Action packed good time.

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2002)

Blade II is an excellent film if you are only seeing it for its action sequences. There are many, they are big, and they are loud. Wesley Snipes is again great as Blade, who seems a little more human this time out. He seems more vulnerable this time around thanks in part to Blade's student/mentor relationship with Kris Kristopherson's Whistler.

Blade also has a new partner, "Scud", who provides comic relief and helps move the plot along when it needs it. Blade is also teamed with a team of vampire commandos. The commandos were awesome for the screentime they were given, and I really wish that they'd been developed more. Ron Pearlman really stands out as the vampire with the biggest grudge against Blade. Snipes and Pearlman play well against each other in this movie.
One drag on the movie, unfortunately, is Leonor Varela, playing the beautiful daughter of the vampires' supreme leader (one can assume he took over after the vampire council was destroyed in the first film). She and Blade become a little too attached to each other a little too quickly. Varela's acting ability doesn't add anything to the part. She only sounds believable when delivering the all-important exposition that furthers the plot.
Another problem is that the plot isn't particularly clever beyond its premise. Beyond the idea that Blade would have to team up with vampires to kill even more merciless super-vampires, the movie pretty much writes itself. None of the double crosses that litter the film come as a surprise, and you might find yourself wondering how Blade got himself into several of the dumb situations he finds himself in.
Beyond those flaws, however, you are still left with an incredible non-stop action extravaganza. Blades deadly skills have seemed to increased since his previous film, as have his arsenal of anti-vampire gadgets. The props and design departments for Blade II certainly did an amazing job. Also, thanks to computer effects, Blade moves faster and is more agile than ever before.
Blade II is a very well done action film. Although it does have a few flaws, those flaws DO NOT take away from the non-stop, fast-paced action of this movie. Not as good as the Matrix, but one hell of a good time.