"Blade II" - A Cut above Most Action Films
"Blade II" offers blazingly fast martial arts sequences, death by incineration,
bad-ass bravado, and disgusting creatures known as Reapers that make you wonder
if the artists that conceived them had a normal childhood. If you're the kind of
moviegoer who craves action, action and more action, then this is the perfect
film for you.
More stylish than the 1998 first installment, "Blade II" brings back the Marvel
comics half-man, half-vampire creature (Wesley Snipes) who has devoted himself
to ridding the world of true vampires. His enemies refer to our hero as
Daywalker, for he has all of the superhuman strength of vampires but none of
their weaknesses. Most importantly, sunlight does not bother him.
Despite his fighting abilities and his self-assured demeanor, he is one that
struggles with his identity. He keeps his 'thirst' in check by injecting himself
with some kind of pathogen and looks to Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) for some
much-needed fatherly advice. This conflict between his humanity and his vampire
nature is what makes his character intriguing.
His lines, however, are blurred somewhat when he meets the vampire Nyssa (Leonor
Varela). She's quite fetching and comes to him as a messenger from his sworn
enemy, the Vampire Nation. Apparently, a more dangerous and potent breed of
vampires has recently emerged. Known as Reapers, they are voracious and drink
the blood of vampires and humans alike. If they are not stopped, both races face
extinction. So, Daywalker and Whistler reluctantly agree to help the Vampire
Nation.
Their mission is tremendously risky. Reapers are more resilient than their
lesser counterparts. Most horrifying, their chin region opens up peek-a-boo
style to reveal bloody fangs dripping with toxins. Meanwhile, a mutated tongue
with embedded tendrils shoots forth to latch onto your neck. Their thirst is so
insatiable that they don't even have time to use a napkin to wipe their mouths
clean. Meanwhile, Daywalker is given charge of an elite fighting team from the
Vampire Nation called the Blood Pack. Sure, they want to kill the Reapers. But
killing Daywalker would probably be just as satisfying.
The most interesting facet about the film is that despite being a by-the-numbers
action flick (comparing this theme to something like "Aliens" would not be
unfair), it's actually hard to stop watching what's up on the big screen. The
credit to this film's success ultimately goes to people whose contributions are
rarely brought to light: make-up artists, the cinematographer, and the visual
effects people.
Make-up artists astoundingly bring the vampire look to vivid life. Regular
vampires, which are clothed in various leather outfits, look ready for the
Munich Fashion Show while the Reapers look dead-on putrid. Oh, and credit the
guy who thought long and hard about vampire physiology. The
up-close-and-personal autopsy will make you think twice before eating that hot
dog from the concession stand. The cinematographer ably invokes a world of
vampires that is both expressionistic and Gothic, from its seedy blood banks to
decaying inner cities to decrepit crypt-like sewers. But the most memorable
aspect is its groundbreaking special effects. In the same way that The Matrix
spawned many copies of the 360-degree flow-motion effect, "Blade 2" offers
something that we have not seen before, but will likely be duplicated in
upcoming action films.
As Daywalker said in one of his bad-ass moments, "ooh, it makes me shiver."
Grade: B
S: 0 out of 3
L: 3 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
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X-Language: en
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X-RT-TitleID: 1112335
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X-RT-RatingText: B
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