Der Exterminator - 2. Teil

This movie reminds me of a Troma film (e.g. Toxic Avenger) with higher production values. It's not apathetically bad; it embraces its cornball center, staying barely a step ahead of camp, and is thoroughly enjoyable. Early 80's gangs wearing costumes with a disco/Mad Max theme, in a solemn torchlit procession carrying the driver of an armored car into the subways to make him a sacrifice on the train tracks, several of them topless (male) with suspenders, set to an energetic synthesizer soundtrack that sounds like it could have been written for a Nintendo game.. it has to be seen to be believed. Probably inspired by Michael Jackson's video "Beat It".

Oh boy, where to start with this one? Well, I'll start off by pointing out how the movie seems determined not to be a sequel! Yes, Ginty returns and is supposedly playing the same character. But hang on a minute - remember how the previous movie ended? Knowing that, there is NO WAY Ginty's character could be continuing to slaughter criminals undetected by the authorities, especially after several years have passed. As well, it's difficult at times to see this as the same guy from the first movie when this time around, Ginty's character hardly says a word, seems to have no real motivation, and no real life. Sure, he has a girlfriend, and meets and pairs up with a friend, but what do we learn about him from this? Nothing! It's as if he's walking around in his sleep.

The unfolding of the "plot" is equally light and pointless. There are many scenes that seems to have no purpose except to extend the running time to 88 minutes (including the closing credits - a suspiciously short running time). We are expected to hate Peebles' character just because he is seen killing people and committing other crimes - when he talks, he doesn't say anything we haven't heard from a generic bad guy before. He just comes out of nowhere, makes trouble, and the passing-by Ginty hunts him and his gang members one by one. The end. That may sound overly simplified, but really the plot isn't that much more elaborate than that.

The editing is terrible, with scenes mish-mashed together with almost randomness, and with important moments missing (just HOW did the gang stop and take over the armored car?) Observing this almost incoherent editing, some big continuity bloopers (keep your eye on Peebles' hair!), and a climatic sequence between Ginty and Peebles that suspiciously looks like it was NOT the original one filmed, I came to the conclusion that some really big problems arose during filming. This seemed even more likely when the first credit during the closing credits read "Additional scenes directed by William Sachs".

Is there anything positive to find here? Well, the production values, though still pretty cheap, are a few steps above what they were in the original movie. As well, there are a couple of shots of burned corpses that are surprisingly gruesome. But a pretty look and scorched flesh do not a film make. At least by themselves, as it is in this case.

My review was written in September 1984 after a Times Square screening.

"Exterminator 2" is a silly and tiresome revenge actioner, unlikely to repeat the freak hit status of its 1980 predecessor.

Formula, patterned after a successful line of Charles Bronson films, is to create audience antipathy against young street punks of mixed racial backgrounds, allowing a stalwart avenger to be motivated to wipe them out at intervals, with plenty of action. Mark Buntzman, who produced the original "The Exterminator", here wears (and shares with William Sachs) too many hats, taking over James Glickenhaus's writing and directing assignments from #1 and ending up with a contradictory mishmash.

Reprising his title role as Vietnam vet Johnny Eastland, an uncomfortable Robert Ginty is supposedly spurred into renewed vigilante action when his flashdancing girlfriend Caroline (Deborah Geffner) is at first savagely beaten and crippled, and later murdered by he all-purpose punks, led by a messianic leader ("I am the streets") X (Mario Van Peebles). However, the crudely constructed film has Ginty, in hismyhic steel helmet, army khakis and flamethrower uniform, randomly and unconvincingly incinerating punks rift from the outset, including X's brother.

Crassly violating the "lone avenger" formula, Eastland is teamed with an old mate from Vietnam, Be Gee, your friendly neighborhood black garbage man who eagerly endorses Eastland' murderous cleanup policy. Sole interesting element on view is the weird sight of Be Gee's vast Mack garbage truck, armored and refitted as a sort of tank with remote-control machine-gun turrets by Eastland for confrontations with punks, who meanwhile are trying to take over New York City via armored car robbery and peddling Mafia-supplied drugs.

Ginty has one good scene wherein he manhandles a punk for information, but generally, the sadisic element of the first film (which had him ingeniously feeding bad guys to a meat grinder, et.) has been toned down. Geffner gets to show her nude body and dancing ability, while acting honors go to Van Peebles, creating a solid physical presence with his male version of Grace Jones.

Technically, film adheres to an ugly look in keeping with its theme, though why it took such a huge crew (over 300 people are credited with behind-the-camea contributions) to ma=ke a B-picture is mighty strange. Only real sense of humor in this "serious" comic strip approach comes in the song titles: "Exterminate Me (with Your Flame)", "Shake It to Bake It" and the ever-popular "Return to CInder".

Exterminator 2 (1984) tells the story of Vietnam vet John Eastland, the famous New York flame-thrower wielding vigilante from the first film (The Exterminator (1980)) In this sequel, John meets up with a new friend,Bee-Gee, a garbage man, and then gets a job as a garbage man, and starts to go out with a dancer from a night club. (John's life must be really good!) But, when his dancer-girlfriend is attacked by a ruthless street gang led by X, John decides he must take revenge. This is overall a remake of the first film, directed by Mark Buntzman (who produced the first Exterminator) As a whole, this is not a bad sequel. Original,no. Action packed,no. But it is a fun movie with actor Robert Ginty returning as John Eastland, and one of the first (if not the first) film role by Mario Van Peebles. Also look out for Arye Gross-star of House II:The Second Story. The movie appeared that it could have been very violent and fairly gory like the first one, but this seems unfortunately cut and toned down for the R-rating. They should have made another exterminator movie...

Follow-up to the exploitation classic. This one is produced by the Cannon group, which should set off alarm bells given these are the guys who made their fair share of crap back in the 80's, including the Sylvester Stallone arm wrestling movie. True to form Cannon have injected their brand of cheese into this one as well. The Exterminator (Robert Ginty) battles a gang led by Mario Van Peebles. Sporting an impressive flat-top and clobber that would not have looked out of place in The Warriors, Van Peebles chews up the scenery at every given opportunity; Ginty, on the other hand, acts like he is heavily sedated throughout. There is a lot more explosions in this sequel and Ginty drives around in a garbage truck rigged up like a tank. The stupid level has been ramped up at the expense of the scuzz factor basically and this is a more typical cheesy 80's actioner for the most part, while it sports an often truly terrible soundtrack. Still, I did find it enjoyable enough as these things go.