RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

rudmcds No cool fights to the cool music unlike the first. Saying it wasn't a sequel is the least they could do to separate this garbage(in comparison) from Black Mask(1996). Throughout the whole movie, I was a waiting for the soundtrack or music score to make me interested in whatever scene that was playing. Boy, was I in for a disappointment. Whoever made that possible in the first Black Mask should make another action movie! Pronto!

puma31219 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.

Comeuppance Reviews Moloch (Bell) and King (Polito) run a wrestling federation with a stable of "wrestling superstars" that include Thorn (Mane), Iguana (Bryniarski), Claw (Van Dam), Wolf (Erhuero), Snake (Mukes), and Chameleon (Lords). However, thanks to some DNA modification, he's giving them the power their character might really have, but in a wildly mutated fashion. But now they're running wild. Black Mask (On) not only has to stop them, he's got to race against time to correct his own genetically-related problems. He's going to need the help of Dr. Marco Leung (Herrera), and a young boy, Raymond (Marquette) that looks up to Black Mask because he saved his life from a rampaging evil wrestler. Pulling all the strings is evil puppet master Dr. Lang (Adkins). Black Mask sure has his hands full this time! Okay. Anyone who reads this site knows how we feel about CGI. We think it's the scourge of the movie industry and all traces of it should be wiped from the earth. It does nothing but ruin movies and make them look bad, only serving as a crutch to lazy filmmakers. Meanwhile the arts of makeup, monster effects, stunts, and Martial Arts - typically the things CGI is replacing - fade further into the distance. And while we're not changing our stance anytime soon, we still liked Black Mask 2. It has CGI in seemingly every scene, but this movie is so wildly silly, we don't really care.What the filmmakers were obviously trying to do was make a live-action comic book. In 2002, CGI was still relatively new, so the adventurous Chinese makers of this movie decided to try to use this new technology to advance their vision. While it doesn't always gel, it's done so un-cynically and with such verve, we're willing to give them a pass. Director Tsui Hark, who we're a fan of, brings that off-kilter, kinetic style and plenty of cockeyed angles, as well as a zooming, constantly in-motion feel to complete the comic-booky fun. We liked the idea of combining ideas from the worlds of wrestling, comic books and genetic engineering (!) - we felt that was creative and original so we'll look the other way at some of the dodgier aspects of this movie.On top of that, there are actual Martial Arts fights, as well as wire-fu and more traditional stunts, all overseen by the great Yuen Wo-Ping. And though this was Andy On's debut film, you'd never know it. He completely holds his own with the cast of more experienced actors. Joining him as the Kato-like Black Mask are fan favorites such as Rob Van Dam (Bloodmoon, 1997), Tobin Bell (Best Of the Best 4, 1998), and Traci Lords who looks...odd...and we prefer her in things from her classic non-porn DTV era such as A Time To Die (1991), Raw Nerve (1991), and Intent To Kill (1992), but she did liven things up in an already pretty lively movie. Super fan favorite Scott Adkins is unrecognizable as Dr. Lang, a character that looks like it wandered off the set of a Jeunet & Caro movie. But we did appreciate the presence of Adkins, as we usually do.In all, if you're charitable enough to forgive its trespasses, Black Mask 2 is a silly good time.For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com

Wilpuri Tsui Hark is the director of the greatest action movie ever made. That movie is DAO - The Blade. Black Mask 2 must be Tsui Hark's worst movie... well actually I haven't seen his VanDamme movies so maybe this isn't the WORST after all... but it is A CRAP compared to movies like Once Upon a Time in China, Time and Tide or DAO - The Blade!But even this piece of garbage has some good in it... for example the whole mutant thing was hilarious! I loved those cheesy looking creatures! It reminded me of the time when I used to watch Turtles from TV!Unfortunately Yuen Wo Pings Choreographies are even worse than in the Matrix (Matrix has very boring action choreographies) and the visual effects are mostly horrible...It seems that the Asian directors should stay in there and continue making GOOD movies... and stop doing these westernized "action movies"...