Bad Asses (2014)

The “epic beard man” is back! Danny Trejo, who became well-known thanks to his part in Robert Rodriguez movies like Desperado and Machete, is back in his role as Frank Vega, better known as Bad Ass. He is a war veteran who has become famous in his town because he stood up against some skinheads during a bus ride and kicked their asses. The first movie was based on a Youtube movie and managed to surprise me in a positive way. It was a throwback to the action movies of the eighties and nineties and so is this sequel. As the title already suggests Bad Ass is not alone this time.

After the events of the first movie Frank Vega lives a quiet life. He is running a boxing school where he is preparing many young men for their matches. One of his biggest talents, who Frank considers a son, is about to fight a big match. Unexpectedly Frank receives the news that his fighter has been murdered and once he finds out why he decides to seek revenge. The owner of the liquor store next to the boxing school, Bernie Pope (Danny Glover), decides to help him as he only has a couple of weeks to live. Because of that he is willing to take any risk. The two go head to head with a big drug dealer who does everything in order to get rid of them.

The story of Bad Asses is pretty similar to the original film, but let’s be honest the story is not the reason you watch these type of movies. You know they are filled with clichés and that there won’t be huge surprises. Movies like this are about action and fun and in Bad Asses delivers those. The interaction between Glover and Trejo is enjoyable and it is clear they both have fun playing these characters. Despite the simple material Trejo injects his character with heart and charm which even makes the most cheesy moments feel genuine. For fans of the first movie this second part offers more of the same, which in this case is not a bad thing at all.