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The Condemned 2 Blu-ray Review

“The Condemned 2” is a repetitive bore.

In this sequel to the 2007 film “The Condemned,” the story opens on Will and his bail enforcement team getting ready to bust an illegal gambling ring led by Cyrus. The bust goes awry, however, when Will accidentally kills Cyrus. As a result of this screw-up, Will becomes suspended and put on probation. Deciding to put his bounty hunting days behind him, Will becomes a tow truck driver, but his job soon becomes interrupted when his former team members try to kill him. As it turns out, Cyrus’s second in command (Raul) has risen to the top and is now gambling on a new game which involves the death of Will (as revenge for the death of Cyrus). Can Will survive the assassination attempts? Will he go after Raul himself or will he have some much needed help?

WWE Studios doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to movies. Sure, there are a couple of OK entries, but for the most part, it’s all forgettable made for home video action flicks that capitalize on WWE stars. “The Condemned 2” is definitely one of those forgettable flicks.

You know you’re watching a bad movie when the premise already feels played out 25 minutes in. Unless you like scenes of mindless and endless shootouts and explosions, this sequel has nothing to offer. The characters are flat, the story is unbelievably tedious, and the character actions are as dumb as can be. It’s really just 90 minutes of running, death, and destruction. No more, no less.

As for the cast, it’s a bummer to see actors like Eric Roberts and Steven Michael Quezada (of “Breaking Bad” fame) waste their talents here. I wish I could say star Randy Orton delivers a fine performance, but he simply doesn’t have the acting chops of fellow wrestlers like Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista. He’s downright bland when it comes to down it.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The transfer shines during the daytime desert scenes, but the scenes at night (or in the dark) suffer from poor cinematography.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The audio fares better here as the music and action put your speakers to work.

Extras:
* Lionsgate trailers.
* Digital copy.
* “Drones”- A 4 ½ minute featurette on the use of drones during the production.
* “Fight For Your Life”- An extra containing film clips, interviews, set footage and discussions about the fight sequences.

January 17, 2016 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Randy Orton, The Condemned 2 Blu-ray Review, WWE Studios