Plot: What’s it about?
Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) is back and this time, he has declared war on the South American drug dealers who smuggle their goods into this country. McCoy and his partner Bobby Chavez (Paul Perri) have their sights on one of the most powerful drug barons, Ramon Cota (Billy Drago) who will not be easy to capture and turn over to the justice system. But after some antics inside a plane, outside a plane, and then in the water, the two manage to bring Cota in to face charges. But Ramon doesn’t remain in prison for long, as he is given a hefty bond to post and little else. This is too much for Chavez to bear, so he punches Cota and swears he will make sure he gets what he deserves. Soon after, Cota sends his men to murder Chavez’s wife and child and the men succeed. Now Chavez and McCoy have more reason that ever to bring this scumbag down, but even this two manage this collar?
This is the sequel to The Delta Force and while it doesn’t measure up to the original, it still packs more punch than the numerous other sequels and knock offs. Of course Chuck Norris is back and as always, he seems ready to kick ass and take names at the drop of a hat. Which is good, since this is a movie that relies on him to do just that, usually with extreme prejudice. This film has some humorous moments as well as cool action sequences, which adds some nice value to repeat viewings. The action is the real center of the film and it delivers the goods, though I wish there was more action to speak of. What we do have is cool, especially the parachute scene early on, but I want more! So it’s not quite as explosive as the original, but if you’re looking for commando movies, this one should be in your shopping cart too. The disc is not as good as the film, as full frame only video, inactive audio, and lack of supplements have all reared their heads here. If you like the movie, then I recommend this disc, but I think a rental will suffice in most cases.
This movie was directed by Aaron Norris, who in addition to being a good director happens to Chuck’s brother. The two have made several films together and I think they work well together, with this film being proof positive of that. Aaron uses basic techniques and compositions in this film, allowing the on screen action to speak for itself. A movie like this one doesn’t need quick, fancy pans and such to work, as such I am pleased with his choice. He also gets some nice performances from this cast, which adds to his resume of successful aspects here. This could be an easy chance to sleepwalk, but Aaron gives it his all instead. If you want to see more of Aaron Norris’ films I recommend Top Dog, Braddock: Missing In Action III, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Sidekicks, and Hellbound. The lead is Chuck Norris (Missing In Action, Firewalker), who gives his usual solid effort, but once again is overlooked despite his talents. The rest of the cast includes John Ryan (Tall Tale, White Sands), Billy Drago (Guncrazy, Pale Rider), Paul Perri (Live Nude Girls, The Insider), and Richard Jaeckel (The Green Slime, The Dirty Dozen).
Video: How does it look?
Delta Force 2 is presented in a full frame transfer, which is an open matte of the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. You don’t lose any image, but there is a lot of room at the top and bottom of the screen. I’m disappointed with this choice and as such, am knocking down the video score somewhat. This looks good other than that though, print looks clean and minimal compression flaws were detected. The colors look bright, but not to the point of blooming and flesh tones appear in normal hues. Contrast looks good too, no detail loss in the least and shadow level seems well balanced. This is a decent transfer, but come on MGM, we want anamorphic widescreen!
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround mix is adequate, but you won’t remember too much about it. Even in the most action driven scenes, this is a conservative track and little surround use is ever evident. The music sounds the best out of the background elements, but even it suffers from a limited range at times. The sound effects, especially in the action sequences should be booming, but they seem flat in this track. Some exceptions do happen of course, but on the whole this is a rather inactive effort. The dialogue is clear at all times though, no problems in that area. This isn’t a bad track by any means, but it should’ve been much more active.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You’ll find the theatrical trailer, but that’s all.
