Selling an empire to fund a humanitarian foundation? Sounds noble, but in Largo Winch's world, it's like asking Elon Musk to become a Buddhist monk. It reeks of disaster, and naturally, everything goes south. Accused of crimes against humanity-because shoplifting would've been too mundane-our rumpled-suit billionaire has to play Indiana Jones in the Burmese jungle. Between convoluted twists and flashbacks that smell like discount cologne, this feels more like The Bold and the Beautiful pretending to be a thriller.
Sharon Stone joins the cast, and you wonder if it's a nod to Basic Instinct or a result of bad financial planning. Her character, who probably seemed badass on paper, barely makes an impact, instead serving as a "look, we're legit!" token. It's doubtful she even read the script before signing on. The result? She's as relevant to the plot as a rubber duck in a crocodile-infested swamp.
Comic purists will be screaming into the void. Once again, the writers have mashed multiple graphic novels together like toddlers with a 1000-piece puzzle. The storylines overlap, intertwine, and ultimately collapse under their own weight. It's entertaining, sure, but feels like watered-down whiskey-lacking the punch. A faithful adaptation would've been appreciated, but fidelity, it seems, isn't this franchise's strong suit.
Then there's the casting blunder. Swapping an actor between films is the kind of faux pas that immediately raises eyebrows. Freddy morphs into someone entirely new, as if no one would notice. But we noticed, Jérôme Salle. It's like slapping a Ferrari sticker on a Dacia-nice try, but it doesn't fly.
The action scenes partially redeem the film. They're paced well and keep things moving, but they're nothing groundbreaking. Tomer Sisley tries his best to embody a believable Largo, but he still falls short. He lacks that presence, that intangible "something" that could've made the film a guilty pleasure. Instead, it's more "meh, it's watchable."
Largo Winch II is like reheated leftovers in a microwave-it'll do in a pinch but lacks flavor. Between Sharon Stone's underutilized role, a wobbly cast, and plots hacked apart with a machete, the film misses out on its potential. Entertaining? Yes. Unforgettable? Definitely not. But hey, it's an okay way to kill an evening, and at least the Burmese scenery is gorgeous.
