Blade II (2002)

Genre

Action | Fantasy | Horror

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Gross, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Marit Velle Kile, Darren Crawford, Tony Curran, Santiago Segura

Storyline

Still pursuing his goal of slaying vampires, Blade (Wesley Snipes) forms an uneasy alliance with the Vampire Council in order to combat the Reaper vampires who feed on vampires.

Opinion

I knew Guillermo del Toro would have made Blade right, and he actually made quite a difference. In fact, Blade II not only is a huge improvement on its predecessor, but is the successful combination of horror and action, and manages to entertain.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is an outstanding film, because it still have some problems. The story isn't as brilliant as I wished, there are still some plot holes, but at least this time the few little twists keeps you engaged, and give you the push to go all the way. The action isn't spectacular, but it is quite enjoyable.

One of the biggest problems is the CGI. The computerised characters may look good, but they seem fake, and their movements looks even faker. The other big problem is with the characters: there is no development, some of them are not intriguing at all, and Frost was definitely a better, and most interesting villain than Nomak - but at least this time Blade needs more time to defeat the enemy.

Oh, the acting. I gotta say it, I really miss the comic-dramatic version of Snipes. Comparing him with the first film, he has certainly worked on his body, but I can't say the same about the acting. Kris Kristofferson is good, but wasted because of the wrong use of his character. Ron Perlman does a good job, and he really seems to be having fun. Leonor Varela does a good job - unfortunately her character's relationship with Blade isn't used as it should have. Norman Reedus is young and cocky in the role of the clichéd Scud - it would have been great seeing him slicing vampires' throats Daryl Dixon's style.

Quotes

Blade: There's an old saying: Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.