Black Scorpion II
THE STORY: While not as good as the first one, this sequel to Black Scorpion was entertaining.
Black Scorpion captures the twisted clown criminal, the Gangster Prankster. Meanwhile, Prof. Undershaft, a seismologist is unvieling her new machine, a device that can actually stop earthquakes by using sonic waves. The Mayor of Angel City is not too happy about that however. Without the threat of eathquakes and the damage they bring Angel City won't get any Federal Disaster relief money. So the mayor has two of his flunkies sabotage Undershaft's machine. This causes a massive earthquake and destroys most of her lab. The mayor and the citizens blame Undershaft for the earthquake. Dazed and possibly insane after the earthquake Undershaft takes a new costumed identity...Aftershock. She plans of rebuilding her machine and destroying the city. Only the Black Scorpion stands in her way. Aftershock frees the Gangster Prankster and his henchmen from prison and sends them out to steal the scorpionmobile, surmising that the Black Scorpion is helpless without it. It turns out that the Prankster used to be crime partner with Argyle, (Garrett Morris) the former car thief who is secretly the creator of the scorpionmobile. Prankster kidnaps Argyle's girlfriend, Veronica, (who used to be 'Tender Lovin' the hooker from the first movie) and forces Argyle to steal the car. Without her car the Black Scorpion faces Aftershock in her civilian identity as Det. Darcy Walker and loses. Argyle helps her track down the Prankster and recover the Scorpionmobile. Darcy once again faces Aftershock, but this time as the Black Scorpion. Instead of fighting however, the Black Scorpion convinces Aftershock that destroying the city is a bad thing. In order to stop her machine, Aftershock sacrifices her life. Darcy arrests the mayor for his involvement.
This movie was still a hoot, but the the camera movements and angles during some of the action scenes make it hard to see whats happening at times. Most of the original movie's cast is back in this one, except for Michael Russo...Darcy's partner is now Rick. It was cool to have Tender Lovin' and Argyle in this movie. The only thing that got under my skin about this movie was that every non-white character is either a criminal or an ex-criminal, and oh-so-stereotypical. See the first quote below to see what I mean.
BEST LINES: "You mean we get to hang a white boy? Now thats Affirmative action!"- The Gangster Prankster's henchman talking about killing Rick.
"We now return you to your regularly scheduled boring lives."- The Gangster Prankster after he interrupts a newscast.
"Do I look like I'm joking, Mutha Fucka?" The Gangster Prankster in a line that completely and shamelessly rips off Batman.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:
1.) The Black Scorpion is definitely not one of those squamish superheroes. The movie starts with her killing criminals that she could have simply captured.
2.) Oh, Come on! During their first battle the Gangster Prankster is about to force the Black Scorpion to unmask herself...and an earthquake occurs at the crucial moment causing him to drop his weapon. Right. Its just like there used to always be lead laying around to block krytonite in those old Superman cartoons.
3.) The mayor thinks earthquakes are good for business? That the Disaster Relief money is what keeps the city running? I guess the fire, deaths, property damage,disruption of services and all the other horrible things aren't such a big deal!
4.) What is it with Darcy and having sex with her partners? in the first movie she sleeps with Russo (As the Black Scorpion) and in this movie she sleeps with Rick. Isn't there a police regulation against having hot monkey love with your partner? What a ho.
NUDITY AND SEX: Darcy has sex with Rick, but you don't see it. Giggles, one of the Prankster's gang, bares her breasts.
HUH?: The Black Scorpion does not fool around. When the police pursue her she has no problems causing massive auto wrecks to avoid capture. At one point she causes two patrol cars to hit some dumpsters and flip over and explode. Keep in mind, she did this on purpose and theres NO WAY those cops survived that collision.
WOW! Black Scorpion kills the Gangster Prankster purposely, with malicious intent and thoroughly. The Punisher could take lessons from this chick!
THE TALLY: Okay, its not as good as the original, but I liked it. I don't know if theres a Black Scorpion III but I'll be looking for it. The characters were over the top, the plot was straight out of the millions of comic books I read as a kid and the special effects weren't very special but I say again...it beats the hell out of Batman and Robin. Its good to see a superhero movie that doesn't completely suck. If you think I'm hard on superhero movies check out Captain America, Die Darkman Die, or any of the Superman movies after the first two.
