MARTIAL LAW 2: UNDERCOVER (1991)
“Martial Law II: Undercover,” a 1991 direct-to-video action flick directed by Kurt Anderson, picks up after its predecessor with Sean “Martial Law” Thompson (Jeff Wincott), an LA cop and martial arts ace, diving into a new case. Sean’s partner, Billie Blake (Cynthia Rothrock), a kickboxing firecracker, joins him to investigate the murder of their friend Nick, a fellow officer found dead in a car with a hooker. The trail leads to The Tiffany Club, a ritzy hotspot run by Spencer Hamilton (Paul Johansson), a slick businessman masking a criminal empire of drugs, prostitution, and money laundering.
Nick’s death ties to Spencer’s goons—Breech (Billy Drago), a psycho enforcer, and Franz (Evan Lurie), a beefy martial artist—pushing Sean and Billie undercover. Sean poses as a bouncer, Billie as a bartender, infiltrating the club where cops and mobsters mingle. Tensions flare as Spencer’s mistress, Tiffany (Sherrie Rose), spills secrets, and Captain Krantz (Max Thayer), their corrupt boss, tries to sabotage the mission. The duo uncovers a shipment of drug money funding Spencer’s operation, but Breech sniffs them out, sparking a brutal ambush.
The film leans hard into ’90s DTV tropes—bar fights, car chases, and a warehouse showdown where Sean and Billie unleash fists and feet. Rothrock’s stunts dazzle, though Wincott’s stoic charm carries the buddy-cop vibe. In the climax, Sean battles Franz atop a high-rise, dodging a helicopter blade, while Billie takes down Breech. Spencer’s empire crumbles as Krantz is exposed, and justice prevails. PM Entertainment’s low-budget polish—explosions, synth beats—lifts it above its shaky script, earning cult love despite wooden dialogue. “Martial Law II” is a lean, mean action romp, spotlighting two genre icons in their prime, delivering kicks over coherence.
