Blade 2

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

We’ve said it before, but sometimes there’s a lot to be said for sticking to the standard sequel formula of “give them the same, only more.” The original Blade was a slick, thoroughly entertaining action flick. Blade 2, with horror master Guillermo del Toro at the helm, rachets up the scares, plays down the gloss, and ends up as a horror-action movie done right.

Taking place a few years after human-vampire hybrid Blade (Wesley Snipes) last foiled the vampire nation, Blade 2 finds him searching the globe for his “dead” partner Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) with the aid of new weapons man Scud (Norman Reedus). Soon, Blade finds himself in the employ of the blood-suckers, thanks to the charming spandex of vampire princess Nyssa (Leonor Varela), as they take on a new breed of nightstalker called the Reapers. Darker and much more violent than the original, Blade 2 still has enough techno-beat fight scenes to please (and, for once, the CGI enhancements aren’t annoying; no slo-mo Matrix stuff here). Credit Del Toro’s obvious obsession with insects (the man brought you Cronos and Mimic) for the Reapers—we don’t want to ruin the surprise, but these suckers don’t stop at a simple bite on the neck. They’re nasty. Delightfully nasty. Warn your girlfriend. Leavening the gore with some cheese, Blade 2 brings it. Pass the popcorn.

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