It's all about the action...

Rating: Null/10 (24 March 2002)

I'll try to keep this short and sweet. The movie is all about the action, SFX, and the atmosphere. Yes, the plot was a bit weak and characterization was almost non-existent (maybe except for Blade and Whistler), but this is an Action/FX movie. Take it for what it is and you'll love it! The fights were crisp and shows the masterful fight choreography from Donnie Yen, who also plays the blatantly underdeveloped role of Snowman. I guess the didn't want the fight choregrapher to upstage Snipes. Without Yen, Snipes would never had performed at this movie's potential. Snipes's other flicks show the weak action choreography, but Blade II is a showcase for Yen's directional skills.
One of biggest gripes was the first action scene (set was too dark to really make anything out and too much American action scene editing in which the camera cuts fast back and forth WAY too much). The second and most noticeable flop was Donnie Yen's character. He was utterly pointless and was onscreen for about 5 minutes and even wasn't in some team scenes at all. He speaks English, yet doesn't say ONE word. HE'S THE FREAKIN FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER, yet the give him a garbage role and show him doing a flying triple-kick. Many viewers were expecting something big with Donnie Yen, but were left asking, even during the movie, "Where the hell is Snowman?" or "Where is that Asian guy with the katana?" Also, some of the CG was OBVIOUSLY CG. It was best used sparingly with real actors (particularly the last fight scene), but not in 5 second increments of total CG rendering (the fight against the woman vampire).
*POSSIBLE SEQUEL SPOILER* Donnie Yen's character also leaves a plot hole. That big guy with the Samoan tatoos should've turned Snowman into a Reaper. After the scene where we see him munch on Yen's neck, that's the last we see of Snowman. This is either a BIG plot hole or a precursor for a another sequel.