After the events of Blade,
Blade (Wesley Snipes) has set up his base in Prague to hunt vampires and retrieve
his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). It is good timing as Blade, Whistler
and Blade’s new technogeek Scud (Norman Reedus) are asked for help by vampire
Overlord Eli Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann). There is a new strain of vampire
on the loose called Reapers, feeding on humans and vampires alike, stronger than
the common vampire. Blade goes on a mission to eliminate the Reapers, aided by
Damaskinos’s daughter Nyssa (Leonor Varela) and the Bloodpack, a group of
lethal vampires originally trained to kill Blade. Blade must watch his back
whilst hunting down the Reapers and their creator Jared Nomak (Luke Goss).
Blade II is a slick
superhero action film. Director Guillermo del Toro’s love for anime and manga
is apparent in the action scenes. Blade’s fight style is presented in a
staccato fashion, each movement executed with precision, before Peter Amundson’s
editing speeds up to create the illusion of lightning fast sword fighting. The
fight choreography is impressive; enemies are dispatched with explosive
punches, wrestling moves and good old fashioned martial arts. The audience
revels in all the bloody action as the camera constantly dances around Blade, focusing
on each punch or kick before circling around to reveal more enemies. One
downside to the fighting is the use of poor CGI during the more fanciful
moments, turning Wesley Snipes into Stretch Armstrong. Gabriel Beristain’s
cinematography is tight for the action sequences, then more distant to reveal
the set pieces. Arched alleyways, labyrinthine sewers and Gothic interiors are
bathed in red and golden light. However Blade
II is so cool that the dominant colour tone of the film is blue.
The design of Blade II
is imaginative, unsurprisingly as one of del Toro’s strengths as a film-maker
is world-building, and gory. Metal DNA scanning security claws, specimen jars
and spiked head bombs are all reminiscent of del Toro’s film Cronos. The vampire club House of Pain
is a sadomasochist’s dream, although it might make other viewers queasy. Blade II’s showpiece is the Reapers
themselves. The Reaper’s movement is like a combination of a gorilla and a
spider; they run low on the ground on fours before leaping onto a wall and scuttling
away. Their lower face splits into three, stretching down and outwards to
reveal a star-shaped barbed tongue, similar to the Xenomorph tongue from Alien. Guillermo del Toro knows how to
create a good monster.
Blade II is not
without its problems. The film tries to cram in so many action scenes, plot
points and characters, that the plot and characters are under-developed. Some
plot points are unclear, particularly in the third act as it rushes towards the
climactic fight. This is despite the fact that David S Goyer’s dialogue can be
heavily expository at times. The character Nyssa is introduced as an important
character but is lost amongst all the members of the Bloodpack. The Bloodpack
members themselves are only a step above stereotypes, with the exception of
Reinhardt (Ron Perlman), as Blade II
rushes ahead to get to the actions without allowing time to get to know the
characters.
Wesley Snipes is the epitome of cool as Blade, still
harbouring some small doubts about his identity. Snipes tosses out one-liners
with a smirk before dispatching a villain, whirling his leather trench coat for
extra flair. Leonor Varela captures Nyssa’s sternness well but doesn’t have
much to do in Blade II. Kris
Kristofferson returns as the grizzly Whistler, grumbling and making wry
remarks, although now under the shadow of suspicion. Luke Goss brings a fierce
intensity to Jared Nomak, who is out for revenge. Norman Reedus’s Scud is a
welcome addition as Blade’s weaponry master, creating new devices whilst
puffing on a spliff and watching cartoons. Ron Perlman brings his burly
presence into the mix as Reinhardt, itching for a chance to kill Blade but
instead mercilessly kills his enemies.
Blade II’s action
sequences and design elements are superb, although the plot and writing does
suffer in its stead.
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