Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster

This time it looks like Soldier Kelly( Lorenzo Lamas) has really lost it. He brings the violent tactics he learned as an Army Ranger to the streets of the city to fight the drug dealers who are killing kids by cutting the dope with poison. This time his actions get him committed to a mental institution for observation. There he meets up with an unbelievable cast of characters whose hearts are in the right place even if their heads aren't. Ron Palilo recreates his character from the first movie and the fun begins. Soldier hooks up with a probationer he was in charge of before the trouble and together they accomplish in their own unique way what the law can't.

Lorenzo Lamas returns as Soldier, who this time is confined to a mental hospital where he brings his one man army antics to dispose of drug dealers cutting their drugs with poison (One of the film's more believable subplots) this time however Soldier is aided by a black sidekick named Speedboat(Larry B. Scott) who also hates drug lords. He also gets one on one mental help with a female shrink (Who of course is hot, after all, in action movies any woman who pursues intellectual duties also looks as if she just posed for Playboy)who helps convince the jury he's innocent due to insanity. I'm also guessing that a love scene wasn't out of the question since she wears quite revealing clothes around Lamas and he hits on her constantly. In any case Snake Eater II:The Drug Buster is part of my three part review of the DVD set I never asked for. I read some positive reviews (Indeed the two external reviews, average this one at 7/10) saying that it is better than # 1, I can't disagree, although it's only of the slightest improvement. This time the production values are slicker, the action sequences more elaborate and the script more tongue in cheek but it's still a Lorenzo Lamas movie and although i'm betting this is one of his better efforts, I still refuse to give this more then 2 stars. Such as the case here, this is the perfect guilty pleasure B.movie, nothing more though.

* * out of 4-(Fair)

"Snake eater" was a low-grade junky b-action flick that mixed "Rambo" and "Deliverance" with ridiculous results. This tacky follow up fares no better. Knowing just how silly it is, it goes about things in a much lighter frame with its tongue-in-cheek humour sticking out. Still the context is no laughing matter, as Soldier (Lorenzo Lamas' charismatically reprising his role) wages a private war against the city's dangerous drug lords in this urban action joint. Easily the weakest of the three films, being truly offbeat and tame. What was that all about with the trite sub-plot involving Soldier being kept in a loony bin. It's completely nonsensical. Some things written into the story just don't seem to mesh and there was a real lack of action (… well there is a wheelchair bout), with its tone being very jarring with its message and humour. This time soldier is kind of teamed up with a smart-talking black street kid (Larry B. Scott). Who loves repeating the phrase "Do sh!t stink". They get together every now and again to knock off some prominent drug pushers. Some very creative ideas in dispatching too. It seems to be better executed in its set-pieces than the previous feature, but I didn't find it as fun. Also showing up in the cast is Ron Palillo and Kathleen Kinmont. Amusing enough action fodder.

Lorenzo Lamas returns as Renegade cop "Soldier" Jack Kelly who declares war on drug dealers who are cutting the drugs with rat poison in this undistinguished yet semi-fun sequel. Well what can we say? Snakeeater II:The Drug Buster boasts good actionscenes, and some good performances from Larry B. Scott and Ron Palillo but overall Snakeeater II:The Drug Buster is a mediocre movie. At least it's better then it's astonishingly bad predecessor.

My review was written in March 1991 after watching the movie on Paramount video cassette.

This sequel to the good-natured action pic "Snake Eater" suffers from a weak script, but Lorenzo Lamas' force of personality in the title role should please undemanding video fans.

Odd title refers to one of Lamas' nicknames as a Vietnam war vet who was a special forces specialist. Now he's a big-city cop (set in the United States, this Canadian production was lensed in Montreal) who's charged with murder for his vigilante tactics.

Due to bad work by his lawyer, Lamas is sent to a mental hospital for examination. He's studied there by pretty heroine Michele Scarabelli, who's not too convincing as a psychologist.

With the assistance of friendly inmates like Harvey Aitkin. Lamas escapes and teams up with his old pal Larry B. Scott to fight drug kingpins.

Problem here is lack of focus in the screenplay, which professes outrage in one scene and is silly in the next. The scourge of drugs continues to inspire action features but does not lend itself to the tongue-in-cheek humor favored by Lamas and director George Erschbamer.

Scott i engaing in the supporting cast but Lamas' real-life wife, Kathleen Kinmont, is stuck in a nothing role as a cop.