Bloodsport II (1996) Review – It’s A Great Sequel -

Following Bloodsport without Jean-Claude Van Damme was always going to be a difficult task. The original didn’t just become a martial arts classic; it played a huge part in turning Van Damme into an action star. Take Frank Dux and JCVD out of the equation and you’re left with a sequel carrying the Bloodsport name without the man most audiences associated with it.

Thankfully, Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite doesn’t try to give us Frank Dux 2.0. Instead, it gave us Daniel Bernhardt, and for me, that was more than enough. I loved this sequel when I first watched it, and Bernhardt was an instant draw. There was something about his fighting style that immediately grabbed me. His kicks were quick, powerful and looked fantastic on screen, and it didn’t take long before I became a fan.

Bernhardt plays Alex Cardo, a thief whose attempt to steal an ancient sword eventually lands him in prison. He’s cocky, selfish and certainly isn’t entering the story as some honourable martial arts hero. Prison begins to change that, particularly after Cardo finds himself on the receiving end of some serious punishment from the brutal prison guard Demon (Ong Soo Han).

It’s also in prison that Cardo meets Master Sun, played by the always-welcome James Hong. Sun takes Cardo under his wing and begins teaching him the Iron Hand technique, which means you know exactly what happens next: training montage! We watch Cardo punch, kick and learn techniques that we absolutely know are going to become important when somebody needs their ass kicked later. Would I want it any other way? Absolutely not.

James Hong brings genuine warmth and authority to Master Sun. He’s the kind of martial arts mentor these movies need: calm, wise and capable of making you believe that repeatedly punching things is somehow also an important spiritual journey. Cardo eventually gets his opportunity to enter the Kumite, giving him the chance to fulfil a promise to Sun and restore some honour to a life that hasn’t exactly been overflowing with it.

Once the Kumite begins, Bloodsport II gets down to business, and that’s precisely where the movie shines. The choreography is excellent, with Philip Tan making sure Bernhardt’s athleticism is put to very good use. Different fighters and fighting styles keep the tournament moving, and there’s enough variety to stop the action becoming repetitive.

For me, it’s the speed of Bernhardt’s kicks that really stands out. There’s very little wasted movement. When Cardo throws one, it snaps out with real force, and Bernhardt has the flexibility and screen presence to make even relatively straightforward combinations look impressive. Comparisons with Van Damme were inevitable. Bernhardt is Swiss, incredibly athletic and certainly has the action-star looks, but Bloodsport II gives him enough room to establish his own presence rather than simply impersonating the man who came before him.

The movie also surrounds Bernhardt with some wonderfully familiar faces. Pat Morita brings instant credibility as David Leung, James Hong is perfectly suited to Master Sun, Philip Tan gets involved both behind and in front of the camera, and Ron Hall adds another memorable fighter to the tournament.

Then there’s Donald Gibb. Bringing Ray “Tiny” Jackson back was a great decision, giving Bloodsport II its strongest connection to the original without feeling like cheap nostalgia. He’s still loud, still larger than life and still the kind of guy you’d expect to find drinking everybody under the table before getting involved in a fight five minutes later. His interactions with female Kumite competitor Kim provide some of the film’s funniest moments, and Gibb’s natural likeability makes him a welcome presence whenever he appears.

Of course, every Bloodsport needs somebody standing on the opposite side of the ring, and this time it’s Demon. Ong Soo Han has the physical presence required and makes him an appropriately nasty opponent. His history with Cardo gives their eventual confrontation extra weight because their rivalry begins long before either man steps into the Kumite.

But I’m not going to pretend he’s Chong Li. Bolo Yeung was something else. Demon is an effective villain and a strong physical opponent for Bernhardt, but following Bolo was probably an impossible assignment from the beginning. Thankfully, Bloodsport II doesn’t need to beat the original to work.

It takes the basic Bloodsport formula, gives us a different journey to the Kumite and then delivers exactly what martial arts fans came to see once the tournament begins. Cardo’s prison storyline and relationship with Master Sun give the movie its own identity, while the action allows Bernhardt to show exactly what he can do.

Sometimes that’s all I want from a martial arts movie. Give me a charismatic fighter, a great mentor, a villain I want to see knocked out, throw in a ridiculous training technique or two, then ring the damn bell. Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite does all of that.
It may have been impossible to replace Jean-Claude Van Damme, but the smartest thing this sequel does is realise that it doesn’t need to. Daniel Bernhardt arrives with his own character, his own fighting style and enough screen presence to carry the movie. Bloodsport made me a Van Damme fan. Bloodsport II made me a Daniel Bernhardt fan. That’s a pretty damn good legacy for a sequel.