Code 8: Part II (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Follows a girl fighting to get justice for her slain brother by corrupt police officers. She enlists the help of an ex-con and his former partner, they face a highly regarded and well protected police sergeant who doesn’t want to be.

My Take – Released in 2019, at the height of superhero fame, director Jeff Chan and writer Chris Pare adapted their own 2016 short film, Code 8, to feature format with Arrowverse fame cousins Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell, who both lead and produced.

But despite starring known faces, and possessing a core plot that continues to be relevant as ever, that saw a world where 4% of the world’s population are super-humans, most of whom are struggling to survive in low-income areas, the film debuted with little fanfare and quickly disappeared.

That is until, a year later, the crowdfunded indie sci-fi flick debuted in the Netflix Top 10, prompting the streamer to greenlit a sequel. Even though a sequel series was in the works at the now defunct service Quibi.

Now five years later, with the key players returning and an obvious bigger budget, director Jeff Chan and his co-writers Chris Paré, Sherren Lee (Float) and Jesse LaVercombe (Float) have managed to surprise by improving upon what worked in the decently enjoyable original to deliver a thrilling continuation.

With a comparatively more compelling and better developed screenplay, the central conflict paves the way for better dramatic character arcs, adding necessary depth for both returning and new characters.

Sure, it adopts a familiar plot of a man saving a young girl and going through hell for her, but with a clear aim to kick-start a franchise, the film delivers a solid collection of charm and action sequences that keep the pace moving from beginning to end all the while expanding the scope of its universe. It’s a strong sequel that feels more complete.

Taking place a few years after the event of the first film, the story once again follows Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), an electric, who had gone on the run after having been part of an incident that resulted in the death of cops, but now having serving his time in prison, he intends to turn his life around.

Though his former partner-in crime, Garrett Kelton (Stephen Amell), a telekinetic who now runs the criminal network that distributes Psyke, a drug made from the spinal fluid of PWPs (people with powers), offers him a chance to join him as a favor for taking the fall for him, Connor refuses.

Six months later, Connor is working a janitor at a barren community center, while Garrett has aligned himself with Sergeant “King” Kingston (Alex Mallari Jr.), a Lincoln City cop who supported the transition from the android police, known as Guardians, to the no-kill dog robot K-9 units. While King aims to win the prestigious Union leadership role in the LCPD, he is also secretly supporting Garrett dealing with Psyke for a cut of his profits.

And when someone tries to steal his money, he has him killed, only for Pavani (Sirena Gulamgaus), the victim’s 14-year-old sister, to witness the murder, forcing King and his team to go after her. Leaving Pavani no choice but to rely on Connor to protect her which sets them opposite not only King but Garrett as well.

The sequel does a better job of world-building and that comes from the fact that the story gets away from the criminals versus the cops and turns it more into a disenfranchised versus authority tale. The idea of the powered minority being a thinly veiled allegory for racial intolerance is pretty on the nose, but it never feels forced.

Because the cops here are legitimately bad, it helps the story feel propulsive even though it is very familiar. Even the script feels more nuanced this time around with the characters having more to do than repeat the same clichéd actions again and again as they did in the 2019 film.

None of the characters feel as two-dimensional this time around despite the film hitting many familiar notes. Each time the story tries to employ a twist, it feels telegraphed and expected.

It also benefits from shifting the robotic villains from human androids to dog-like bots which adds some more dimension to the chases beyond gunfights. The special effects are very good, especially when the characters use their powers. Relying on some creative CGI in their eyes, the range of powers here adds some cool moments to the numerous action sequences throughout the film.

Performances wise, Stephen Amell once again thrives as an anti-hero with a gray moral code, a stark contrast with his most famous role of Oliver Queen/Arrow. His entertaining performance makes Garrett thoroughly unpredictable.

The bulk of the screen time is taken by Robbie Amell who is a bit more seasoned five years after the first film and plays Connor as less naive and more worn down by his time behind bars. While Amell does not tap into the humor he is known for, the actor makes Connor a kindhearted lead, anchoring the sequel’s energetic action sequences with hard-hitting drama.

Alex Mallari Jr. makes for an easy-to-hate antagonist, echoing some of the great sci-fi and action film villains from older flicks. Sirena Gulamgaus is both charming and fierce, and holds her own opposite the adult cast of the film with a very expressive range of emotions. In supporting role, Jean Yoon and Aaron Abrams manage to leave an impact. On the whole, ‘Code 8: Part II’ is a solid super-powered sequel with solid action sequences and a better story.