Bad Martial Arts Sequels
Movie sequels are risky business. If a movie is good enough to warrant a sequel then it must have been a high quality piece of filmmaking. A good sequel should raise the stakes and be better than its predecessor. Look at Godfather Part II, The Dark Knight, or Empire Strikes Back as some of the best examples. The movies discussed today are not of this caliber. No, these are some of the biggest and most disappointing blunders. Fans went into these films with built up excitement and left frustrated and disappointed. These are five bad martial arts sequels.
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016, Dir. Woo-Ping Yuen)
The first Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one of the most iconic Kung Fu films ever made. It is an academy award winning film and for good reason. The story is a beautiful romance filled with thrilling martial arts and excellent performances. The sequel sees the return of Michelle Yeoh and the introduction of Donnie Yen and a fun cast of new characters. Gone is just about everything else. The Crouching Tiger sequel ended up just being a half-decent Kung Fu movie. Sword of Destiny isn’t necessarily terrible, but considering it is a sequel to one of the greatest Kung Fu films ever made it is a massive drop off from the first. Don’t watch the sequel expecting a groundbreaking second chapter. You’ll just let yourself down while being halfway entertained.
4. SPL: Kill Zone 2 (2015, Dir. Soi Cheang)
SPL: Kill Zone 2 is not without its high points. One fight scene in particular between Tony Jaa and Wu Jing is one of the most memorable moments of the film. But after this excellent fight scene the movie is largely forgettable. The film features three of the very best of modern martial arts cinema. Tony Jaa has been a must-see performer since 2003’s Ong-Bak. Wu Jing had the potential of being the next great Kung Fu star after the 2006 film Fatal Contact. Third, Max Zhang was only just breaking out as a major player in martial arts cinema. How can the movie be anything less than incredible? Well, you fill the choreography with hyper stylized wirework and editing. Even though all you need to do is let the three incredible fighters have a grounded, incredible fight scene. Oh, and the boring plot and characters don’t help either.
3. Return to the 36th Chamber (1980, Dir. Chia-Liang Liu)
The original 36th Chamber of Shaolin is one of the most iconic kung fu films of all time. The film helped shape cultures outside of film. 36th Chamber is without a doubt a certified classic. The same cannot be said for the sequel. Upon first viewing Return to the 36th Chamber is strange. It shares an almost identical plot with its first film. Yet somehow it lacks almost all the charm and character. Instead, the film takes a comedic turn with wacky situations that don’t land. However, the Kung Fu still holds up. Lau Kar-Leung and Gordon Liu are one of the greatest director and actor pairings in the history of cinema. Their choreography can do no wrong and it is the only appealing thing about this unnecessary sequel.
2. Ong Bak 3 (2010, Dir. Tony Jaa & Panna Rittikrai)
Tony Jaa announced himself to the world with 2003’s Ong-Bak, instantly becoming the most exciting star in modern martial arts cinema. The follow-up was not a sequel but a prequel, and a damn good one at that. Ong Bak 2 was a period film with even more insane martial arts. Every bit of action is perfection with an exhilarating final battle. The third film follows directly after the second and the precedence has been set for a thrilling conclusion. Sadly, the thrills never came. The film starts off on a positive note. The opening fight scene is fantastically brutal. What follows is surprisingly boring. Where the first two films are exciting from start to finish, the third fails to capture any of the exhilaration. Why watch Tony Jaa do any cool stunts or elbow someone in the head when you could watch him meditate for two hours? Dan Chupong gets a good fight scene though.
1. The Protector 2 (2013, Dir. Prachya Pinkaew)
Lastly, this list concludes on another Tony Jaa sequel. The gap between films was far greater as eight yeas had past since the much beloved first film. Much to the dismay of fans everywhere the drop in quality was far greater than the time. The first film thrived on its practical stunts and real-world environments. That did not return for the sequel. The Protector 2 is an undesirable mess of CGI and green screen. In several attempts to out do the first film The Protector 2 uses CGI and editing to make every scene look bigger but definitely not better. One saving grace of the film is martial artist Marrese Crump who shines with his ferocity.
His presence does not forgive the lack of use of another major talent. Jeeja Yanin built her name with the excellent films Chocolate and Raging Phoenix. For years she was regarded as the “female Tony Jaa” so fans were understandable excited to see the pair team up. Unfortunately, she was barely given a chance to leave her mark on the film. Every moment of this film is frustrating, but perhaps one of the most ridiculous is a scene in which an electrically charged Crump and Jaa throw punches and kicks with literal lightsaber noises. This is a real thing in the movie. See for yourself.
Want More?
Looking for more bad martial arts sequels? Check out my Youtube channel where I list off five more dreadful sequels! Then check out more of my articles here on Martial Journal and other excellent articles on the site. Tell me your most disliked sequels in the comments!
Check out my Youtube channel where I review and discuss martial arts films.
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I liked Return to the 36th chamber. Not the best of the Shaw Brothers but a decent film compared to Crouching Tiger 2 which is atrocious. Ong Bak 2 was bad, didn’t even bother watching the third one. I’ll take your advice and not watch any other from the list. Whoever thought electric kicks were a good idea was clearly drunk.