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Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses Blu-ray Review

     Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Language: English (DTS 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox
  • Release Date: April 8, 2014
  • Run Time: 91 minutes


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            Saying that Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses is better than Bad Ass offers little promise of quality; enduring the small-stature bravado of Danny Trejo’s persona is far less believable when forced to watch him attempt to act. Never before have I longed so desperately for Robert Rodriguez to swoop in and make light of bad filmmaking and horrendously contrived melodrama. Trejo really never belongs in a leading role, unless it is a film which is based entirely upon a joke premise that allows him to revel in bad acting. Bad Asses is nowhere close to the Machete franchise, but at least throws logic and common sense away in the climactic sequences. The absolute absurdity makes these moments unbelievable and campy, and this is almost bad enough to save Bad Asses from itself and its stars. 

     


            The ‘based on a true story’ premise is tossed to the wind this time around, though this was little more than a jumping off point for the first movie anyway. Known for protecting the weak and helpless in his East L.A. community, Frank Vega (Trejo) runs a community center where he trains boxers. After a secret life dealing drugs ruins the life of his star pupil, Vega sets out for justice against a kingpin. Trejo alone is not enough to carry another film, though he tries hard enough to intimidate with countless pointless action sequences that pit him against a large number of younger assailants.

     

            One old man may have been a bit too unrealistic to fight a crime lord who comes equipped with a helicopter, so Vega enlists the help of an elderly agoraphobic liquor store owner named Bernie (Danny Glover). This instantly sets into motion a Lethal Weapon dynamic of bad one-liners and predictable action sequences, but Bad Asses finds its stride when throwing all logic out of the window. Neither one of these actors can carry a film alone, but the chemistry between them paired with the stupidity of the script is an oddly fitting match. Endure the first 70 minutes for a mildly amusing finale.

     

            The Blu-ray offers little in terms of visual or audio enhancement, though the quality of filmmaking has improved greatly from the first film. Again, this is hardly a compliment. The special features include only a making-of featurette of the most generic quality.

     

    Entertainment Value: 4.5/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 3.5/10

    Historical Significance: 2/10

    Special Features: 2.5/10

     
     
     

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