The Executioner - Ich, der Vollstrecker

Is it a sequel? Is it a rip-off? Is it the biggest pile of crap you've ever seen or the most entertaining Z-grade exploitation movie ever made? Well actually, the answer to all of these questions (except maybe the first one) is a straight and simple YES! This is clearly a part two to *something*, only nobody knows exactly what the original film was. It's also a shameless cash-in on the contemporary very popular vigilante action movies, like for example "Death Wish" or more particularly "The Exterminator". The film is also irredeemably bad, with a totally unoriginal screenplay, an incoherent structure and awful … AWFUL acting performances. But, and for the exact same reasons, "The Executioner Part II" is simultaneously one of the most hilariously entertaining movies of its type I've ever seen! The movie opens with vague and random footage of the war in Vietnam, trying to dramatically introduce buddy soldiers Mike and Roger nearly getting killed by friendly fire. Back at home in the big city, Mike works as a mechanic in his own garage and Roger suddenly became a prominent police inspector. The rotten, depressing and crime-infested city is ruled by a perverted gangster known as 'The Tattooed Man", who rapes under aged drug-addicted girls and bribes the local politicians. There's also a bloodthirsty avenging angel prowling the streets, and it takes Roger an awful long time before realizing his buddy Mike is the one executing all the criminals like they're Charlies. The film isn't too gory (they probably didn't have the budget for fake blood) but the overall atmosphere is raw and very aggressive. I mentioned it before, but I simply have to mention the acting performances again! They should have handed out Oscars to everyone involved in this laugh riot production, particularly to the woman who plays the journalist and to the dope-smoking teenage girls. The journalist can hardly pronounce a word correctly and the girls act like Beavis & Butt-Head. "The Executioner Part II" is deliciously rancid 80's cheese, impossible to reward with a rating higher than five because it truly really honestly is terrible, but nonetheless highly recommended.

In Vietnam 1970, there were a bunch of American guys who were fighting and trying to survive. Now, back in America, there is a killer on the loose who calls himself The Executioner. He is no ordinary killer, though, but a vigilante: a man who kills criminals with guns, broken glass shards and live grenades.

This film was directed by James Bryan. Not sure who that is, actually. And why is it "part 2"? No idea.

The exploitation nature of this film shows up in the first ten minutes, when a group of guys brutally rapes a woman on a rooftop while the neighbors just sort of watch and consider whether or not they should help the woman. Luckily, they are stopped by the Executioner! There is a scene that is a bad advertisement for Miller High Life, with two guys fixing a car and talking about how fast time goes by. Then, in the middle of guy time, some thugs show up to steal their tires and a fight breaks out, complete with sound effects and a song ripped off from "Shaft".

There's a visible poster for "Hot Teenage Assets" and another film... but if you know why, you are a better detective than I am.

Thoroughly entertaining film with bad dialogue, cheesy explosions and the inevitable Vietnam flashback. A must see? No. But pretty decent for what it is.

Not one of those grind-house flicks that are so cheesy that they are enjoyable; this one is so bad that it is painful to watch.

A take-off on Charles Bronson's Death Wish, but without the class. The "executioner" has flashbacks to Vietnam and runs around grunting and saying "I'm the Judge and Jury" before he puts a grenade in someones pants after some pitiful chop socky.

There is no blood even though he cuts the throats of some of his criminals and there is only one brief flash of nudity - someone must have screwed up there.

The crime lord just spends his time blowing on lit cigarettes and telling his lackey to bring him more young girls - not for sex mind you, but to use as an ashtray.

The teens remind me of Reefer Madness the way they carry on when they are smoking, and they are always asking for coke.

Of course, the Executioner is sent out of town instead of being arrested, maybe to do Executioner I, which doesn't exist.

I wasted my time so you don't have too.

Made in 1982 (not be confused with Sonny Chiba's 1974/1975 two part film saga), James Bryant directs this loud, cheezy actioner that features a nutty Vietnam vet (who goes in a trance with a cheap music) who goes after the tattooed man who is pushing drugs and molesting girls in the city. Chris Mitchum plays his vietnam vet friend who is now a police detective who doesn't know that his best nutty friend is the executioner. Famous 21st century pictures stock music (that usually in the movie trailer) is used in the action scenes. Many funny moments like a guy getting stabbed by a samurai sword and getting impaled on a couch, as the executioner keep kicking the couch as the bad guy keeps moving towards him with a couch on his back(!). Also the Executioner shoves handgrenade on bad guys pants, and the same cheap stock footage explosion appears. Aldo Ray only appears in two location so he probably only had a day on this film. Harmon who starred in Bryant other films is terrible with English and has a thick Germany accent. The film looks like it was shot without sound. The producer was trying to cash in on the 1981 film THE EXTERMINATOR (which was about a vietnam vet who takes on bad guys) and release this turkey at New York theatres in 1983. The films video release runs a few minutes short and only a minor scene is missing. Should be a cult classic.

It seems to me that the majority of "bad movies" are pretty boring. Too often we bust a gut laughing when a critic shreds a lousy flick, but we then find that actually watching the movie is a grim experience with few laughs. Fortunately, Executioner 2 is a clunker that delivers.

In the early 80s James Bryan wowed the bad film community with Don't Go In the Woods. I found another movie of his, Hellriders, terribly dull. But with Executioner 2 he's back on track. It's your basic vigilante movie, with bad guys running scared and cops embarrassed at the public's support for the vigilante. As was the case in Woods, the dialogue was dubbed (even though the characters were speaking English to begin with). Some not so good acting, a pair of stoner high school girls who are constantly laughing ("oh, heavenly coke!"), and Aldo Ray (of the movie "Bog") make Executioner part 2 a must-see. Sure, some parts are boring, but overall it's worth it. Watch this movie, it will justify your having searched through dozens of other lousy films in your quest for B-Movie Nirvana.