Director – Enzo G. Castellari (The New Barbarians)
Starring – Mark Gregory (1990: The Bronx Warriors), Henry Silva (Code of Silence), and Valeria d’Obici (Midnight Killer)
Release Date – 1983
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “They’re back and out for blood”
Tonight I wrap up the third review in a post-apocalyptic triple feature that I have Blue Underground to thank for that. Recently Blue Underground released three Enzo G. Castellari films. Those films were The New Barbarians, 1990: The Bronx Warriors and that film’s sequel Escape from the Bronx. These three films are cult classics when it comes to 80s post-apocalyptic action films.
Sadly, I had not seen any of these before until Blue Underground sent me review copies of them. I checked out New Barbarians first and the film was by far the weakest of the three but 1990 really picked it up and set the tone for the sequel. Thanks BU for hooking me up!
**Spoiler Alert**The film takes place several years after 1990: The Bronx Warriors. Trash is the only Rider left alive and has been roaming the Bronx alone. A giant corporation is intent on tearing the Bronx apart and building on it. They attempt to clear the population out of the area but soon turn to lethal force and start killing everyone they come in contact with. Several people of the Bronx has banded together underground and plan on fighting back but soon learn they are not enough in numbers.
Trash is brought into the mix when his parents are killed and they all come up with a plan to kidnap the president of the corporation and hold him until they leave the Bronx. They are able to get him but things don’t go as smoothly as they would like and they quickly learn something far more sinister is going on.**Spoiler Alert**
Sequels usually are met with skepticism with a majority of fans bitching about the release. Frankly, I love a good sequel and remake even though we get more shitty ones than good. 1990: The Bronx Warriors was a pretty fucking good film and the thought of a watching a sequel excited me. The film was not as good as the first but was still fucking awesome.
The acting in this one is more of 1990. Once again Gregory make mes laugh by the way he carries himself but the film does put him in more action oriented roles and the viewer forgets that. The remainder of the cast does a great job at keeping the story rolling but none stand out.
The story for this one is just more of the same but out star is now alone and outnumbered. This makes the viewer feel bad for Trash and really puts him on the viewer’s level. The story also has a lot more action than the first but it does become repetitive. Also, the film has several kills scenes but they are just more of what we got in the first film with gunfire and explosions. This is another thing the first film done better. The practical effects are also very minimal and really lacked imagination.
Finally, this release is once again remastered to 1080p and features several great special features. Those are commentary with director Enzo, Conversation Part III, The Hunt for Trash, trailers, stills, and posters. Overall, Escape from the Bronx from Blue Underground is another impressive release. The film looks good, fun to watch, and has some great special features. Check it out!
