The opening credits of "Thunder II" are extremely reminiscent to those of the original "Thunder". In fact, I even paused and double-checked if I was watching the correct film, because the VHS-boxes accidentally could have gotten mixed up in my movie closet. Turns out that titular Navajo-hero Thunder is transported through the desert in the back of an old pick-up truck in part one, whereas he drives his own jeep in part two. Small detail, but it had me fooled for a minute! Anyways, "Thunder II" is a passable and sorely disappointing sequel, mainly because co-writer/director Fabrizio De Angelis incomprehensibly opted for a feeble PG-13 rating. Basically, this certificate means there are numerous of supposedly spectacular car chases and crashes, the latter always shot in dreadful slow-motion, but almost no casualties. Thunder returns to the same little Arizonan desert town that he wrecked in the original film, only now he's a law enforcer. You'd think they station him elsewhere, but no, of all the little redneck towns in Arizona they send him back to Yavapai County. Rusty Weissner, the same deputy who previously made Thunder's life a living hell, is still calling the shots in town and he possibly even became more corrupt, relentless and psychotic. With Sheriff Roger (wasn't he called Bill, by the way?) struggling with domestic problems, Rusty now doesn't even bother anymore to cover up his drug-trafficking and murdering of innocent Native Americans. Rusty is truly awesome and ought to run for President! He rams people's heads through the windshield, threatens helicopter pilots at gunpoint and frames his new colleague Thunder so that he gets send to a primitive and racist state prison. When our Indian hero can finally avenge himself, all he does is hang from a helicopter rope. I had good confidence that "Thunder II" would become an excessively violent and trashy exploitation knock-off, particularly because Dardano Sacchetti is also listed as a writer, but the sad truth is that it balances somewhere between a "Cannonball Run" and a "Police Academy" sequel. The car stunts are memorable, but mainly because nobody even bothered to make them look authentic. Instead of the characters, you can plainly see the stunt drivers with their helmets.
Review of Thunder II
