Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie
HomeMartial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie 
Vinegar Syndrome ArchiveVinegar Syndrome | 1990-1991 | 2 Movies | 180 min | Rated R | Nov 27, 2020
Price
Movie rating
Movie has not been rated yetBlu-ray rating
| Users |  | 0.0 |
| Reviewer |  | 4.5 |
| Overall | | 4.5 |
Overview
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover (1990-1991)
In MARTIAL LAW, Sean Thompson (Chad McQueen) is a tough as nails, martial arts master, LA street cop with the appropriate nickname of "Martial Law." After a body is discovered bearing telltale signs of "Dim-Mak," or 'death touch,' Sean and his female partner Billie Blake (Cynthia Rothrock) take on the case, which soon leads them to ruthless crime lord Dalton Rhodes (David Carradine) whose kung fu fighting band of thugs is preparing to unleash bloody mayhem on the city. All the while, and unknown to Sean, his younger brother Michael has become one of Dalton's henchman… The saga continues in MARTIAL LAW UNDERCOVER when the body of a cop is found dead in a park, Sean Thompson and his kickboxing, crime fighting partner Billie Blake are hot on the trail of suspects, which leads them to a high-end nightclub where rich and powerful men are entertained by beautiful women and high-stakes martial arts fighting. Billie decides to go undercover in order to expose the shocking truth about the club and its patrons before more bodies turn up... Co-starring the queen of 90s kickboxing cinema, Cynthia Rothrock, these action packed, direct-to-video classics are making their Blu-ray debut from Vinegar Syndrome Archive, newly restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives.
| Martial arts | 100% |
| Action | Insignificant |
Specifications
Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
See individual releases
Subtitles
English SDH
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Playback
Region A (locked)
Review
Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video | | 4.5 |
| Audio |  | 4.0 |
| Extras | | 3.5 |
| Overall | | 4.5 |
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 30, 20211991’s “Martial Law” and 1992’s “Martial Law II: Undercover” were meant to showcase the martial arts abilities of its leading men, but someone, somewhere had the idea to bring in Cynthia Rothrock for support. Showcasing tremendous agility and comfort with action choreography, Rothrock ends up stealing both features, which are offered a fresh view from Vinegar Syndrome, who pull the movies off the bottom shelf and restore their cinematic potential with a brand new double feature release.
Click here for a review of Martial Law
Click here for a review of Martial Law II: Undercover
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
See above for reviews.
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
See above for reviews.
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Martial Law
- "Declaring Martial Law: The Birth of the Female Action Star" (28:39, HD) includes interviews with director Steven Cohen, star Cynthia Rothrock, and stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt. The three share their origin stories, working hard to get into the Hollywood system, with Cohen a second unit director on "The Goonies." Rothrock details her martial arts training and desire to prove herself in a male-dominated sport, facing overwhelming sexism at every turn. She moved to big screen glory in Hong Kong, exposed to heavy stunt work as she was positioned to be "the new Bruce Lee," eventually making her way back to America for "Martial Law." Rothrock points out the differences between shooting in L.A. vs. Hong Kong, and everyone shares memories of co-star David Carradine, who was often drunk on-set and refused to work with a stunt double. Cohen admits the work favors action over storytelling, explaining his filmmaking mission. Stunt mishaps are remembered, and the true power of a lethal palm strike is debated. A celebration of "Martial Law" and its success closes out the interviews.
- Outtakes (5:12, HD) offer a few lost moments from "Martial Law," presented without sound.
- And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, HD) and a Video Trailer (3:23, SD) are included.
- "Under the Law: How a Hit Became a Franchise" (19:06, HD) reunites with producer Steve Cohen, star Cynthia Rothrock, and stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt to discuss the making of "Martial Law II: Undercover." With the success of the original film, the producers provided a bit more budget and time to create a sequel, with Cohen taking on producer duties, while Kurt Anderson was promoted to the director's chair. The conversation examines the hiring of Jeff Wincott, who replaced "Martial Law" star Chad McQueen, but for reasons nobody wants to share, and with the new actor in play, Rothrock's presence was dialed down. Additional casting and body oil choices are recalled, while Pruitt was handed more responsibility the second time around, also sharing some BTS video he recorded during production. Rothrock explores her growing comfort as an actor at the time, and the trio do their best to explain some of the hair choices in the movie.
- And a Theatrical Trailer (1:49, HD) and a Video Trailer (1:31, SD) is included.
Martial Law/Martial Law II: Undercover Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
While hardly superb crime stories, the "Martial Law" movies have a certain low-budget, high-kicking charm, with the effort to bring eastern action to western productions creating steady entertainment. And there's Rothrock, who's immense fun to watch, making one wish that she was the sole star of the endeavors.