Blade II (2002)

Blade II (2002)

6/10

Starring

Wesley Snipes

Kris Kristofferson

Ron Perlman

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro

With David S. Goyer penning a sequel to the critically successful Blade (1998) and Guillermo del Toro stepping in to direct, all you can expect is a good movie day.

Del Toro’s signature style—making everything warm and fuzzy at the start before diving into dark tragedy—is on full display here. He doesn’t disappoint, as this sequel starts with a huge battle involving what seems like too many players, only to clear the field for the major characters later on.

This was a solid follow-up to the first Blade. If you recall, Blade is a Dhampir (half-human, half-vampire). The movie steps up in terms of performances, action sequences, and directing, with del Toro proving himself a master of the craft. The only downside is the lack of character depth and a somewhat forced union that didn’t quite work on screen.

The plot doesn’t pick up directly where the first movie left off but instead jumps two years ahead. We see Blade (Wesley Snipes) searching for his mentor, Abraham Whistler. Blade has a new weaponsmith named Scud, who isn’t thrilled about Blade finding his mentor and bringing him back into the fold. As for Whistler’s condition—well, I won’t spoil that for you.

In the vampire underworld, a new virus called the Reaper Virus is causing chaos. Infected vampires are turning into Reapers, a mutated form of vampires immune to traditional vampire weaknesses—except for ultraviolet light. These creatures kill both humans and vampires. If a vampire survives a Reaper attack but is bitten, they turn into a Reaper too.

The vampire world has failed to contain the outbreak and decides to call a truce with Blade. They send their best warriors—trained to kill Blade—to ask for his help. They must stop the Reapers because once the vampires are wiped out, humans are next.

Their reluctant alliance leads them to capture a Reaper and dissect it to understand its weaknesses. They discover that Reapers look hideous and drained because their bodies feed on themselves if they don’t get external food. This gives them a half-day window to feed or die. They also find that the Reaper’s heart is protected by a bone at the front, leaving it vulnerable from the side. Additionally, Reapers heal faster and are stronger than regular vampires.

Blade must now find a way to stop this new threat before it spirals out of control. Along the way, he uncovers the true origin of the Reaper virus.

This is a good follow-up and a solid movie. As for the next sequel after this one—I won’t even bother mentioning it.