With solid action sequences and a better story, Code 8 Part II is an improvement over the original film.
PLOT: Connor is out of prison and working as a janitor at a community center, having cut ties with his former criminal associate Garrett. Connor’s attempt at staying out of trouble is destroyed when he’s forced to help 14-year-old Pav escape from a pack of corrupt officers led by Sergeant King. King uses the newly launched robotic K9’s to track Pav down, while Connor finds himself once again reaching out to Garrett and his crew for help, but can he trust the man who landed him in prison in the first place?
REVIEW: Back in 2016, Arrow star Stephen Amell and his cousin, Robbie Amell, crowdfunded the science fiction film Code 8, based on a short film of the same name. Directed by Jeff Chan, Code 8 was released theatrically in 2019 followed by a Netflix debut in 2020. During the start of the pandemic, Code 8 became a success on the streaming platform, and a sequel was greenlit the following year. Code 8 Part II picks up several years after the conclusion of the first film, set in a world where humans have developed various superpowers and live on the outskirts of modern society as lower-income workers. Where the first film was presented as a heist drama focused on Robbie Amell’s Connor Reed turning to a life of crime where he partnered with Stephen Amell’s Garrett Kelton, the sequel changes the dynamic and embraces a more rebellious underdog versus the system tale reminiscent of Gareth Edward’s The Creator but with a more street-level point of view. With solid pacing and special effects, Code 8 Part II is an improvement over the first film in every way and poised to kickstart a franchise.
At the end of Code 8, Connor Reed (Robbie Amell) failed to save his mother’s life after turning to a life of crime alongside criminal Garrett Kelton (Stephen Amell). With the ability to harness electricity, Connor took the fall for Garrett and spent the last five years in prison. Upon his release, Connor cuts all ties with Garrett and takes a job as a janitor. Garrett, meanwhile, has aligned himself with Seargent Kingston (Alex Mallari, Jr), a Lincoln City cop who supports the transition from android police, known as Guardians, to the no-kill dog robot K-9 units. As Kingston aims to win a prestigious leadership role in the LCPD, he is also secretly supporting Garrett dealing the superpower drug Psyche for a cut of the profits. When someone tries to steal his money, King has him killed. The victim’s sister, Pavani (Sirena Gulamgaus), witnesses the murder using her abilities which sends King and his team after her. Pavani must then rely on Connor to protect her which sets them opposite not only King but Garrett as well. This sets up the requisite double-crosses, triple-crosses, and more in a fairly straightforward story that turns the original film’s anti-hero story into a true hero’s journey.
Code 8 Part II opens with a brief explanation that the title refers to the illegal use of superpowers in the fictional Lincoln City and then uses an almost identical open credit sequence to the first film. Aside from that feeling of deja vu, Part II feels like an improvement over the first film in every way. Running just about five minutes longer than Code 8, Part II wastes little time in pairing Connor with young Pav. Pav has a target on her back due to what she has seen and Connor initially goes to Garrett for help seeing as the criminal owes him a favor for the prison stint. I expected the two Amells to have a closer relationship in this film than the first, but thankfully they are still reluctant to work together since Connor has a good core and wants to help Pav rather than use her to secure protection from Kingston and the cops. Stephen Amell, who was a solid anti-hero for years on The CW’s Arrow, is reliably good here and rarely strays from doing what is beneficial for him rather than what is right. The bulk of the screen time is taken by Robbie Amell who is a bit more seasoned five years after the first movie and plays Connor as less naive and more worn down by his time behind bars.
The other returning actor from the original film is Alex Mallari Jr. Mallari previously played Kingston in a single scene at the opening of Code 8 in a role that had zero consequence to the story. Bringing him back for an expanded role helps bridge the fact that Sung Kang does not reprise his role as Detective Park. Mallari, with a deep voice and intense presence, echoes some of the great sci-fi and action movie villains from 1980s flicks. Young Sirena Gulamgaus also holds her own opposite the adult cast of the movie with a very expressive range of emotions on her face. The story 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 Code 8 Part II.
Jeff Chan returns as director and co-wrote the film alongside the first film’s scribe Chris Pare and new writers Sherren Lee and Jess LaVercombe (Float). The script feels more nuanced this time around with the characters having more to do than repeat the same cliched actions again and again as they did in the first movie. 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. This is even more true when they try to twist a twist to keep us on our toes. While that may sound negative, the script tropes work thanks to the well-shot action sequences and the improved special effects. Code 8 Part II 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.
With a better story, better special effects, and better character development, Code 8: Part II builds on the core concept of the original film and expands the action. Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell deliver on characters they have come to know well for a movie that is reminiscent of late 1980s/early 1990s sci-fi action movies. Code 8 Part II is familiar and fairly formulaic but still delivers a solid collection of action sequences that keep the pace moving from beginning to end. With a setup for a third film, Code 8 Part II could kickstart a solid genre franchise that would be worth revisiting every few years for new tales. The first movie was a good heist tale and this sequel works as a protect-the-youngster yarn which could position the third film to take things in another direction entirely. Code 8 Part II is not going to blow away the Hollywood competition but it shows what a passionate group of filmmakers and actors can do when given the platform.
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