All the characters from the first Zeiram movie returned in this occasionally
interesting sequel.
Iria is once again kicking ass and taking down hostile alien life forms as the tough
girl, karate-fighting bounty hunter. The two bumbling assistants return, as well as
Bob the talking computer, and last but not least, Zeiram is back. This time he is
stronger.
The first thing I noticed was that Iria poses for the viewer for several gratuitous
chest shots that are not that exotic. There is more shots of Iria wearing less
clothing, which is somewhat of a let down because what is being shown for sex appeal
really isn't that sexy at all. Iria wearing a tight-fitting white T-shirt that shows
exposed shoulders and her breasts appear to be taped down so nothing pops out. Iria
comes across as a late '80's diva from a bad MTV dance video with her hair sticking
up in the front. Her new look reminds me of women in a Prince video. Still, Yuko
Moriyama does a good job with her martial arts sequences. The action scenes are the
only good part of this uninspired sequel.
One of the problems with Zeiram 2 is that there is a cheesy class reunion thing
going on that doesn't work at all. It is more like watching a "making of" segment than
a real movie with the actors getting together one last time just for laughs. Iria
doesn't boss or push around the two humans as she did in Zeiram. The relationship is
buddy buddy with Iria acting like just one of the guys. The only thing Iria does
well is fight Zeiram with an interesting final fight that is the only saving grace.
Even Zeiram is less scary. When a curious dog approaches Zeiram and the weird white
face pops out and kills the dog, the mutant dog that appears later is comical and
sad. The dog has some lame moments harassing the two electricians before it gets
kicked off a statue.
The main problem with Zeiram 2 is all the basic elements of the first Zeiram are
present without any imagination or fun. Iria is sent by Bob to fight Zeiram. The two
electricians get involved. Zeiram goes on a rampage. The Zone can only exist for a
limited time. In fact, the only new element is a rival bounty hunter that is trying
to steal a tiny statue that contains power. He gets disposed of by Iria and once
that character is gone, the movie is back to the same old Zeiram that I have already
seen back in 1991.
Director Keita Amemiya had a wonderful opportunity to continue the interesting
adventures of Iria and just blew it.
For fans of the first Zeiram, I would advise to seek out the anime called Iria:
Zeiram the Animation, which has a better plot and further explores the Zeiram
mythology.
It is a shame to not be able to recommended this tired boring sequel to anyone. For
completists that need both Zeiram movies, I would advise to buy the DVD that has both movies on
it. For everyone else, just stick with the first movie and the anime series.
1 and ½ Stars out of 4.
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