Bloodsport 2: The Next Kumite (1996)

In 1996, producer Alan Mehrez decided it was time to unleash a sequel to one of the most successful martial arts films of the 1980’s, BLOODSPORT. The film that would go on to launch Jean-Claude Van Damme would have seen the return of the actor, but had to decline due to schedule conflicts. A search would lead to newcomer Daniel Bernhardt, a Swiss-born martial artist/model who got his breakthrough role here.

Bernhardt plays Alex Cardo, a young thief who uses his charm and wits to steal an ancient sword from tycoon Mr. Leung (Pat Morita). When he and his partner John (Philip Tan) set up a deal to sell the sword, John sets Alex up to take the fall when the cops arrive. Alex is soon arrested and sent to prison. It is there he meets two men who change his life. The first is Demon (Ong Soo-Han), the most feared prison guard who tends to torment Alex any chance he gets.

The second is Master Sun (James Hong), a respected martial arts master who trains Alex in his “Iron Palm” technique. Alex is eventually released by Mr. Leung, who makes a deal with Alex. The sword that was stolen was to be the prize at the upcoming Kumite, a martial arts tournament comprised of the best fighters from all over the world. Demon has been invited as one of the fighters of the upcoming tournament. Alex decides that he too must enter the Kumite as a chance to redeem himself for his past as well as getting a measure of revenge should he face Demon.

Daniel Bernhardt may be no Jean-Claude Van Damme, but he brings his own to the table as reformed thief Alex Cardo. He brings charm to the role in ways Van Damme did in the original film and definitely has excellent martial arts skills to match. A protege of taekwondo Grandmaster Hee Il Cho (who makes a cameo as the Kumite’s head judge), Bernhardt definitely made this film his own and it helps that he has a supporting cast of fellow martial arts actors such as Ron Hall, Nick Hill, and Jeff Wolfe as fellow fighters in the Kumite. Unlike the original film, Bernhardt’s character actually becomes friends with the characters played by Hall and Hill.

Another similarity between the original and sequel comes in the form of the only returning cast member from the original film, Donald Gibb. The former “Ogre” from the hit comedy REVENGE OF THE NERDS played it serious in the original film as Kumite fighter and Van Damme’s best buddy Ray Jackson. Here, Ray returns but using the nickname “Tiny”, who is now the official “bouncer” of the Kumite. He does have a soft spot and becomes friends with not only Alex but has eyes for the Kumite’s only female competitor.

The action in BLOODSPORT 2 is kicked up a notch from its predecessor thanks to the choreography of co-star Philip Tan. Perhaps it helps that he really understood the various martial arts skills of the stars and utilized them to full effect. For instance, Ron Hall, a wushu stylist, is fast with both his hands and feet and he shows them to full effect in his fights while Nick Hill, an Okinawa-te karate stylist who would go on to train for the UFC shortly afterwards, gets to show his karate skills to good effect as well. It is worth mentioning that the numbers of fights in the Kumite exceed those from the original film.

So while it is inevitable that Daniel Bernhardt would be unfairly compared to Jean-Claude Van Damme because they both are from Europe and are martial artists, it is clear that Bernhardt does his best to carry BLOODSPORT 2 on his own as a lead actor and this would lead to him returning to the role in BLOODSPORT 3, which was actually shot back-to-back with this sequel. Nevertheless, thanks to the action in the Kumite and the presence of James Hong and returning cast member Donald Gibb in support, BLOODSPORT 2 – THE NEXT KUMITE is actually not too bad of a sequel at all.