Return to Savage Beach Blu Ray Review (Mill Creek Entertainment)
Return to Savage Beach (aKa L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies: Return to Savage Beach & Savage Beach 2) is a 1998 independent action film written & directed by Andy Sidaris (Savage Beach, Day of the Warrior, Malibu Express, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Picasso Trigger, & Seven). It was produced by by Christian Drew Sidaris (Enemy Gold & The Dallas Connection) & Arlene Sidaris (Day of the Warrior, Fit to Kill, Hard Hunted, Do or Die, & Guns). It’s the final film from the L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies franchise/universe. It’s a direct sequel to both Savage Beach & Day of the Warrior.
The L.E.T.H.A.L. Force (Legion to Ensure Total Harmony and Law), a top-secret government agency comprised of the world’s most attractive plus deadly mean & women. The elite group which includes Tiger (played by: Shae Marks from Black Scorpion, Day of the Warrior, Love Stinks, & Terminators ’96), Cobra (played by: Julie K. Smith from The Dallas Connection, Day of the Warrior, Angel III, & The Hills Have Thighs), Shark Fu (played by: Gerald Okamura from Big Trouble in Little China, Ninja Busters, Rapid Fire, The Dallas Connection, & Showdown in Little Tokyo), Warrior (played by: Marcus “Buff” Bagwell from WCW, TNA, Terror Tract, & Day of the Warrior), & Doc Austin (played by: Paul Logan from Blazing Force, Komodo vs. Cobra, Mega Piranha, & Puppet Master: Axis Termination) plus others with the help of commander Willow Black (played by: Julie Strain from Enemy Gold, The Dallas Connection, Out for Justice, Psycho Cop Returns, Heavy Metal 2000, & Sorceress 1/2) take on this disastrous mission. The ruthless Rodrigo Martinez (played by: Rodrigo Obregón from Savage Beach, The Dallas Connection, Enemy Gold, & Collateral Damage) will do anything to execute his plans & no one is safe now. Two computer disks hold the secret to the location of the treasures. When the one disk filed away in the L.E.T.H.A.L. Force archives is stolen, it triggers an international challenge of brains, beauty & brawn to insure that virtue will prevail over vice. Using the talents of this most unique bevy of undercover agents, this high-speed adventure travels from the bayous of Louisiana, to the luster of Beverly Hills, to the mystery of the Hawaiian tropics, combining fast cars, streamlined jets, watercraft & high-tech weapons. Who will survive this dangerous adventure????
Return to Savage Beach was the final film of cult director Andy Sidaris. It was much better than the previous Day of the Warrior where Sidaris made his return after being retired for a few years. This is a direct follow up to both the original Savage Beach & Day of the Warrior featuring all kinds of familiar faces from past Sidaris productions. The script is lots of fun, they know exactly what type of movie they are making here. Andy Sidaris delivers on the Bullets, Bombs & Babes when it comes to this long awaited sequel. This one is pure entertainment, there’s never a dull moment in this. The late Rodrigo Obregón always outshined everyone in these low budget independent productions. He was a chameleon, he looked completely different in most of them. He really got into his roles & it’s a shame he didn’t more with his career. The rest of the cast is the typical over the top performances that you would expect from this legendary cult director so don’t expect any Oscar worthy stuff in this. Sidaris always had a great visuals. cinematography, & beautiful locations. The women in Return to Savage Beach are smoking hot & they provide some top notch nudity here. These features were all over Cinemax late at night when I was younger. Turn off your brain & enjoy the experience. Never take these serious because they are nothing but entertainment & eye candy. This one is actually a little under-rated, RECOMMENDED!!!!
Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Mill Creek Entertainment! This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer is from a newer 4K restoration. It’s the best it’s ever looked on anything especially home video. This low budget action flick has nice locations & they shine here. The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is a huge improvement from the past & it sounds great here. All of the dialogue is very clean, the non stop action is elevated, & the music has a killer boost to it. It also has English SDH subtitles.
Let’s discuss the special features from Mill Creek Entertainment! It has an “Intro” with director Andy Sidaris & actress Julie Strain. They show off some artwork for posters & home video releases for the feature. They joke around a little. Julie shows off her goods here. They bring up some of the upcoming special features. It has an “Audio Commentary” with Andy Sidaris & Arlene Sidaris. They go over all the usual topics when it comes to covering a production. Plus they tell a few stories which are very entertaining. It’s full of information about Return to Savage Beach plus it’s previous sequels. It has a little over 42 minute “Behind the Scenes” extra. Andy Sidaris was ahead of the times when it came home video. He always put together some nice features for his early releases. This has a completely different intro for Return to Savage Beach with director Andy Sidaris & actress Julie Strain. They chat a little bit about the film. They mention & pay tribute to actor Rodrigo Obregón. It has video footage & commentary for Return to Savage Beach. Andy & his wife go over the film making process a little bit over the clips. It has location footage from Hard Hunted. Julie K. Smith does some promo with Joe Bob Briggs. It has location footage plus unreleased scenes from Return to Savage Beach. They go over a variety of scenes & clips from Rodrigo Obregón in various Sidaris productions. They chat about the actor & his roles in these films. They show off some of his on screen deaths & difference in characters over the years. It has a “Trailer Reel” featuring every Malibu Bay release that Mill Creek has put out. It also has a MovieSpree digital code. Mill Creek always provides a great price when it comes to their releases so this is a must own when it comes to consideration for adding to the low budget action collection. Bullets, Bombs & Babes! It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!
