This prequel to the 1984 was actually shot simultaneously and is a better film. This is because the subject matter is less cartoony - the stakes are bigger. It's about a group of American soldiers kept as POWs for years after the war is over - that's inherently moving: they're cut off from the world, their own life, they have wives and kids back home.
There is actually some character development among the support players - an American who has turned traitor, a prisoner wanting to be reunited with his kid, the commandant is obsessed with breaking Norris in a vaguely homoerotic way. This helps the writers with the challenge of keeping the audience interested while Norris is chained up.
They also throw in some torture scenes (Norris has his face gnawed off by a rat), a visit by an Australian (an effective moment). And Chuck escapes with over 30 minutes to go so he kicks some arse.
It doesn't have the great 80s craptacular moments of instalment one but there are some: Norris' initial appearance in sunglasses and hat striding on to a chopper, Norris beating up the baddy going "this is for McAlister... this is for Ryan... and this... is for me".
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