It's ironic when you look at the glossary term and see "Aniston effect" which basically means an actor or actress paying his or her dues by making low budget crap before (finally) hitting it in the big time. However the ironic part is that i'm awarding "The Aniston effect" to Angelina Jolie who believe it or not was in a sequel that Jean-Claude Van Damme refused to be in. What is also most interesting is that the Cyborg franchise has given us such actors as Jean-Claude Vn Damme, Angelina Jolie, Elias Koteas, Jack Palance, William Katt and Zach Galligan(!) Now when we consider that Cyborg itself was a critical disaster with only cretins like me enjoying it ironically, we are left with a sequel that was made to capitalize on a movie that nobody (outside of Van Damme fans) liked.

Normally I could add in that this somewhat follows the Quickening path, given that it basically has nothing to do with the first movie, however being that we see some Jean-Claude Van Damme footage of him beating up mutants, I can't say that this is a good example of The Quickening. (I guess I could make a case for The Guttenberg but given that the actors are far better than the thespians in # 1, or that this is overall a far more competent movie I can't give it this either) I can also say that this is a prime example of a movie being both a letdown and improvement in both ways.

Yes in terms of quality, acting, directing, script and story this is a far superior to it's predecessor. But the letdown is that it's nowhere near as unintentionally hilarious or for that matter as moronic as the first. So it's hard to criticize a flaw such as this, I mean, Imagine if they made a Troll 3 that was actually reletively well made, mediocre in its execution and so on. You have to give it a higher mark, but secretly wish it wasn't. That's how Cyborg 2 is.

Anyhow the movie stars Angelina Jolie, who plays a cyborg (Finally a part Jolie is convincing as) who is helped by a karate instructor (Elias Koteas in what could be the greatest miscasting of the decade) escape from the corporation who has planted a liquid explosive in her body that is somehow less toxic than Billy Bob Thornton's liquid explosive. See the corporation want to detonate her explosive body to wipe out their rivals. So we have many escape sequences, and of course the great Jack Palance makes his appearance as Mercy, a cyborg fighter (Who I think is supposed to be Jean-Claude Van Damme's character from the first, a theory I hold because he knows how Van Damme rescued the cyborg in part 1, and being that nobody was keeping score, let alone cared, indicates that it's probably him, and even if it's not, the movie is far more enjoyable if you pretend it is this way.) Palance easily ( I mean EASILY) pulls off the Ironside agenda, where as Elias Koteas is a capable character actor, he is by no means a Van Damme like ass-kicker. Angelina Jolie has never been good but is at least hot to look at and although it's a little creepy seeing her in a sex scene with a much older Koteas, at least we have the movie that no doubt will contain her best performance.

However the cheesiest performance comes from Billy Drago. One of the things great about Bad Movie Knights, is that they plaster the worst actors of B. movies today, while I personally think Michael Pare and Gary Busey can act under the right circumstances, one guy who has never been good and is always dependable in giving a performance so awful it makes the movie, it's Billy Drago. Why we don't have Drago's face plastered on Bad Movie Knights, is anyone's guess. Here he gives a performance so bad, so overwrought that he would've been right at home in the first movie. What is even more amusing is that he plays a character who has plastic surgery and is paranoid about messing up his face. Of course we also get to see a nude scene and anyone who truly wants to see Billy Drago in the buff is someone who needs professional help.

In the process of Cyborg 2, lots of action occurs, Elias Koteas and Billy Drago take turns kicking the crap out of each other, Jack Palance drops zen-like comments, cries and says would be one-liners, Angelina Jolie shows us her tig ol bitties and the future is saved. The movie also looks nice (the first one did too) and at times almost works as a Blade Runner style movie. Unfortunately with the Drago onboard you just know it's gonna get ridiculous and boy does it ever. However in the end we have a diverting time waster for curious B.movie fans, or for just those who want to see Angelina Jolie naked. I myself give it 4.5 Hamlins just because it's the only time i'll ever see a cast that contains Angelina Jolie, Jack Palance, Elias Koteas and Billy Drago. This alone is why I bought the DVD from the bargain bin.

Hamlin Grade: 4.5

Ryan