Debt Collectors (aka. the Debt Collector 2, Payday 2, with Scott Adkins & Louis Mandylor)

[laagi]

@KCN9NE Isn't amazon using geoblocking? Which would make it a germany only release.

Edited October 6, 2020 by laagi

[KCN9NE]

2 hours ago, laagi said:

@KCN9NE Isn't amazon using geoblocking? Which would make it a germany only release.

I have no idea. That would be kinda upsetting because next pay day I’m planning to get it 

[KUNG FU BOB]

On 10/1/2020 at 10:53 AM, KCN9NE said:

It was a Germany release. It was set up for late September. I found it on amazon in Germany. I wanna order it but have no idea how to navigate amazon with all German language 🤷🏿‍♂️ How do you guys order these from other countries?

I was in the same boat as you. I opened up the US version of Amazon to look at as a guide, as they're set up almost exactly the same, then  opened another window, went to https://www.amazon.com/amazon-de-deutschland/s?k=amazon.de+deutschland then I copied and pasted the pertinent German info into Google translate. Once you go through this hassle that first time, you've got everything set up and it is easy to use for all subsequent shopping.

I'm a big fan of Scott Adkins and have enjoyed almost all of his movies, so I show my support by purchasing physical media of his films. But I've grown a bit fussy and dislike buying DVDs if a Blu-ray is available. That means I've had to order several of his films from either the UK or Germany. BTW- Did you guys know that the US Blu-ray release of UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING is the cut, R-rated version, and that the UK Blu is the way to go if you want to see it in it's bloody, unrated version? But the US version has a killer, feature-length "Making of" that is not on the UK release... so yeah, I needed both versions.  But then a 3D BD became available in the UK... and uh... I needed that too.  I saw this at a special screening in Philly, and it was the uncut version and I believe it was in 3D too. My son's memorable introduction to Scott Adkins!

Anyway... I picked up the German BD's of PAYDAY (THE DEBT COLLECTORS) and INCOMING (this one is terrible) when they were released, and I ordered PAYDAY 2 (uh... THE DEBT COLLECTORS 2)  from there as well. Though there wasn't a problem when I ordered the first two, for the sequel they said they wouldn't ship to the USA (I had it shipped to my brother there, and he'll forward it to me next time we ship stuff to one another). So @KCN9NE just be aware that there's a possibility on some titles that they won't be available to ship to the US.

As for THE DEBT COLLECTORS 2, I couldn't wait after @gorhama pointed out that it was on Netflix, so I checked it out there. Like several others I also felt that it was a bit better than the first film. It's true that it's not the most amazing script and story, but the characters... I thoroughly enjoyed Adkins and Mandylor's performances as French and Sue so much that I didn't care. I was very happy to be "hanging out" with these two on their new adventure, and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout. French's reaction to the way Sue wakes up is great, and French's verbal beat-down of a tough guy at the boxing club, as @ShaOW!linDude mentioned, is a high point. There are also some realistically portrayed heartfelt moments between the two leads that elevated the film beyond the usual action movie's levels. I dug all the fisticuffs action a lot, and appreciate seeing characters that are badasses but still take a beating in some cases. The gun battle is... dire. That's the one really poorly shot and edited action scene in there. But one bad french fry doesn't ruin the rest. I watched this about a week ago, and I already feel like I'd like to see it again. Good stuff! 

[KUNG FU BOB]

On 10/2/2020 at 11:51 PM, One Armed Boxer said:

Just load it through Google Chrome and have it translate the page to English.

Or... uh, yeah... you could take the easy route like @One Armed Boxer recommended. I mean... if you like doing things "the easy way".

[gorhama]

On 10/6/2020 at 11:17 PM, KUNG FU BOB said:

As for THE DEBT COLLECTORS 2, I couldn't wait after @gorhama pointed out that it was on Netflix, so I checked it out there. Like several others I also felt that it was a bit better than the first film. It's true that it's not the most amazing script and story, but the characters... I thoroughly enjoyed Adkins and Mandylor's performances as French and Sue so much that I didn't care. I was very happy to be "hanging out" with these two on their new adventure, and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout. French's reaction to the way Sue wakes up is great, and French's verbal beat-down of a tough guy at the boxing club, as @ShaOW!linDude mentioned, is a high point. There are also some realistically portrayed heartfelt moments between the two leads that elevated the film beyond the usual action movie's levels. I dug all the fisticuffs action a lot, and appreciate seeing characters that are badasses but still take a beating in some cases. The gun battle is... dire. That's the one really poorly shot and edited action scene in there. But one bad french fry doesn't ruin the rest. I watched this about a week ago, and I already feel like I'd like to see it again. Good stuff! 

I couldn’t agree more with this review.  The banter and chemistry between Adkins and Mandylor was worth the price of admission.  
 

I’m all up for a third outing!!!

[Karlos]

Got to sit down yesterday, pour out a vodka and sit back and enjoy this.

And enjoy it I did, for the most part.

After a very solid opening -  

Spoiler

with them both joking about coming back from clearly being dead after the events of part 1 - hell, Adkins' character even conveniently forgets he took a bullet to the neck!

 - this went downhill for me quite fast - less humor, action and poignancy, with a messy, ambling story - and yeah, that final shootout!  Holy smokes, that was bad!

Still, always nice to see Adkins in fine form, and Mandylor was just fantastic again. 

Roll on part 3, I hope!

[Karlos]

BTW, here's the link to the 2 film collection from Amazon Germany:

https://www.amazon.de/Debt-Collector-Double-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B084YZT473/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&dchild=1&keywords=adkins+mandylor&qid=1602503844&sr=8-2

Open in Chrome and hit "translate".

I'm guessing it's region B, but please check before ordering.

[FightingFool]

I think as martial arts movie this definitely not deliver. As action comedy perhaps. First fight when thugs did enter to bar was good, after that close to zero in MA department. Just some basic punches and few kicks. Final shootout so silly but as comedy OK. I have not seen part 1 but this felt like another Scott run of the mill flick just to make some money.

[DrNgor]

I caught this on Netflix this morning. It was pretty good. I think I liked the first one more, although this one had a little more martial arts. It didn't have as many fights in total, though. The big fight between Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor was so long that it felt like an homage to the Roddy Piper/Keith David brawl from John Carpenter's They Live. The final shootout was no John Woo, but it was a little more satisfying than the finale to the first one.

Character-wise, the film was well written. I do like watching Mandylor play his a role a little more vulnerable than before. I preferred Adkins' more "fish out of water" character from the first film than his impatient cynic here. 

I don't think the torture scene was needed. But then again, it played out the way Scott Adams says these things do when he complains about modern movies that I couldn't help but shake my head when the scene went in that direction.