Blade 2 Sticks to the Point

The worst thing an action movie can do to undermine its own success is to deny its own identity. We see it all too often: a film so self-conscious about its limited scope that it resorts to trite dialogue and terribly false emotions. But what most filmmakers apparently don't realize is that we moviegoers don't always need to be taught a lesson. No one in his right mind would go to a pure action film expecting deep truths or moral answers, yet many movies still pretend to show us these things.

Blade 2 does not. It is refreshing to see a movie like this--one that knows its place in the pantheon of film as an entertaining escape to another world. Wesley Snipes is back at the vampire-slaying game, only this time Blade must team up with his worst enemies to fight a new breed of Yber-vampires--Reapers--a threat to both humans and bloodsuckers alike. The fights are well choreographed and enthralling, the imagery dark and grotesque and the newly injected elements of horror and suspense make Blade 2 a richer experience than its predecessor. This film is ultimately truer to its comic book roots than the original was. Without trying too hard, Blade 2 immerses us in a convincing world, and satisfies our basic hunger for adventure.