Dead On: Relentless II

Detective Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi, reprising his role from the first film) is trying to juggle getting over the attacks on his family from the first film & trying to catch a new serial killer (Miles O'Keefe) while teamed up with an unhelpful FBI agent and dealing with a home life that's crumbling around him due to his relentless pursuits of his job. Meg Forster also returns but is relegated to bitching at her husband most of the film.

Instead of focusing mostly on the villain like the previous Relentless did, the sequel unwisely chooses to follow Detective Dietz who comes off as a slightly pompous self-loathing windbag. The first film was (moderately) entertaining strictly because of Judd Nelson's dead-eyed portrayal of that films killer (and William Lustigs direction to a lesser extent) Where as this film gives Miles O'Keeffe's Gregor, the stone cold killer (who could've been a great character, the back story was intriguing enough) the short shift, and while this sequel is still somewhat watchable, it is definitely the lesser because of it.

My Grade: C-

DVD Extras: Trailers for In The Cut, Secret Window & Panic Room

I sort of enjoyed the first one, so bought the DVD of the second to watch, wish I hadn't bothered.

Apart from the odd bit of fairly restrained violence, this plays as a bland made for TV movie type thing, and the acting is truly awful.

For me, films like this need a bit of sleaze, and there's none on offer here at all.

I'm really surprised that some people hold this one in higher regard than the first. At least director William Lustig managed to create a bit of atmosphere in the first.

Don't think I'll be bothering with 3 and 4 of the series as I can't see them being an improvement on this.

Leo Rossi reprises his role of Sam Dietz and this time he's paired up with a shady FBI agent to find a another serial killer, only this killer has a hidden agenda that isn't just about killing people.

I was actually surprised by this film, normally with sequels you get a very weak second film but this one was anything but, this sequel is actually better than the first, the killer this time is played by Miles O'Keeffe whose intense looks really does his character justice, Ray Sharkey is an actor I've never seen before or since this film but he played the role of the shady FBI agent very convincingly.

The storyline obviously is very much the same formula as the first one only unlike the first one that concentrated more on the killer, this one chooses to focus more on the character of Sam Dietz and how the incident at the end of the first film effected him and his family, as well as how his relentless pursuit of serial killers take its toll on his life and his marriage.

Not many sequels surpass their predecessor but this one is one of the few exceptions, if you're a fan of the first, you won't be disappointed with this one

This was much better than I anticipated. I had watched the first "Relentless" movie and thought it was "fair" but this was much better, not as frightening perhaps as the original but better start-to-finish. This kept you guessing.

Once again (it's overdone in Hollywood), we see another dishonest cop or government agent (played very well, however, by Ray Sharkey). The film also has a bit too much sleazy atmosphere for what I'd like to see.

Still, it's definitely worth watching if you like these serial killer crime movies. I am shocked there is only one other review of this. I had to be somewhat popular to have the original and then two more sequels.

A Very Well Thought out Masterpiece. Good Plot, Well Developed Characters, and Outstanding Acting is what Makes this Film even more Worth while. It's not jut that, Though. It's just the Simple feeling of Involvement I Get from this Movie. I Feel like I'm in the Movie, One of the Characters, etc. That is how Excellent this Script is.

I Also really Enjoyed the Action and Suspense Packed Tightly into Very Heart Racing Scenes. The ending is Very Good, also. It is Important For one to Know the Very Low and Tight Budget these Producers had to Go on. The Special Effects are nothing to Jump Up on, and the Video and Audio Quality is Terrible, but that Still can not Ruin the Movie. I also Enjoy the Fact that this Movie is not Widely Known. Why? I Don't know. It just seems to me that once I Movie is Widely Known, I Hate it. My Theory is that: When Expectations go Up, Quality goes Down! I Guess I Also like not Only this Movie, but the Whole Series.

On a Scale of 10 I'd give The Plot an 8, The Acting a 7, The Suspense a 10, The Setting a 6, and The Gore a Simple 5.

As Far as The Sequels Go: Part One was Very Good and Scary. Part 2 (This One!!!) is Good, But more Action Packed than Scary. Part Three is More of a Rambo Movie than It is of It's own Series. I Have not Yet Seen Part 4, but Hope to in The Near Future.

Good Movie, 10 out of 10

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