In some ways, you could be forgiven for considering this one only a borderline example of blaxploitation. It certainly isn't an exploitation film in any way and plays more like a standard secret agent action movie, where the heroine just happened to be black. The previous Cleopatra Jones film was another which was a little more family-friendly so-to-speak, with less salacious content than was normal for the genre and establishment friendly narcotic agent heroine, yet it still had Cleopatra kicking about the streets of L. A. knocking drug peddlers about. In this one, like in jet-setting action movies such as the James Bond series - the action is wholly switched to an exotic location, in this case Hong Kong. Of course, that allows the film to tap into the then massively popular kung-fu film craze. Two undercover agents go missing in Hong Kong and a female drug queen is thought to be responsible - Cleopatra Jones is sent over to sort it out.
It has to be said that this is an inferior sequel, with Cleopatra taking too much of a backseat, with the Hong Kong angle amplified at her expense. Its not to the films advantage, as the title character is the star attraction here and its her we want to see more than anything. It also feels like the blaxploitation element has been too diluted in general, which is hardly too surprising given the location. Statuesque Tamara Dobson is still a good presence here, with Stella Stevens doing some good things as the evil female gang boss role, covered by Shelley Winters in the previous movie. But mainly this one is too much of a generic action romp and it does lose the off-the-wall element which makes the best blaxploitation films so enjoyable.
It has to be said that this is an inferior sequel, with Cleopatra taking too much of a backseat, with the Hong Kong angle amplified at her expense. Its not to the films advantage, as the title character is the star attraction here and its her we want to see more than anything. It also feels like the blaxploitation element has been too diluted in general, which is hardly too surprising given the location. Statuesque Tamara Dobson is still a good presence here, with Stella Stevens doing some good things as the evil female gang boss role, covered by Shelley Winters in the previous movie. But mainly this one is too much of a generic action romp and it does lose the off-the-wall element which makes the best blaxploitation films so enjoyable.