"Blade 2" is a Marvel comic book brought to life on the big screen with vivid action. Counting on the pure enjoyment factor, it ranks up there with "Aliens" and "Terminator 2" for quality action flicks where the plot is an afterthought.
The story picks up two years after the first one left off, grabbing viewers that know the story from the earlier film. No longer allowed to fight the vampires, as a form of revenge for being half-vampire himself, Blade (Wesley Snipes) has a new task on hand. Rabid, virulent vampires (a new type of monster this time) have suddenly appeared and are threatening both the old vampires and humans alike. Blade is forced to reach a pact with the bloodsucking vampires he had sworn previously to kill. He joins their elite vampire military unit - a unit that has been training to assassinate him for years.
Thankfully, Blade is not unaware of this irony. When Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), his mentor and weapons master, asks him what he is really thinking about the vampires, Blade replies with no hesitation: "They are going to 'screw' us the first chance they get."
The harsh tension between the vampires and Blade - who are waiting for the Reapers to be dealt with so that they can get back to killing each other - supplies a lot of the humor for "Blade 2." This humor, which was missing in the original, really helps to keep the action interesting here.
That said, the action sequences are gory, violent and well done. "Blade 2" is not a date movie, nor is it for the squeamish. Director Guillermo del Toro, who you might remember from the 1997 film "Mimic," is not afraid of showing off bloody guts after the action sequences, and perhaps I can say that he even does this a little too much. "Blade 2" ranks up there with "From Dusk Till Dawn" when it comes to random body parts strewn about the screen.
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Honestly, while I was watching this movie, I kept waiting for it to get corny. There was a taste of this in the opening scenes, where Whistler was being rescued. Even I was wincing a bit as Blade injected him with "retroviral injection," saving Whistler's life after he had been kept in blood stasis for two years. Not the most realistic thing I've ever seen.
"Blade 2" could never be called a plot movie, but I must say that Del Toro accepts this fact in a timely manner and moves on. And the action, especially the martial arts sequences, does help to make up for that.
Thankfully, "Blade 2" doesn't fall into the action cliche trap at the end - coming out with an incredible battle that results in the world's rescue. This film is just superior to its predecessor - and you can bet that there are sequels on the way. If you enjoy action movies at all and can stomach some gore, you will like "Blade 2"
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