Blade II

The action and some of the lines found fertile soil. Details like the setting in the Czech capital or Ronnie are definitely delightful, but a fifth star is kept out of reach by two significant negatives. The fact is that the film doesn't respect the first installment in certain respects (the encounter between the vampire and the sunlight in the first was definitely not as poetic), and whenever they say more than two sentences in a row, it's usually pretty much a bummer. But otherwise, a blast. (09/11/2004)

A deluge of total action. The best cure for a bad mood and probably the last really good Wesley Snipes movie. Del Toro opened the door to Hollywood with his second Blade, and that was a damn important moment. Remember my words when you breathlessly watch In the Mountains of Madness which is in preparation. P.S.: Perlman's Reinhardt is brilliant. (12/22/2007)

Guillermo del Toro was exactly what this series needed. It’s a significant upgrade from the first installment! Wesley Snipes got a major upgrade in his quips (Kris Kristofferson also didn’t lag behind in that department). I found the story more engaging this time, and I liked that the audience got a bit of vampire mythology. I also appreciated the detailed costumes (I wouldn’t expect anything less from del Toro) and the incredibly well-shot action (the final fight with the main villain nearly made me fall off my chair from the adrenaline :D). The cast was enhanced by Ron Perlman (which obviously benefited the film) and the stunning Leonor Varela (who kept every viewer's eyes glued to the screen). Yeah, this worked out on all fronts. For me, it gets 8/10. P.S. Marco Beltrami, I haven’t forgotten you either. The soundtrack really gets under your skin :). (07/24/2023)

A hair’s breadth better than the first one. But that's because this time it doesn't pretend anything at all. The creators simply made a solid B-movie with all the frills for their own enjoyment and that of others. Silly dialogs, cool lines and actors, decent action, lots of stupid moments, and so on. It is a pity that they did not make it shorter, as that would only have benefited the final product. (06/29/2007)

While the first Blade was a standard cliché with decent dynamics and a visual gorefest, the second one is a standard cliché with excellent dynamics and a visual super-gorefest. Wherever possible, Guillermo del Toro pushed the limits and the result is grittier, slicker and more exciting that the first one. It’s an upgrade similar to that seen in Terminator 2. If those great characters had been a bit more well developed, Blade II would have been worthy of five stars! (04/25/2002)