Perfect Friday night fare

Rating: Null/10 (20 June 2003)

BLADE was released in 1998, and although the original comic book may have been very popular in the US, most British audiences replied to trailers by going 'Who? What? Blade?' BLADE was not famous over here, unlike BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN, X-MEN, or the upcoming THE HULK. However, it did very well over here, probably due to a comic-book-virgin-friendly screenplay and kinetic, epilespy-inducing fight scenes. Of course, a sequel was inevitable.
This time round, British director Stephen Norrington (helmer of upcoming flick LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN, with Sean Connery) has been replaced by Spanish horror maestro Del Toro. The script is still by David S. Goyer, and is still on the flimsy, light side. Wesley Snipes returns in all trenchcoat-flowing, shade-wearing style as Blade the vampire hunter - half-human, half-vampire, all hero...and so on and so forth. The story is that a new breed of bloodsuckers, led by Nomak (ex-pop star Luke Goss) are causing havoc in the underground world of the supernatural, and so Blade has to ally with the A-team of the fanged universe, and whup some ass. Which he does rather well. Goyer does try and make the plot at least partly coherent, but what you really want to see from a film such as this, is Snipes and co slicing, dicing, slashing, punching, shooting, kicking, and blowing-up as many long-toothed villians as possible. The film certainly delivers above par, with some truly impressive fight scenes, even enough to beat the jaw-dropping club massacre which opened the first film so brilliantly.
Del Toro has created an entirely new atomsphere to this movie, making it darker, broodier, and ten times as bloody. The comic-book stylings of the original have been dropped in favour of a colder, harder look, which works fantastically. Del Toro evidently wants to make this 'Blade the horror-action movie; not Blade the comic book sequel.' He makes it his own.
Snipes is great as the hero, moody and ruthless, like a hyper-up Batman. BLADE II is as superficial as movies get - it is the popcorn munching machine on hyper-drive, but is as enjoyable as any other action flick released in 2002, and actually a far deal better than xXx or disappointing 20th 007 movie, DIE ANOTHER DAY. In a world of comic-book movies with McDonalds-friendly tie-ins and 12A certificates, it is so nice to a hero cutting a baddie in half length-ways, and hearing cringeworthy dialogue like 'I feel like hammered sh*t!' Despite a few hitches, such as the awful techno-babble ('Administer the neuro detox!') and a couple of plot gaps, this is perfect Friday night entertainment.