U.S. Seals 2 has become a minor underground hit among martial arts film fans while generally disappointing broader audiences. The film is chockfull of stylized Hong Kong action thanks to action director and Jackie Chan stunt team member Andy Cheng. Yet, playing loose with its depiction of Navy special operations and offering a sloppy story full of holes sours the experience.

The film’s greatest flaw is its marketing. From the generic cover art which appears to have been pilfered from the real Navy SEALs’ official site; you might imagine that the film attempts to portray actual SEALs operations in a conventional sense. Granted, it’s a direct-to-video release and expectations should never be too high, but what it offers is much more akin to an average Tsui Hark action film where excess in terms of explosions, sound effects, and martial arts combat is the norm. So, put away your Heckler & Koch MP5, your Combat Rubber Raiding Craft, and your disbelief for this film does not do the frogman justice.

The film opens with a SEALs mission gone bad that is completely unrelated to the rest of the film with the exception of establishing the questionable character of SEAL Frank Ratliff (Damian Chapa). On leave, his warped killing instinct goes too far when he kills the daughter of his own Japanese martial arts instructor. The sensei commits seppuku, leaving behind his remaining daughter Kamiko (Karen Kim) and Ratliff’s former comrade in arms and fellow martial arts student, Lt. Casey Sheppard (Michael Worth). Three years later Ratliff kidnaps a high level nuclear physicist in order to prep two nuclear missiles in order to demand $1 billion from the U.S. government. How he manages to procure two functional ballistic missiles and accompanying nuclear warheads without this money is anyone’s guess. Apparently, Casey is the only man right for the job even though he’s left the service. He is persuaded to rejoin and handpicks a ragtag team of misfits known as the A-Team. Okay, that’s a lie, but it has about the same plausibility as the U.S. government agreeing to let Kamiko, a Japanese citizen with no military training, join a top secret mission to save America from a madman. Each team member is specially selected for his martial arts ability as their destination is an island where methane gas permeates the air and a single gun shot will ignite a deadly explosion. This contrivance allows the team to storm the island and engage in intense hand-to-hand and weapons combat employing chains, knives, and long swords. Ratliff has a small army of martial artists who protect the island, but the fighting is eventually reduced to a face-off between Ratliff and Casey as the countdown for one of the nuclear missile’s launch draws near.

This is not a big budget film and yet the scope of the film is reasonably impressive. Certain cut corners such as the Admiral’s relatively low tech command centers and a lack of authentic Navy gear can be accepted. But lack of funds is no excuse for overtly blatant errors in storytelling. The methane gimmick is ruined by Ratliff’s constant cigar smoking and the launch of one of the missiles. As real world events show, getting a hold of a nuclear warhead is not so easy and having a ballistic missile to carry it is just as tough. If Ratliff has the resources and ability to procure what many nations are incapable of having, then requesting a mere $1 billion is a joke. I won’t go into the topic of SEAL members unwisely engaging in protracted fights with multiple opponents versus quietly and efficiently killing their targets. But I will say that these guys have a knack for running straight into the middle of a fight. I will also say that Isaac Florentine, who has also directed Power Rangers, the television series seems to have had a hard time separating himself from the children’s program. It was apparently at his request that a “whoosh” sound effect be emitted during every hand signal or tilt of the head in the film. It is out of control!

Complaints about the film’s flaws in logic and mediocre acting could easily sink it if not for the action. For Hong Kong action films lovers, U.S. Seals 2 is loaded with slick action choreography. Michael Worth is a competitive martial artist who doesn’t do anything spectacular, but performs well. As lead villain, Damian Chapa has nothing much to offer in terms of acting or action. His cohort is played by the buffed up Sophia Crawford. She’s done it all from doubling Sarah Michelle Geller on Buffy the Vampire Slayer to starring in Hong Kong films like Angel Terminators 2. It is nice to see her in action, but her abilities are not taxed enough. Korean actress Karen Kim actually plays two roles, the Japanese woman killed by Ratliff and she also plays her sister, Kimiko. Despite her ample fight scenes, she provides more eye candy than anything else. The only other notable player is action director Andy Cheng. He has a small role, but displays the single best move in the film. During a pitched battle on the island, he takes a running leap and does an incredible twirling double kick into the chest of one of the SEALs. It’s worth a replay or two. He also deserves credit for extracting fight sequences that compare favorably with most modern martial arts films. He’s a genuine talent behind and in front of the camera worth keeping an eye on.

As a complete film, I recommend you keep your expectations in check. U.S. Seals 2 is arguably better than its predecessor in terms of martial arts, but the rest of the film is the same direct-to-video grade material. Personally, I had little trouble wading past all of that to dive into the action. The film’s pacing is consistently fluid and the action is exaggerated, but fierce.

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