Comic book films are becoming more and more popular and common these days. What with X-Men a while back and the upcoming Spiderman, Hollywood is adapting comic books for the screen all the time nowadays. In 1998 another comic book was translated into an action-packed film starring Wesley Snipes. That film is of course the original Blade. Now it's a few years later and New Line Cinema has another installment of Blade ready to be released. Does the sequel live up to the original?
Blade finds out that because of extreme circumstances he must align himself with normal vampires to fight a new breed of monster that wishes to extinguish both vampires and humans.
In Blade 2 Wesley Snipes again shows himself to be the perfect choice for an action hero. He easily puts himself into the somber and vengeful character of Blade. The supporting performances by the likes of Kris Kristofferson and Ron Perlman are functional. Kristofferson is the most effective member of the supporting cast. He just emotes much personality into his mysterious character of Whistler. The sequel is generous to newcomers to the series of film. It's generous because scripter David Goyer informs the audience of the happenings that occurred in the first film by using flashbacks.
The direction by Guillermo Del Toro is very frenetic and makes the film look like a Hong Kong action film mixed with Japanese anime. This style fits the feel of Blade 2 very well because of the many gory and flashy fight sequences present in the film. Also befitting the film are the dark and dank sets in the film. This film takes place almost all the time at night because of the vampire element and the New Prague settings look appropriate for the occasion. The special effects are okay but nothing to write home about. They do the job but nothing more.
Overall, Blade 2 is a solid action film that is the perfect type of sequel. Although it may be a little too violent, it still manages to please the fans of the original and allows for newcomers to enjoy it also because of its somewhat unique narrative structure.
Rating: 80
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