Le défi du tigre

The only good thing I can say about PENITENTIARY II is that it's better than PENITENTIARY III, which was a soulless Cannon exercise redeemed only by the couple of really bizarre moments. In PEN II, the film is more down to earth, relaxed and "real" than Part 3. The film is still pretty much terrible but I like these junky "grindhouse" type of movies that they simply don't make anymore. The story doesn't make much sense, and by the time the second fight occurred, I completely lost track of what was going on. The last shot in the film reminded me of a Crumb comix. The funniest thing in this movie is the "villain" and his ho. The entire moment when they eat in bed is priceless!

The current DVD release available for this title is NOT the same version of the film that was shown in theaters. The DVD distributor for some reason made cuts to parts of the movie. (In particular, Ernie Hudson's ambush of the girl in the shower.) The sequence may too brutal for more sensitive viewers, but that doesn't justify making cuts to the original film.) HBO broadcast the movie in it's entirety in the 80's, and the first VHS/Beta home video releases also contain the complete film.

I didn't think too much of the first "Penitentiary" movie, finding it a cheap and slow exercise. Though it must have made quite a bit of money, because a few years later this sequel came out. And it manages to be worse than the original in almost every way you can think of. The script is a mess - it has a meandering quality, as if director/screenwriter Jamaa Fanaka was making things up as he was going along. And it never makes any of the characters real enough to be believable. The only good things about the movie were that the production values were a step up from the original, and there is a (un?)intentionally funny "Star Wars" reference. If you must see one movie from this series, I recommend you skip forward and watch part 3, which is pure (and entertaining) insanity done with slickness.

Once again, we find "Too Sweet" struggling against his conscience, and the bad guys, to gain his freedom. After defeating his arch-rival, and gaining freedom: "Too Sweet" works himself into championship contention...he's reunited with his sister, who is married, and has a young son. As fate would have it...he must fight against the same man he defeated to end the first movie. Now, they each have risen in the rankings. You'll find the plot thin, the acting pitiful, and get a good laugh for nostalgia's sake.. You'll notice Mr.T, Ernie Hudson (the warden on "Oz"), and a few others...have your buddies over, break out the beer and enjoy. Its true entertainment value is how thinly veiled the plot and characters are. This movie, was BIG...back in the Blaxpo days. Essentially it rode the wave of the original. Leon Isaac had no talent, physique, or legitimacy as an actor. But , he did what most successful films do...run a sequel to milk the audiences thirst.

I recently watched Penitentiary II (1982) on Tubi. The storyline follows Gordone, who is starting a new life on the outside with a girlfriend and a professional boxing career. When someone rapes and kills his girlfriend, he quickly finds himself at risk of ending up right back in prison...

This film is written and directed by Jamaa Fanaka (Penitentiary) and stars Leon Isaac Kennedy (Lone Wolf McQuade), Glynn Turman (Cooley High), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Mr. T (The A-Team), and Tony Cox (Bad Santa).

You can tell every aspect of this film had a bigger budget than the first. Every character is played by a notable actor, and they all deliver entertaining performances. Every scene Tony Cox is in is comedic gold. Mr. T is exactly what you'd expect, and Hudson was an awesome villain-though I will say the "rape" and "potato salad" scenes were tough to watch. Glynn Turman is always great, and Kennedy is easy to root for because he always has something awful happen to him and the law against him. Rudy Ray Moore's cameo was fun. The boxing matches are always great, straightforward, and predictable, but you still want to see how they turn out. This is better than the first one.

In conclusion, Penitentiary II is a legendary addition to the blaxploitation genre that kicks it up a notch in all the right ways from the first film. I would score this a 7/10 and recommend seeing it once.