It’s a struggle for sure, but Matty reckons there are a few points of note in this otherwise dud sequel.

The DTV Die Hard (1988) riff is defined by how closely it emulates its source material. John McTiernan’s bombastic masterpiece is a perfect action movie and its best imitators stick to its structural and tonal template, tweaking only settings, casts, and the scale of set pieces to match their budgets. Those that get a sequel or a companion piece — the likes of Demolition High (1996) and Crash Dive (1996) for example — sport an extra trademark. They crib from Die Hard *and* their predecessors in roughly equal measure, imbuing said follow-ups — Demolition University (1997) and Counter Measures (1998) — with another layer of intertextuality that, in a roundabout way, emphasises how the B-movies cannibalise themselves as well as their A-list inspirations. 

Sadly, in terms of quality, such an approach — copying a copy — frequently yields a diminished return; a trait NO CONTEST II embodies. Much of a muchness, No Contest II is effectively the same as its antecedent with two changes: 

The venue has been switched from a plush high rise hotel to an art gallery. 

And Andrew Dice Clay is replaced by Lance Henriksen as the villain. 

Both alterations work to the film’s detriment.

Having successfully managed to avoid producers Norstar Entertainment recruiting him to direct an instalment of their Prom Night series – a series he helped establish, no less – Paul Lynch, helmer of the original No Contest (1995), is brought back to shepherd the first and, to date, last part two of his career. This time, though, his cool visuals and focus on energy, movement, and waggish sadism are kneecapped by the smaller location. No Contest had its saggy patches, but something amusing or exciting was never more than another scene away. Here, there are only so many ways Lynch can make people endlessly skulking up and down corridors, and in and out of sparsely dressed rooms visually and atmospherically interesting.

Henriksen, meanwhile, submits a similarly trying performance. No Contest had Clay hamming for all his worth, treating it as his chance to prove his chops as an actor. No Contest II finds Henriksen on alimony duty. A crying shame because his character and, indeed, the film’s premise read brilliantly on paper:

Henriksen plays the son of Josef Mengele, and his grand plan involves holding countries to ransom with some old Nazi nerve gas — a diabolical scheme that Shannon Tweed, reprising her role of sexy arse-kicker Sharon Bell, stumbles into and has to stop, John McClane-style. 

Despite being an absolute slog to get through, No Contest II isn’t entirely meritless — and nor is it the worst Die Hard variation on Tweed’s resume (that dubious honour goes to The Last Hour (1991), whereupon the erotic thriller empress does the Bonnie Bedilia bit). There are a handful of decent dramatic moments between Tweed and Jayne Heitmeyer (as Bell’s estranged sister, gallery owner Bobbi), and perennial bad guy Bruce Payne passes muster in a rare leading man spot.

Subtitled ‘Access Denied’ on screen, No Contest II was released on VHS in the U.K. in early 1998 by High Fliers, a longtime distributor of Norstar’s wares (witness: Liar’s Edge (1992), The Dark (1993), The Club (1994)). It was released in the U.S. on 17th February 1998 by A-Pix who opted to brand the film as a standalone, rechristening it ‘Face the Evil’.

Canada ● 1996 ● Action ● 86mins

Shannon Tweed, Lance Henriksen and Bruce Payne ● Dir. Paul Lynch ● Wri. Richard Beattie, story by Michael Stokes