Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite is a 1996 martial arts sports directed and produced by Alan Mehrez, from a script written by Jeff Schechter. It is the standalone sequel to Bloodsport (1988), and the second installment in the titular film series. The movie stars Daniel Bernhardt, a new character in the series; and was released through limited theatrical distribution, before debuting on home video in 1996. The film was met with a warm critical response, with praise directed towards its cast namely Daniel Bernhardt's leading role. It met expectations of the audience with some calling it superior to the original. The film has garnered a cult following.
| Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite | |
|---|---|
 Official theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Mehrez |
| Written by | Jeff Schechter |
| Produced by | Alan Mehrez |
| Starring | Daniel Bernhardt Pat Morita Donald Gibb James Hong |
| Cinematography | Jacques Haitkin |
| Edited by | J. Douglas Seelig |
| Music by | Stephen Edwards |
Production company | F.M. Entertainment International N.V. |
| Distributed by | Transcontinental Film Corporation (VHS) Lions Gate Entertainment (DVD) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 min. |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $684,351[1] |
Plot
editAfter thief Alex Cardo (Daniel Bernhardt) gets caught and betrayed by his partner in crime John (Philip Tan) while stealing an ancient Jian in Thailand, he soon finds himself imprisoned and beaten. One of the guards, Demon (Ong Soo Han), is particularly upset by Alex's appearance and tortures him whenever he gets the opportunity. Alex finds one friend and mentor in the jailhouse, Master Sun (James Hong), who teaches him a superior fighting style called "Iron Hand". When a "best of the best kumite" is to take place, Demon gets an invitation. Now Master Sun and Alex need to find a way to let Alex take part in the kumite, too.
The final fight pits Alex and Demon together. At first, and for a long time, Demon has the upper hand in terms of strength and fighting ability. When Alex is down, he takes one last look at Master Sun and uses the "Iron Hand" against his opponent, severely damaging and defeating Demon. Alex is the winner, and as part of deals previously made, Master Sun is freed from prison, and so is Alex.
Cast
edit- Daniel Bernhardt as Alex Cardo
- Pat Morita as David Leung
- Donald Gibb as Ray 'Tiny' Jackson
- James Hong as Master Sun
- Lori Lynn Dickerson as Janine Elson
- Ong Soo Han as Demon
- Philip Tan as John
- Nicholas Hill as Sergio DeSilva
- Ron Hall as Cliff
- Hee Il Cho as Head Judge
- Shaun Gordon as Sun's Student
- Lisa McCullough as Kim Campbell
- Chuay as Chien
- Steve Martinex as Head Referee
- Jeff Wolfe as Flash
- Cliff Bernhardt as Len
- Nils Allen Stewart as Gorilla
- Eric Lee as Seng
- Kevin Chong as Sun's Student
- Jerry Piddington as Kumite fighter
- Richard Kee Smith as Kumite fighter
- Gokor Chivichyan as Kumite fighter
Series continuity
editActor Donald Gibb also appeared in the first Bloodsport film as Ray Jackson. He is the only returning character from the first film. James Hong and Pat Morita appear in both Bloodsport II and Bloodsport III.[citation needed]
Cameo
editCanadian novelist Kevin Chong had a minor role in the film as Sun's student.[citation needed]
Reception
editThe film was met with a warm critical response, with praise directed towards its cast namely Daniel Bernhardt's leading role.[2] It met expectations of the audience with some calling it superior to the original.[2] The film has garnered a cult following.[3]
Sequel
editThe movie was followed by sequel films, including Bloodsport III (1998) and Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999). Daniel Bernhardt reprised his role as Alex Cardo for the sequel, while the actor portrayed a new character named John Keller in Bloodsport 4.[citation needed]
In other media
editThe movie was released with various titles in the foreign market:[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Bloodsport 2 (1996) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ a b Curran, Brad (13 November 2020). "Bloodsport 2: Why Daniel Bernhardt Replaced Jean-Claude Van Damme". ScreenRant. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Interview: Daniel Bernhardt – Movie Mavericks".