Strike Commando 2 – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Philippines, 1988
Director: Bruno Mattei
Writers: Rossella Drudi, Claudio Fragasso, Bruno Mattei
Cast: Brent Huff, Mary Stavin, Richard Harris, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua, Massimo Vanni, Huan To, Mel Davidson

Release Date: June 22nd, 2021
Approximate Running Times: 90 Minutes 18 seconds (Theatrical Cut), 96 Minutes 8 Seconds (Extended Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC  (Both Versions)
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian  (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH  (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"Sgt Mike Ransom (Brent Huff of GWENDOLINE fame) battles the KGB, rogue CIA agents, an army of ninjas, a tough bar owner" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K scan from the original negative for the first time ever."

Strike Commando 2 comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.5 GB

Feature: 30.5 GB

The source used for the transfer is in excellent shape, colors and flesh tones look correct and image clarity and black levels look strong throughout. That said, the extended footage also looks great.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Italian. It should be noted that some scenes are only in English when watching the extended cut. Though both audio tracks sound very good, I listened to the English language track since there are no subtitles for the Italian language track. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and the action sequences sound robust. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. There are no subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a trailer for Strike Commando 2 (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Brent Huff titled Michael Ransom Strikes Back (14 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an interview with co-director Claudio Fragasso titled Guerrilla Zone (16 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Though Strike Commando 2 features the same creative team and the narrative picks up where its predecessor left off. It features a different leading man and tonally it's closer to a film like Romancing the Stone than Rambo. That said, because of these changes Strike Commando 2 feels more like a reboot than a proper sequel. Also, another way which Strike Commando 2 differs from Strike Commando is its use of humor.

Anyone who is remotely familiar with the cinema of Bruno Mattei should know what to expect from a film like Strike Commando 2. Narrative takes a backseat to bombastic action sequences. Fortunately, the result is a highly entertaining film that knows its audiences.

Strike Commando 2 gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with two versions of the film and a pair of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer