History may be doomed to repeat itself, but does that mean we have to watch it over and over again? When there are Nazi zombies with doomsday devices, we just might be tempted.

The first OUTPOST featured Ray Stevenson (ROME, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE) and a cast of kick-ass mercenaries fighting undead Nazi storm-troopers circa World War II. Most of the killing took place in a claustrophobic bunker, where the good guys discovered a futuristic machine constructed by Third Reich occultists and scientists. The device’s mysterious electro-magnetic field kept evil apparitions trapped in a sort of cosmic amber; not quite alive, not quite dead… but quite deadly.

OUTPOST: BLACK SUN picks up in 1945, at the close of WWII, where we meet a shadowy German scientist working on a dangerous new technology which has the power to create an immortal army. Then, fast-forward to present day, where a NATO task force (Catherine Steadman, Richard Coyle, Clive Russell and Michael Byrne) is deployed to Eastern Europe to defeat a sinister enemy. It's their mission to prevent the rise of the Fourth Reich, and yes, it's as dangerous as it sounds.

The strength of both films is the fact that the Third Reich did indeed conduct bizarre scientific experiments on human beings, and the idea that zombies could be the result isn't actually too far-fetched. Add a few conspiracy theories, the hell of war, cool uniforms festooned with iconic symbols, and plenty of close-up gory deaths at the bony hands of the unstoppable undead, and you have the makings of a reasonably impressive sequel (not to mention the fact director Steve Barker returns for another tour of duty).

The cinematography is beautiful and sharp, making excellent use of contrasts, and does well to show just enough detail while obscuring some moments to mysterious effect. The acting is fine, and the story is interesting enough, but there are just too many balls in the air to keep track, and much is lost in the shuffle. There is eye-candy, but no real substance. Not that OUTPOST was especially thought-provoking, but it was spare and elemental. And in that one, the zombies were eerie and otherworldly; here, they're just marching, munching hordes present only to kill and be killed.

The makings are all there, but OUTPOST: BLACK SUN is often overly ambitious and the whole shebang winds up faltering under the strain.

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