Great, if you like mindless action.

Rating: 5/10 (23 March 2002)

Blade had a lot of wonderful action sequences. The special effects and the creature effects were pretty spectacular except for in a couple of scenes. However, this is where the movie ends. There's no real story line (very cliche) and the acting in this movie is an exception rather than the norm. You have no reason to empathize with Blade or the characters in the movie. You don't get to look into the psyche of the main character as you did with the original Blade. Stephen Norrington (director of the Original Blade) painted a picture of a scarred and tragic hero battling the forces of evil in order to heal the ache in his soul for how life wronged him. Blade II throws that out of the water and is a cheap thrill ride of non-stop action and horrific effects. While I found the action and creatures of the movie particularly pleasing with its graphic nature, I felt the sequel lost some of its maturity from the first film and is a disservice to the franchise. I appreciate it when directors treat comic book heroes as if they are real, with respect, and drama interlaced with action. I think this is one of the elements that made X-Men so successful. But I also think it's an element that made Unbreakable and the Original Blade not as successful as they could of been. In this case, the film makers erred on the side of making money. So if you're coming to see a movie with great non-stop action and horror then you've come to the right movie. But if you're looking for an intelligent script that pulls you into the world of the lead character, stick with the Original Blade.