O Gladiador Imortal 2: Na Arena da Morte

I don't think I've ever seen a Lorenzo Lamas movie, and judging from this effort I haven't missed much. Man, that guy loves his hair. He plays a cop with unexplained psychic powers who can envisage murder victims deaths by touching their corpses. It seems he's the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, whose mighty sword has been stolen by a dastardly museum proprietor. The dastardly museum proprietor is using it to help him win bets on illegal fights – as you do.

The story holds together about as well as a bubble in a hurricane – and has about as much substance. Apparently it's made up largely from the footage left over from an earlier Lamas movie so it's clear the makers weren't fired by a desire to make a lasting contribution to cinema's fine heritage. No sir, these guys were out to make a quick buck. Characters appear and disappear without explanation and do stupid things for no reason. One of them even sleeps with Lamas and his hair.

If you're looking for an entertaining fighting movie, avoid this one at all costs. Do you want to see a movie that's so bad that it becomes an unintentional comedy? Then you also should avoid this one, because it's so utterly bad that it's not even funny. The movie's plot circles around illegal, underground street-arena fights where the fighters use many kinds of brutal weapons and kill each other. Sound familiar? This has been done many times, but never as bad as this. Most of the fighters are really unfit and shabby people, and there aren't much that reminds me of true martial arts skills. The story makes no sense, and is just full of plot holes. I just don't get why Lorenzo Lamas stars in this. He's not exactly the best action star around, but this was a disaster even by his standards.

This film has more cheek than any I have seen. It seems to be made almost entirely from left over footage from The Swordsman. It is like watching outtake footage. The plot has been extended to include a new baddie, but the relationship between the two main characters bounces around in context all over the place, continuity is almost non-existent and you keep wondering where in time and space the activity is happening. I guess this is recycling taken to new levels. However watching The Swordsman and then Gladiator Cop is an interesting exercise in picking up what you have seen already, what really belongs in the first film and why you aren't doing something more productive.

He is good with a sword and has weird dreams but is he Alexander The Great? The sword is missing again and Barrett is unofficially on the case. But this time he may be in over his head. A reincarnated general he executed has taken his partner prisoner. Can he get his hands on the sword in time to save them both? The sword fights are excellent. Lamas as always is at his best. Nick Pasco's character is killed in the first movie and yet somehow turns up again here without explanation. My gut feeling is that this was one movie edited into two. But they are both so good. Who cares?

Lorenzo at his best! Emotion, passion, drama, one of the biggest action flicks of the year , even with a small budget, but Lorenzo is enough and steals the show. G R E A T