Prison on Fire II 4K 1991

After several years, it is difficult for me to judge why my review of the first film about ‘Prison Hell’ seems so absurd. Maybe it's because someone edited the review, cutting out a number of elements, or maybe I decided to experiment at that time. But it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that the film turned out to be completely extraordinary, brutal, and harsh. This predetermined my interest in the second film.
The lead role again went to Chow Yun-Fat, and Ringo Lam took on the directing duties. However, this time around, there was no “storm.” Instead of a stylish prison action movie, I saw only a pretentious drama. How else can you explain the experiences of a hero who wants to escape to his little son but constantly gets into trouble? In addition to the harsh administration that constantly beats him, the hero is framed, and now all the inmates of the prison take him for a snitch. In other words, all the charm of the first film, based on willpower and fortitude, is lost somewhere. The only memorable things are the “prison riot” and a very ordinary escape. It is quite acceptable genre cinema for the amateur. In comparison, Evgeny Serov's The Fighter may seem like a true masterpiece. Even Soviet prison films from the perestroika era, such as Lawlessness, seem like a delicacy in comparison.
The formulaic nature of the film ruins the whole experience—if it's the head of security, he's bound to be a sadist; if it's an escape, it's bound to be with the boss, who is respected in prison; if it's a showdown, it's a knife to the chest. In the end, the only thing that stands out in the film is the cheerful smile of Chow Yun-Fat, who has to survive many fights in this film. So, I can only describe the film as a forgettable, utilitarian picture that simply exploits the prison theme.