horror, and there's none of that here. Just poorly attempted humor that fails to be humorous, in favor of being over the top zany.
Keith David does a fine job taking over the roll of Simms, originally played by Clarence Williams, who wisely chose not to return for the sequel. That's about as much praise as I can award this follow-up. It both looked and felt less like the work of Rusty Cundieff and more along the lines of a cheap and lost sequel of one of the Wayans brothers "Scary Movie" series. I'd vote to skip this one, if not for checking it out purely out of morbid curiosity. But even the very worst and cheesy Tales from the Crypt episodes were more enjoyable than anything this movie had to offer, and that's pretty disappointing.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Cobra Kai hits hard and shows no mercy as a true follow-up to The Karate Kid.
There have been numerous attempts at sequels and reboots and trying to recapture the magic the original Karate Kid created over thirty years ago... And they were not worthy of trophies. Cobra Kai, however, comes flying at us and hits all the right marks.
The very first leaves us with a feeling that the Cobra Kai bully (Johnny) wasn't as mean as he was made out to be. He had moments that left us wondering all this time. Now, those questions are answered, and in the most satisfying of ways. This time around, the tables have been turned and the story is just as much Johnny's as it is Daniel's. The nostalgic call-backs to the original are worked in so precisely perfect, and the new additions to the cast reflect this generation and the world we currently are dealing with.
The series is the very definition of Bad-ass. I honestly cannot think of how it could be improved upon. When it's funny, it's hilarious. When it's sad, it can be absolutely heartbreaking. It's made me want to go back and watch the original, and then return to the series for a second viewing. I couldn't recommend it enough, to older fans or to the newer generation. Honestly, I would have paid to see this on the big screen, it's that good!
Super Troopers 2 (2018)
The Troopers return in not nearly as 'Super' a sequel.
I'd say this was a fairly made follow-up to the 2001 classic by Broken Lizard, whom have not had quite the success as they experienced with Super Troopers as they had many of the other films that were to come after it. Finally relenting to the fans, they decided their next film should be a sequel to their best, and even turned to said fans in hopes of funding the movie. After the long wait, it appropriately arrived on 4/20, and I can't deny having a few really good laughs during the film. But, not nearly as many as the original.
The movie suffers from what I like to call, 'Sequelhitis,' which in many cases (like Dumb and Dumber To) is when too much time has passed between original and sequel, there is a tendency to take it in a rather cartoony direction at times. This time around, the antics caused by the Troopers are a lot less crazy, and way more predictable. Like many films, the trailers would lead one to believe 'if this is what they're showing in a preview, you just know the film itself will go far and beyond!' However, it's unfortunate in that instead, they showcased the movies funniest moments in the trailer itself.
That's not to say the film was without it's moments, there were most definitely present. Having that said, though, the plot devices introduced in the movie felt restrained from the absurd hilariousness that captivated us as an audience the first time around. The Broken Lizard guys tried, and they tried hard, but there were moments where one has to ask if this was truly written by the same rowdy bunch of hooligans that we've seen before. The characters, as well as the actors, are obviously older now and a bit more matured. But, say goodbye to Mac's crazy shenanigans or Farva's comedic ignorance, which appear vaguely at best. For my money, Brian Cox's Captain O'Hagen had some of the funniest moments among any of the others.
All in all, it's worth seeing. Though, if not for the nostalgic value of seeing familiar characters back, mustaches and all, I don't think this would have held up as a movie on it's own. Let's remember the Super Troopers for the good times, not what's become of them a decade and some change later.
Generously, I give this a 5 out of 10.