The people who have reviewed this film definitely didn't get it. In a genre filled with garbage, American Kickboxer 2 kicks the lid off the can.
The story involves the kidnapping of a little girl. Afraid of what will happen if she calls the police, the girl's mother calls upon her ex-husband and ex-boyfriend (both highly skilled martial artists), to help. The catch, the two men absolutely DESPISE each other! They get into almost as many fights with each other as they do with the bad guys! For those who like fast-paced, tongue in cheek (but NOT a spoof) action movies that don't take themselves too seriously, then American KICKBOXER 2 is for you. The fantastic fights are the pudding on the cake, and this cake is filled with Snack Pack!
Dale Cook, as the ex-husband (a cop with martial arts skills) is the highlight. Standing head and shoulders above most performers in this genre of films, his over-the-top enthusiasm fits this somewhat silly genre to a tee. He knows that martial arts movies aren't suited to everybody's taste. They're made mostly for guys who like to see guys skillfully kicking each other's backsides in! His acting style, therefore, also not for everybody's taste. It would, however, fit right into the bigger than life world of the WWE.
In almost all of his films, Dale Cook's character has a chip on his shoulder, swears up a storm (get a load of his first few lines in the great sci-fi post apocalyptic martial arts action flick, FIST OF STEEL!), and fights like a mule (there is NO doubt that this guy was a real life world kick boxing champion!). He induces belly laugh after belly laugh playing a poor angry loser who can't seem to get ahead. Dale Cook is actually a first rate comedic actor. Sure, he hams it up, with facial grimaces, loud vocals, and universally understood body language, but this is exactly as intended. Like the performers in the world of professional wrestling, this kind of acting is aimed at a specific audience that "gets it". Think about it, movies about guys going around kicking each other in the face every few minutes? That kind of world is just a little goofy and unreal to begin with. Acting in a manner that is equally goofy and unreal, while still not mocking and making everything a joke, can help the audience buy into such a world, not examining it too seriously and just enjoying the ride. (If the shoe fits the face...) Dale "Apollo" Cook chooses to fill his film's worlds with a martial arts version of Butch, The Bully and/or Moe from the 3 Stooges! He gets mad as a hornet when upset, and sweet as honey when pleased. His acting makes you smile because he is so BIG in everything he does. This, however, is NOT bad acting. It is perfectly appropriate when placed in a film that is equally over the top, and the films he appears in are just that. There are serious martial arts action dramas (most of which are complete bores), and then there are films like American Kickboxer 2, popcorn movies set at a lightning pace, offering comedy, situational suspense, and crackerjack fighting along the way! Fans of serious deadpan martial arts actors like Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, and Jean Claude Van Damme, get ready for a surprise. Martial artists can be tough, technically skilled, and dirt humor funny as well!
I rank Dale "Apollo" Cook up there with the following less popular (but better than many popular) charismatic martial arts/action stars: George Chung (Fight To Win, Karate Cops), Jerry Trimble (Live By The Fist, One Man Army), Loren Avedon (King Of The Kickboxers, No Retreat No Surrender 2-3), and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (Back In Action, Tough And Deadly, They Live). If you like any of those guys, check out the works of Dale "Apollo" Cook (Blood Ring, Raw Target, Triple Impact, Fist Of Steel). You're in for a treat!
The story involves the kidnapping of a little girl. Afraid of what will happen if she calls the police, the girl's mother calls upon her ex-husband and ex-boyfriend (both highly skilled martial artists), to help. The catch, the two men absolutely DESPISE each other! They get into almost as many fights with each other as they do with the bad guys! For those who like fast-paced, tongue in cheek (but NOT a spoof) action movies that don't take themselves too seriously, then American KICKBOXER 2 is for you. The fantastic fights are the pudding on the cake, and this cake is filled with Snack Pack!
Dale Cook, as the ex-husband (a cop with martial arts skills) is the highlight. Standing head and shoulders above most performers in this genre of films, his over-the-top enthusiasm fits this somewhat silly genre to a tee. He knows that martial arts movies aren't suited to everybody's taste. They're made mostly for guys who like to see guys skillfully kicking each other's backsides in! His acting style, therefore, also not for everybody's taste. It would, however, fit right into the bigger than life world of the WWE.
In almost all of his films, Dale Cook's character has a chip on his shoulder, swears up a storm (get a load of his first few lines in the great sci-fi post apocalyptic martial arts action flick, FIST OF STEEL!), and fights like a mule (there is NO doubt that this guy was a real life world kick boxing champion!). He induces belly laugh after belly laugh playing a poor angry loser who can't seem to get ahead. Dale Cook is actually a first rate comedic actor. Sure, he hams it up, with facial grimaces, loud vocals, and universally understood body language, but this is exactly as intended. Like the performers in the world of professional wrestling, this kind of acting is aimed at a specific audience that "gets it". Think about it, movies about guys going around kicking each other in the face every few minutes? That kind of world is just a little goofy and unreal to begin with. Acting in a manner that is equally goofy and unreal, while still not mocking and making everything a joke, can help the audience buy into such a world, not examining it too seriously and just enjoying the ride. (If the shoe fits the face...) Dale "Apollo" Cook chooses to fill his film's worlds with a martial arts version of Butch, The Bully and/or Moe from the 3 Stooges! He gets mad as a hornet when upset, and sweet as honey when pleased. His acting makes you smile because he is so BIG in everything he does. This, however, is NOT bad acting. It is perfectly appropriate when placed in a film that is equally over the top, and the films he appears in are just that. There are serious martial arts action dramas (most of which are complete bores), and then there are films like American Kickboxer 2, popcorn movies set at a lightning pace, offering comedy, situational suspense, and crackerjack fighting along the way! Fans of serious deadpan martial arts actors like Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, and Jean Claude Van Damme, get ready for a surprise. Martial artists can be tough, technically skilled, and dirt humor funny as well!
I rank Dale "Apollo" Cook up there with the following less popular (but better than many popular) charismatic martial arts/action stars: George Chung (Fight To Win, Karate Cops), Jerry Trimble (Live By The Fist, One Man Army), Loren Avedon (King Of The Kickboxers, No Retreat No Surrender 2-3), and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (Back In Action, Tough And Deadly, They Live). If you like any of those guys, check out the works of Dale "Apollo" Cook (Blood Ring, Raw Target, Triple Impact, Fist Of Steel). You're in for a treat!