‘Kindergarten Cop 2’ Trailer: What Is This Sequel And What Does It Do?
There has always been a big market for direct-to-video sequels. Back in the Ye Olden Tymes, you could walk down the “New Releases” section of your friendly neighborhood video rental establishment and find low-rent sequels to some of your favorite hits from a decade earlier. The connections to the original film usually ended with the title, but there was something oddly fascinating about this kind of junk. These movies existed simply to trick uninformed movie viewers into watching something rushed out on the cheap just because it has a familiar title.
And while we may be living in the age of streaming, it’s nice to see this ugly, low-budget torch picked up by the likes ofKindergarten Cop 2. The first trailer forthis 26-years-in-the-making sequelhas arrived and it looks just about as bad as you’d expect for a 2016 family comedy starringDolph Lundren.
Yes,Kindergarten Cop 2has replacedArnold Schwarzeneggerwith Dolph Lundren, which is a fascinating downgrade. After all, these two are weird reflections of one another. Both are musclebound European action stars whose early battles with the English language represent as huge part of their appeal. Both have a shocking amount of intelligence lurking behind their meathead frames, with Schwarzenegger famously breaking into politics and Lundgren holding a degree in chemical engineering. And while both have fallen out of the spotlight in the past decade or so, Schwarzenegger remains widely beloved and Lundgren is the guy you get to star inKindergarten Cop 2. Lundgren is the B-tier Arnold, the surprisingly intelligent muscle man whodoesn’thave an impressive legacy to fall back on. It’s a little sad, but contemplating that sadness is the key to appreciating Lundgren as a performer and a presence.
In any case, any appreciation you do have for this mealy-mouthed Swede will be tested when you actually click play on theKindergarten Cop 2trailer below:
Yikes. SoKindergarten Cop 2looks like a remake of the first film, withanotherinscrutably accented action hero going undercover at a school. Naturally, he teaches the kids and they teach him and so on and so forth. The firstKindergarten Copis not a particularly good movie, but at least it had Schwarzenegger operating at the peak of his powers, when every sinewy muscle on his body seemingly built and released infectious, airborne charisma. The sequel has Dolph Lundgren looking very, very tired.
Entertainment Weeklypremiered the trailer and they provided this brief synopsis:
Kindergarten Cop 2hits DVD and VOD onMay 17, 2016. You probably have better things to do with your time, but you’re going to watch it too, huh? I know I am. Because I am a sick, bad person with too much love for Dolph freakin' Lundgren.
