A pure view.

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2003)

Guillermo del Toro is my new hero. I just began looking at his films and each one of them have elements that make me sit back and go....."Whoa!" Blade II is no difference.
I will be honest. I didn't see Blade I. Wasn't interested. Didn't grab me. I knew of the Comix, I thought Wesley Snipes was a great cast. But for some reason, I didn't get into that one as I had this one. I found it interesting, watchable,gross. I like that kinda thing!

In Blade II we have another evolution of Vampires that actually make sense. Yes, as I get older, I am sick of the traditional Vampire..even those who rip open the neck and expose flesh. Whoopie. Ya seen it once, ya seen it 1,000 times. Here, I see it--and more, and the thing about it is..its very interesting and different.
The story was 'alright', but remember I didn't see Blade I. It didn't take Blade I to see and like Blade II which is another plus for this film. The minuses for me was the teeny-tiny possible love interest, I could have done without it. And the new vampire elite squad, I would have liked a tad more character development on them, I found them interesting but I never got to know them.
Kris Kristofferson's character seemed like there was more than meets the eye, but went nowhere in this sequel. The twists and turns in Blade II were fine, but could have been much, much sharper developed. I felt it was made into a 'machismo' type film....throw in great martial arts and...wow! No need for that really. The film should have just evolved.
The film should have developed more about Blade, his new relationship to his mentor and those evolved vampires vs. the elite vampire crew. Don't get me wrong, "something" was there, but not enough. Including the fighting. I love a good fight, several of them in fact. But I love Guillermo del Toro, and needed more of his vision. (Is it on the editing floor ready for DVD extra minutes, perhaps?)
All in all, Blade II is watchable if you like this kinda genre and I do. Don't let the kids watch, for sure. It's interesting and could be better. In saying this, I know there's probably a Blade III. But even for those like me who never saw Blade I, I found this one -- a little better than 'okay', but not 'spectacular' as it could be for the genre.