Sbarre d'acciaio 2

Again a low budget film but much better action film than the first for Ferrigno.

This is a sequel to "The Cage" again starring Lou Ferrigno, from "The Incredible Hulk" TV series, and Reb Brown. Billy (Lou) is captured and once more forced to fight in caged death matches against all manner of Martial Artists. Scott (Reb) must try to find his best friend before it is too late! Despite the low budget dialogue this is a fairly good example of its genre, with lots of varied techniques and combat styles on display. Lou looks as buff as ever, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee is rather lovely as the romantic interest in this film.

I remember the first "Cage", but "Cage 2" made me raise an eyebrow or two. I liked the beginning where Billy(Lou Ferrigno) was drinking the soft drinks he didn't like. Then there's the parts where he entered the cage, and he easily defeats the fighter. Well then, I liked the lady takes off her shoes and fights Billy with a swift kick in the jewels. That only stung him, a regular man would well up in tears after a kick like that. That's some tough jewels for a man who was reduced to a kid after the gunshot wound to his head. When that young woman(Shannon Lee) got curious, Billy wouldn't explain. Guess it's too painful for him. When that old man told Billy what she was, he said he knows, and he was not talking like a kid when he threatens to kill him. OUCH! Sounds like the Hulk seethes within him still. And after being shot three times, that scene threw me off, BIG TIME. How on earth Billy withstood the shot in the abdomen. That is really a fatal shot to anyone! Getting up that quick, NO WAY! A possible third installment would be nice, but the story would be kind of typical. I still liked it, no matter what others think about it! Rating 2 out of 5 stars.

I have to admit that I am a big fan of the first "Cage" movie, mainly for Lou Ferrigno's great performance as the simple-minded Billy Thomas. Billy is a brain-damaged Vietnam vet who turns into a killing machine when forced into deadly cage matches. But even after viewing the original, nothing could have prepared me for the violence and brutality of "Cage II: The Arena of Death".

This is one of those rare sequels that is superior to the original. Lou Ferrigno, somehow even more physically intimidating than he was during his Hulk days, destroys a half dozen opponents in some of the most viscous cage matches you will ever see. I have never seen Lou, or any other actor, look as scary as he does during these fights. The movie is cheap in quality but epic in scope, including everything from Lou's romance with a Chinese whore to a shootout involving the FBI to a helicopter being blown out of the sky by an Asian karate-do master with a rocket launcher. Even Reb Brown is palatable, thanks to a very funny comic role. The movie has a terrible ending that doesn't resolve the movie's major conflict, but that is the only serious flaw in an otherwise highly enjoyable film.

If you can find this in a video store, rent it. Few movies are as enjoyable as this, and the cage matches beat out anything you will find on Ultimate Fighting Championship.

If there is one man that shouldn't be an actor, it's Lou Ferrigno. Not that I don't like the guy, it's just that he acts worse than almost everyone else on the planet. The fight scenes he is in are also a total disaster. I guess Ferrigno was cast only for his body-mass, but that's not enough at all. Luckily, Ferrigno hasn't got the lead role in this film. Not that the guy who has it is any better, he is just as bad as Ferrigno. In the movie, he's supposed to be some kind of fighting champion who beats everyone. Because of that, it's just too stupid when the guy is fat, unfit and lacks even the tiniest amount of martial arts skills. I guess even Toby Maguire could kick this guy out without effort. And personally, I would like to kick this load of garbage out of my DVD-collection.