ROPE A DOPE 2 Is One Of The Best American Fight Comedies Ever Made. Watch It Now.

It seems reductive to say that Rope A Dope 2 is the best thing to emerge from The Stunt People community to date. It's true, I think, and given that The Stunt People have been very good at what they do for a very long time that's certainly saying something. But this is more than that. A bunch more. It's one of the best martial arts comedies ever to emerge from North America on any level - whether big budget or indie - and judged on any basis. Direction, performance, choreography ... everything is simply fantastic.

For those unfamiliar, the original Rope A Dope was essentially a martial arts Groundhog Day with leading man Eric Jacobus living the same sequence of events over and over until he learns to fight and overcome a villainous martial arts gang. This time? More of the same, though you get it from the other side as well with one member of the villain's side - played by Dennis Ruel - also repeating the same sequence with both learning and adapting from every subsequent encounter.

So, what makes this great?

First, there's the direction. Jacobus co-directs with Pete Lee and the duo do a fabulous job, presenting a story efficiently - I'd maybe consider tightening up the beginning just a bit as the rules are established but once it gets rolling it's full steam ahead - and with ample style.

Then there's performance. Did I mention there's no dialogue? Because there isn't, and yet Jacobus, Ruel, and the rest all develop their characters and convey the story and emotion seemingly effortlessly. There's an art to that. It aint easy.

Then there's the comedy. Fans of Jackie Chan will see an obvious influence, yes - there's not a comedic fighter in the world who could deny that influence - but the style and flavor here is purely their own. This thing oozes personality.

And then the fighting. Ooooooh, golly. The choreography is rich, varied and playful and these guys are going at it with speed, precision and power that simply cannot be faked. Watch for the cane work at the end. The silliest bits are also the hardest to actually pull off and they absolutely nail it.

This stuff is simply fantastic. Stop what you're doing and watch it right now. I'm including the original below it as well.