Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Darkman II: The Return of Durant Blu-ray Movie Review

The Departure of Neeson.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 4, 2019

Note: 'Darkman II: The Return of Durant" is also now available in a three-film set from Universal.

Note II: The film's title alone spoils critical plot points for this film and the previous. This review will touch on happenings from the end of 'Darkman' and the beginning of this sequel.

Darkman was Director Sam Raimi's entry into the 'Superhero' genre, even though the original film, and this one for that matter, fall more into the "vigilante" genre. The first film told the story of Scientist Peyton Westlake, then portrayed by the venerable (and young) Liam Neeson, who was badly disfigured at the hands of criminal boss Robert Durant, left for dead, somehow survived, and sought revenge on those who robbed him of most everything he had beyond his mind and determination. Raimi would eventually find great cinematic and financial success in a more mainstream Superhero trilogy, but he did not return for this direct-to-video sequel, or for the third (which must be considered for "the cheesiest of the cheesy" film subtitles in movie history), leaving the franchise in the mostly capable hands of Director Bradford May, who also served as the Director of Photography for both films.

Disfigured Scientist Peyton Westlake (Arnold Vosloo), a self-proclaimed "Creature of the Shadows" and now known as "Darkman," continues his work on creating a stable "second skin" to permanently cover his hideous wounds. He's still stuck where he has been for several years, with the synthetic skin deteriorating after 99 minutes when exposed to UV lighting. A magazine article points him to David Brinkman (Jesse Collins), a scientist who is researching the same field and may have made an important breakthrough. The two collaborate but matters are complicated when Westlake's nemesis, Durant (Larry Drake), makes a return to the land of the living following years in a coma after what appeared to be certain death in a helicopter crash. Durant, looking to make a splash in the illegal arms business, hatches a scheme to construct radical new weaponry to sell on the black market. He needs an out-of-the-way facility in which to work, which he finds in Brinkman's building. Durant offers the scientist one million dollars for the property, which Brinkman refuses, lands him in hot water, and eventually puts Darkman back at odds with his old arch enemy.

The film begins with a recap of the original Darkman, complete with several re-filmed shots with Vosloo replacing Neeson, who rather than once again dawn the grungy bandages for this sequel in 1995 instead made the wiser career choice to play the lead in Rob Roy. Vosloo is a capable replacement, handsome in his own "skin" and wearing the disfigurement makeup (which is eerily reminiscent of the famed Freddy Krueger makeup) proudly (in a role that would undoubtedly help prepare him for another role in which he would show similar facial incompleteness in The Mummy). Darke's turn as the physically imposing and seemingly un-killable bad guy Durant is limited by the story's linear and monotone construction, but he nails the part almost entirely on screen presence alone and makes for a decent enough foil to the title hero.

The story is of modest interest, with Darkman in the middle of a violent negotiation for the purchase of a building that ultimately leads the character through inner turmoil on whether to accept an offer that began in good faith (or in as good faith as is possible with a criminal like Robert Durant) but eventually becomes an offer seeped in blood. For the most part, it’s a flimsy excuse to allow Darkman and Durant to square off once again, though the film stretches credibility by returning him at all and using the soap opera-like excuse of an 800 day coma and a limp as the only after-effects of somehow surviving a helicopter crash and the subsequent explosion. Most of the action takes place with Darkman assuming various identities, mostly of Durant’s henchmen, which leads to some entertaining moments when temporary surprise is enough for Darkman to get the upper-hand or when Durant must choose who to shoot.

Darkman II: The Return of Durant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Darkman II: The Return of Durant arrives on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory with a decent and generally enjoyable 1080p transfer. The opening title sequence is badly damaged, disfigured to use the film's verbiage, with pops and speckles aplenty. In the opening minutes, badly faded blacks make an appearance, but at the same time black crush is apparent in some corners, creating a curious and somewhat troubling visual experience that tightens, for the most part, as the film progresses through its often darker visuals and scenes. Black levels find more even footing, rarely appearing perfect but enjoying a fairly steady stability towards the good end of the spectrum. Texturally, Darkman II plays with a decent filmic veneer about it, with grain modestly intense and largely even in presentation, a welcome visual style compared to today's less visually interesting (albeit more "clear") digital DTV constructs. The film isn't home to textural abundance, but core facial features are nicely revealed and environments, whether a low-light bar or a well-lit warehouse, enjoy good, firm complexity. The film's color palette is dull and desaturated by design, but gory and fiery reds, a few choice apparel examples, and a some other modest colors do present with adequate saturation within the film's context. There are some, albeit few, obviously upscaled standard definition shots intermixed throughout.

Darkman II: The Return of Durant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Darkman II: The Return of Durant features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The opening narration has a scratchy and muddy edge to it, not terribly obvious or distracting but there's a mild sense of something amiss. Dialogue is otherwise fairly straightforward, clean, and efficient. It images well towards the center of the stage and clarity and prioritization are solid enough. There are one or two exemptions, including a moment at the 17:52 mark when a little girl says "thank you, sir" and the sound is clearly very hollow and tinny. There are also a few examples of slightly amiss lip sync. The track otherwise works hard to extend itself to the edges. Music and effects take full advantage of the front-end width. A car chase and crash about six minutes in is one of the sonic highlights. Detailed debris and movement are highlights, and the track finds a good low end pronouncement even without the aid of a subwoofer channel at its disposal. An energy weapon fired at the 36-minute mark offers impressively deep and detailed weight and even almost creates a faux sense of surround detail. Ditto an explosion at the 58:52 mark. Gunfire is likewise a highlight, lacking a realistic weight but always elevating well beyond essentials. There is some nice reverb in Brinkman's warehouse as well. Fans couldn't hope for a significantly better listen under the two-channel constraints.

Darkman II: The Return of Durant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Darkman II: The Return of Durant contains a few interesting extras, including a commentary track (which is found under the "Audio" menu tab rather than the "Bonus" tab) as well as a television cut of the film. No DVD or digital copies are included.

• Audio Commentary: Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson sits down with Director/Cinematographer Bradford May to cover the film in detail: budget, tricks of the trade, shooting conditions, characters and performances, story, and more. A well-rounded and interesting track.
• Television Broadcast Version of the Film (480i, 1:29:25, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, ~1.33:1): Featuring Alternative and Extended Scenes (Full Frame - Standard Definition). The video quality actually isn't terrible but obviously pales in comparison to the 1080p presentation. The film is divided into nine chapters (the 1080p version features 13 chapter stops).
• Trailer (1080i, 1:40, ~1.33:1).
• VHS Promo (1080i, 3:31, ~1.33:1).
• TV Spot (1080i, 0:47, ~1.33:1).

Darkman II: The Return of Durant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Darkman II: The Return of Durant isn't at all bad for a DTV sequel. It doesn't miss much with the transition from Neeson to Vosloo and Larry Drake is as mean and physically imposing here as he was in the last film. The story is flimsy but the film is nevertheless a decent enough entertainer and a fair follow-up to the original. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray delivers decent video and audio. A couple of good extras are included, including a commentary track and an alternate cut of the film (albeit in standard definition). Recommended.