Strike of the Panther was shot back to back with its prequel - Day of the Panther. The film is a straight continuation of the story and pickes up exactly where the previous move left off.
The film is more of the same, although it feels a bit more cobbled together. However the fights are still quite good, and that's all that matters.
If I'm honest, there was no need for two films. Both movies could have been edited down to one 2-Hour feature by removing superfluous footage like the gym nonsense, love making scenes, and the 10 minute callback at the start of the sequel.
This would have made the excellent fight action far more regular without having to wade through the excessive cheese. Just have the first Baxter fight in the middle of the film, and make the second half about his revenge. Then have it end in the really cool factory battle against the ninjas. The two films are so similar in style and execution that they would seamlessly blend together.
Strike of the Panther feels a little like one massive setpiece padded out with unused material from the first film. The factory battle is really cool, but it takes up half the movie, and the film feels like it's struggling to get to its 90 minute runtime by padding the first half.
Still, it has some good high-kicking action, and the cheddar is all part of the charm.
Go in to this knowing what it is, and you'll have a blast!
