Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002)

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Hark Tsui (story) &
Julien Carbon (story) ...

Release Date:

9 January 2003 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The Black Mask must stop a group intent on setting off a DNA bomb that could cause mutations to the human race.

Plot Keywords:

Mutation | Genetics | Sequel | Pro Wrestling | Spiral Staircase

Cast

Tobin Bell	...	Moloch
Jon Polito	...	Mr. King
Teresa Herrera	...	Dr. Marco Leung
Tyler Mane	...	Thorn
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Iguana / Daniel Martinez
Scott Adkins	...	Lang
Rob Van Dam	...	The Claw
Sean Marquette	...	Raymond
Oris Erhuero	...	Wolf
Robert Allen Mukes	...	Snake
Michael Bailey Smith	...	Ross (Hellraiser)
Traci Lords	...	Chameleon (as Traci Elizabeth Lords)
Andy On	...	Black Mask / Kang Fung
Silvio Simac	...	General Troy
Sau Leung 'Blacky' Ko	...	Sergeant

Also Known As:

Hak hap 2 (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Hei xia 2 (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Mascara negra 2: La noche de bestias (USA: Spanish title) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

Hong Kong:102 min (DVD) | USA:101 min (DVD)

Country:

Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Company:

China Star Entertainment

Trivia:

'Raymond Wong Ho-Yin' and Louis Koo were considered to play Black Mask, before Hark Tsui settled on newcomer Andy On.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Moloch is escaping from the guys outside the storage facility, he turns into his animal form. He then goes back to the hotel room, where Dr. Marco Leung is trying to work on a cure to his condition, and on a close up of Moloch you can see his real iris' behind the fake cat eye lenses he is wearing.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Oi thryloi tou erotikou cinema" (2008)

Soundtrack:

City of Masks

Better than expected

I had pretty much heard nothing good about Tsui Hark's English language sequel to the Jet Li vehicle Black Mask. That coupled with the fact that most of Tsui Hark's films since Chinese Feast have been disappointing and largely incoherent, there wasn't much reason for optimism. (I used to be a huge fan of Hark's films but I couldn't even sit through Legend of Zu). Black Mask 2 is a comic book flick that recalls, sometimes self-consciously, other bigger budget Hollywood flicks such as X-Men, Spiderman and The Crow. I don't see any reason why fans of the genre wouldn't enjoy this. It's very fast paced, genuinely goofy and mostly fun. It's even got a decent script, at least compared with the impossible to follow Time and Tide and Legend of Zu, which made me think Hark had completely lost any story-telling abilities he had once possessed. The wrestlers turning into monsters might make more sophisticated viewers wince, but this seems to be aimed at a solidly adolescent audience, and anyone who finds entertainment value in pro wrestling or in rubber monster fare like ULtraman or Power Rangers should get a huge kick out of this. Don't watch expecting a classic like Once Upon A Time IN China and you will likely have a good time.