Enjoyable, solid sequel

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2002)

Crafted with an over-the-top, stylish visual style, Blade II is a surprisingly enjoyable, solid sequel. In this second outing, the "daywalker" Blade continues to hunt the vampires around the world as he tracks down the whereabouts of his turned-vampire partner, Whistler. Soon, he's contacted by the Vampire Nation to lead an elite team in a search-and-destroy mission of a newly fangled strain of vampires known as Reapers, vampires who feed on vampires. But everything is not as it seems. Spanish director Guillermo Del Toro energizes this sequel with a swift use of CGI effects: You've never seen disintegrating vampires as pretty as you'll see here. There are also clever gadgets, such as the UV hand grenade. And the fighting sequences do not dissapoint, mixing furious martial arts moves with CGI-enhanced "Matrix" styled effects. Wesley Snipes kicks vampire ass and takes names. And its enjoyable watching him do it. The script by David Goyer never lets up, quickly and decidedly racing forward as a good action film should. This is a sequel that lives up to the original in tone and style. Those seeking depth should look elsewhere; this is a fast-paced 'popcorn' flick done well. Blade II is a good, stylish vampire action fun.