Well, at least Code 8 Part II is better than Code 8 (part I). Which isn’t saying much since both are low energy, morose, generic action thrillers with two, two, two sci-fi premises in one. You remember Code 8, don’t you? No? I swear it’s a movie that exists. Just ask Netflix.

The flick exists in a world with superpowered people and a robotic police force… but really it takes place in a generic city full of crime and corruption. Our hero from the first film gets out of his prison and immediately falls into a conspiracy. The cops have replaced their killer robots with robodogs who are up to no good (again) so he must protect a teen girl who Knows Too Much.

Yeah, this is a generic neo noir corruption/man-on-the-run film with sci-fi window dressing. It’s barely interested in its sci-fi premises… preferring to make them background noise they break out once in a while. Both the superpowers and the robot dogs are just gimmicks since the same crime and corruption story could be told without them.

But this time they tack on the father figure protects daughter figure trope… and since Logan exists and also has superpowers and robots, Code 8 is basically a gloomy derivative knock-off. Hey, we can toss The Last of Us in there too and point out this new film is overly-dour, self-serious too… but even The Last of Us knew it could be funny.

Code 8 Part 2 is at least better than the first film… I’m not entirely sure why though. Perhaps just because the disappointment of seeing a mashup of sci-fi tropes wasted on a generic crime thriller is no longer a surprise. Or maybe it actually is slightly better? I dunno. I didn’t hate it as much but, at the same time, I was still pretty bored.

Score: 66