Scanner Cop II

Summary

“I’m waiting for you… SCANNER COP!!”

Film distributor Vinegar Syndrome believes that all types of cinema should be celebrated. I recently viewed their release of both Scanner Cop and Scanner Cop II, two mid-Nineties action/sci-fi films. Vinegar Syndrome has given both films brilliant 4K UHD transfers. As a child of the Nineties, I find myself drawn to the science fiction of my youth. Even the straight-to-video science fiction of that era sparks my imagination and takes me back to that time. As I said in my review of the first part of this set, I was charmed and entertained by Scanner Cop. Scanner Cop II is a solid sequel to the first film. While it does not surpass the first film overall (in my opinion,) it features some really enjoyable sequences and ideas. Fans of the first film will definitely enjoy the direction that the second film moves towards.

As the film begins, a man (Patrick Kilpatrick) is brought to the Daviston Sheriff Station in the back of a police car. He had assaulted a police officer. Dr. Tom Walton (Allan Kolman) is called in to help. The man in custody is Karl Volkin. He had emphemerol pills in his possession at the time of arrest. As Tom inspects Volkin, Volkin uses his scanning ability to take control of the officer behind Tom. The officer kills Tom under his control. Volkin kills the officers and leaves the station in a police car. He is out for revenge on Detective Staziak (Daniel Quinn.) At a clinic for scanners, Carrie Goodart (Khrystyne Haje) works to help end the stigma about scanners. Detective Staziak comes to her office with hopes of tracking down his mother, which she has been helping him to accomplish. Sam is called away. He is brought in by Captain Jack Bitters (Robert Forster) during a hostage negotiation. Terrorists are inside of a building and making demands. Sam uses his scanning abilities to address the situation and take out the terrorists. Meanwhile, Carrie has a breakthrough on locating Sam’s mother. Volkin shows up at her office and after a scanning showdown he forces her to show him information on Sam. Volkin then places his hands on her and begins to drain her of her scanning energy and she goes into shock. Sam soon realizes that Volkin has escaped from the institution where he placed him. Volkin wants Sam dead because Sam had used his scanning abilities to force Volkin to kill his own brother in a showdown during an attempted assault. Volkin has found a way to drain scanners of energy which breaks their bodies down in horrifying displays of force. As Volkin begins killing scanners in Los Angeles and absorbing their power, Sam prepares for a confrontation that will need him to us all of his abilities.

Scanner Cop II was green lighted for production at the same time as Scanner Cop and was made directly after the completion of the first film. In the second film, the idea of scanners is no longer a remote idea. Scanners are seemingly all over the place now. I like this change for the final Scanners film, because it allows for a lot of interesting sequences. Director Steve Barnett mentions that the film tried its best to be a type of vampire film due to Volkin’s life draining abilities. Looking at the film through that lens is interesting because the costuming choices for Volkin and the way in which Patrick Kilpatrick plays the role achieve what they were going for. Barnett is a pretty savvy director visually and he tried to play on those vampiric themes to bring out allusions to Nosferatu. Once you know this, you can’t unsee it when you watch the film.

Scanner Cop II has some tonality issues, and definitely comes off a little bit more goofy than I think it wanted to be, but it is still for the most part a worthy sequel to the first Scanner Cop. One of the biggest issues that the film faces is also one of its biggest strengths. The scanning sequences with Volkin are impressive but they also run a little bit long in parts. If in the editing room they had trimmed the shots slightly that show the concentration being exerted by the scanner, these sequences would be fantastic thanks to the well done effects work by John Carl Buechler. This issue is most apparent whenever Staziak and Volkin face off and there are numerous shots of them concentrating fiercely while staring at each other. That said, the finale showdown is still great in spite of this issue.

Highlights of the film include an off-the-wall performance by Patrick Kilpatrick as Volkin and a slumming performance by the great Robert Forster as the Captain Jack Bitters. Both of these actors are a joy to watch. It is hard to beat Patrick Kilpatrick in a villainous role. Kane Hodder has an amazing cameo during the hostage negotiation sequence. Daniel Quinn is back in action as Sam Staziak and turns in a performance every bit the equal of his acting in the first film.The effects work is really tremendous for the most part – especially in the final sequence. 

Overall – if you enjoyed Scanner Cop, you need to check out its sequel. While I enjoyed the first film more, I like the direction the film went in the second film.

Video

Like they did on the first film, Vinegar Syndrome has provided an excellent transfer of Scanner Cop II in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 in 2160p. Watching either the Blu-ray or the UHD, the film looks great. Given that this film was a straight-to-video release originally, the visual impact of their upgrade is amazing. The UHD has excellent fine detail. Like the other film in this set, this is essentially a perfect presentation of what was filmed. Fans of the film will surely want to purchase the UHD for the uptick in detail, but the Blu-ray of the film also looks fantastic. I plan to purchase any UHD titles that Vinegar Syndrome releases.

Audio

Similar to the video, the audio has been lovingly restored. Vinegar Syndrome has put a lot of care and attention to detail into the English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo track included for the film. Clarity is excellent and the track is much more immersive than you would think. Fans will be amazed at just how good it sounds.

Supplements:

The 4K disc only offers the commentary track as a supplement. All of the other supplements are located on the included Blu-ray disc.

• Commentary – director Steve Barnett sits down with Vinegar Syndrome’s Brad Henderson for a great discussion of the film which Brad calls one of the best sequels ever made. This is a great track for fans of the film.
• Outside the Law: The ‘Scanner Cop’ Revolution is a two-part making-of for Scanner Cop and Scanner Cop II. Presented with this film is “Part Two.” Directed by Elijah Drenner, this piece looks at the production of Scanner Cop II by producer Pierre David and director Steve Barnett. This excellent short documentary features interviews with Pierre David, Scanner Cop II director Steve Barnett, special effects artists James Rohland, Jeff Farley, and Tom Irvin, composer Richard Bowers, and actors Patrick Kilpatrick, Khrystyne Haje, and Stephen Mendel. Fans of the film will enjoy the stories told about the making of the film and the visual motifs that Barnett sought to achieve. Kilpatrick tells a great story about passing out numerous times while trying to practice his scanning sequences. Actor Daniel Quinn is also remembered. Despite its brevity, this is an excellent piece.
• Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4/5

Scanner Cop II is a well made sequel to Scanner Cop, but I did ultimately prefer the first film to the second. That said, the sequel has some excellent special effects work from John Carl Buechler and an enjoyable performance by Patrick Kilpatrick as the villainous Volkin. The film also benefits from a small role for Robert Forster. The sequel does a solid job of extending the world building from the first film. These releases have shown exactly how skilled Vinegar Syndrome has become with their 4K UHD offerings. Watching these straight-to-video films in the 4K format, I was really impressed by their results. Fans of the first film will definitely enjoy the second. The documentary made by Elijah Drenner over the course of both films is very well made despite its short running time. The set that includes both Scanner Cop and Scanner Cop II on 4K UHD ranks as one of my favorite releases by the label thus far!

Note: This film is currently only for sale bundled with Scanner Cop. I would encourage a blind buy of the set if you are on the fence.