Exterminator 2 (1984)

The flamethrower-wielding vigilante John Eastland returns to rid New York of a drug lord and his gang.

Director:

Mark Buntzman

Writers:

Mark Buntzman, William Sachs

Stars:

Robert Ginty, Mario Van Peebles, Deborah Geffner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Ginty	...	John Eastland
Mario Van Peebles	...	X
Deborah Geffner	...	Caroline
Frankie Faison	...	Be Gee
Scott 'Slo-motion' Randolph	...	Eyes (as Scott Randolf)
Reggie Rock Bythewood	...	Spider
Bruce Smolanoff	...	Red Rat
David Buntzman	...	Head Mafioso
Kenny Marino	...	Tony
Derek Evans	...	Squealer
Irwin Keyes	...	Monster
Robert Louis King	...	Philo
Arye Gross	...	Turbo
Janet Rotblatt	...	Mom
Steffen Zacharias	...	Pop

Storyline

The flamethrower-wielding vigilante John Eastland returns to rid New York of a drug lord and his gang.

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Plot Keywords:

chase | foot chase | gunfight | shootout | gun battle | 

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Taglines:

In 'The Exterminator' he made the streets of New York safe. All has been quiet - until now!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Exterminator 2

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,204,197, 16 September 1984, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,739,406, 21 October 1984

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Glickenhaus declined to return to write and direct this sequel to the Exterminator.

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Goofs

The shape of X's hair repeatedly changes throughout the movie.

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Quotes

Be Gee: The truck is still hungry.

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Alternate Versions

The UK theatrical and video version was the heavily edited U.S R-rated print which was then cut by a further 2 mins 39 secs by the BBFC. All footage of nunchakus was completely removed and heavy edits made to scenes of violence including burnings, the shooting of an old woman during the opening robbery, Robert Ginty's girlfriend being beaten up by X's gang, and almost the entire scene of the killing of the guard under a subway train. The BBFC cuts were fully waived for the 2016 DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #12 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Rally 'Round the Moon

User Reviews

Flame on!

Oh boy, where to start with this one? Well, I'll start off by pointing out how the movie seems determined not to be a sequel! Yes, Ginty returns and is supposedly playing the same character. But hang on a minute - remember how the previous movie ended? Knowing that, there is NO WAY Ginty's character could be continuing to slaughter criminals undetected by the authorities, especially after several years have passed. As well, it's difficult at times to see this as the same guy from the first movie when this time around, Ginty's character hardly says a word, seems to have no real motivation, and no real life. Sure, he has a girlfriend, and meets and pairs up with a friend, but what do we learn about him from this? Nothing! It's as if he's walking around in his sleep.

The unfolding of the "plot" is equally light and pointless. There are many scenes that seems to have no purpose except to extend the running time to 88 minutes (including the closing credits - a suspiciously short running time). We are expected to hate Peebles' character just because he is seen killing people and committing other crimes - when he talks, he doesn't say anything we haven't heard from a generic bad guy before. He just comes out of nowhere, makes trouble, and the passing-by Ginty hunts him and his gang members one by one. The end. That may sound overly simplified, but really the plot isn't that much more elaborate than that.

The editing is terrible, with scenes mish-mashed together with almost randomness, and with important moments missing (just HOW did the gang stop and take over the armored car?) Observing this almost incoherent editing, some big continuity bloopers (keep your eye on Peebles' hair!), and a climatic sequence between Ginty and Peebles that suspiciously looks like it was NOT the original one filmed, I came to the conclusion that some really big problems arose during filming. This seemed even more likely when the first credit during the closing credits read "Additional scenes directed by William Sachs".

Is there anything positive to find here? Well, the production values, though still pretty cheap, are a few steps above what they were in the original movie. As well, there are a couple of shots of burned corpses that are surprisingly gruesome. But a pretty look and scorched flesh do not a film make. At least by themselves, as it is in this case.