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Blade II - New Line Platinum Series

Blade II - New Line Platinum Series

List Price: $26.99
Your Price: $21.59
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Coolest vampire killer!
Review: Blade 2 is awesome. Blood,weapons,vampires oh my! Blade is even less remorse to vampires than the first movie. Vampires getting cut up and split up! I would recommed this movie to anyone who likes a movie that has alot of action and a tiny bit of horror in them!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better Than Before.
Review: BLADE II is a far superior film from BLADE in just about every element: the acting, directing, writing, effects, music, lighting, sound, plot, believability are all better in this sequel than the original. I'm not sure why that is because at face value, it would seem that BLADE II is a totally unoriginal film, borrowing from the best of action-horror movies. However, the film works and works quite well.

BLADE II starts off not too long after the original movie ended. Two years have passed since Blade saved the world by ridding it of the young vampire who was threatening to destroy it. Blade has spent that time killing vampires and searching out their lairs, seeking to find his weapons-manufacturer, mentor, and friend, Whistler. In BLADE, everyone assumed that Whistler was killed. However, we soon learn that wasn't quite the case. He tried to kill himself, but the vampires wouldn't let him. Instead, they turned him into one of their own and beat him as close to death as possible and then began the procedure all over. Blade succeeds in finding Whistler and injects a serum into him that will either turn him back into a human or kill him when the sun rises. The serum works and things seem back to normal.

However, things aren't quite normal. A new breed of vampire has risen that doesn't seek out human blood, but vampire blood. Also, unless a vampire is devoured, it turns into one of these new creatures, too. The creatures seem to be a cross between zombies and vampires, but stronger than either one. Silver and garlic have no effect upon them and only sunlight does any substantial damage. The vampire lord summons Blade seeking a truce. He wants Blade to help him hunt the creatures down. Blade agrees, only because it brings him farther into the vampire world than he has ever been before. And so, the chase begins.

The action was quite good in the film and though much of it is derivitive from the Matrix, those style of stunts work in the world where BLADE II takes place. I was also impressed with how fleshed out the characters were. All of the major characters were fully developed in this movie and we see sides of Blade and Whistler that weren't even hinted at in the first film.

Overall, BLADE II is a fairly decent action picture that is far better than the original film in the series.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Blade 2
Review: Blade 2 is one of those films on a par with Die Hard, the Matrix and Lord Of The Rings. An extremely basic plot driven by effects and directorial brilliance... and losing nothing along the way.
The plot is nothing new, the concept of Blade having to make an uneasy alliance with his vampire prey is not a surprising idea. Neither is introducing an uber-vampire into the Blade mythos. But you overlook these details, and you realise, that what you are presented with is one of the best action films to date.
It's the Reapers you remember the most, with their crack-addict bloodshot eyes and that mouth which will just blow you away. Seriously, it's a real surprise the first time you see it in action. I back-tracked a few frames on the DVD and played it in slow motion, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was such an interesting take on vampires.
Aside from the effects, which do most of the talking and are what you remember after watching it, you really get a sense that Del Toro really knows his stuff and how to make each new scene interesting. Many films are described as a roller-coaster ride; this one's like being caught in the eye of a hurricane.
However, there are points for improvement:
- we've seen the silent, bad-ass soldier guys with names you never remember. Alien Ressurection had them, and you just don't care for nameless bad-asses. If more stress was put on them as being characters, with other emotions besides 'I'm gonna whup me some ass', we'd feel more for them.
- Jared Nomak generated a lot of pathos all the way through the film. You never really saw him as the bad guy, only the reapers that came about from his feeding. This makes the battle royal between him and Blade seem a tad... pointless (although removing it would have been an anti-climax). More could have been done to show that Nomak was just coping with an addiction; Del Toro says on the director's commentary, 'I wanted the Reapers to look like crack addicts'.
- Give Blade a more devil-may-care attitude, a more fun-loving one. We see a bit of this when he straps an explosive device to the back of Ron Pearlman's head. Show that he actually has fun when he's slicing off heads and tearing out vertebrae.
Other than these details, which you can overlook because they aren't important and are only my suggestions for improvement, Blade 2 is worth every penny, especially the bonus material... if like me, you're into your monsters, you're in for a treat.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Whoa, I gotta review this one man!
Review: You know there is a sort of good sence about a movie when they make a sequel. Most of the time you hear stuff like, "This movie was good, but not as good as the original." I'd like to clear up the stereotypes and tell you that this movie is good, and possibly better than the original.

Wesley Snipes is back, as one of the coolest heros ever. He fights these Vampires with silver weapons and practically decimates all. This time, we have friends and enemies pair up. Now alot of movies have this happen but can't pull it off because they grow emotionally attatched. The little love story is pretty good because Blade doesn't go all soft and crap. Then there is the other guys.... Brilliant. Especially that one dude who was in Alien Ressurection. He played a great villian in this movie.

Anyways, the action is better than the first. There are new breeds of vampires and the special effects team did an awesome job. Only 2 parts of 2 fight scenes looked to be done in all CGI(This one part where blade does a flip with a sword really fast and this other part where this guy trys to stomp him). Anyways, the movie does a great job of having Blade kill guys. And when Blade kills someone, you can honestly cheer because it will be awesome.

Also, the dialogue and character interaction is some of the best. We like seeing characters talk because it isn't all one-liners or all philosophy crap.

I hope people will see past the comic book and the original blade... This is an awesome movie. It isn't scary(when I watched it on Encore it said the movie was "Horror") but it is pure action in a good way. Its enjoyable though, so have fun watching it, and buy it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An exhausting experience...
Review: Let me first say that I'm against this new action movie craze in which the heroes and villains are always squaring off in Matrix-style kung fu action. It's a trend that's simply getting dull and boring; not to mention some of it looks downright cheesy. The first Blade had a glimmer of this attribute even though it was out before the Matrix so, as most sequels do, Blade II tried to outdo it's predecessor by throwing in more action sequences with even more of this Matrix-esque kung fu action. But you know what? It rocks.

What we have here is a non-stop gore fest served up to near perfection by the talent of Guillermo Del Toro and Wesley Snipes who makes Blade, in my opinion, the coolest horror movie protagonist since Ash from the Evil Dead films. Granted, there's nothing really terrifying in either of the Blade movies to qualify as real horror, but you get the idea. This guy sports a long leather jacket, a pair of shades, a badass sword and a plethora of sharp objects. And he kills vampires. Lots of vampires. In his second outing, he has more of a sense of humor and is kind of starting to enjoy what he does (in the same way that Ash progressed between Evil Dead and Army of Darkness). Thusly, this makes his character more enjoyable and easier to root for. Simply put, he rules.

The villain in the second Blade outing is a lot more wicked than Deacon Frost was in the first. This time we have this thing called a "Reaper" who can't be killed as easily as a normal vampire and is also not as easy to look at. This guy is ugly with a capital "F." He's also a much better fighter than Frost was and, to a lesser extent, a little scarier which makes him a lot easier to hate. But in a strange way, he's a tragic figure who you almost feel bad for. Not to get sentimental, but it's not his fault he is the way he is and you'd really like to see him carry out HIS mission before Blade turns him into vampire soup.

The casting of supporting players is also terrific. Kris Kristofferson and Ron Perlman are a blast to watch.

As far as the title of my review goes, well, this is a sweat-inducing movie that rarely lets up. The action is fast-paced and the editing is hyper to the point of almost breaking the reel. But it's not that MTV type stuff we've all come to get sick of. I won't lie and say that the action comes out as poetic as some of John Woo's early stuff, but it comes pretty darn close. The action is certainly crazy, but even when there aren't bullets, blood and limbs flying around, there's a sense of "can I trust this guy?" throughout the film. Blade has to work with a band of leather clad vampires to stop the reapers, so they're not exactly the best team to pair up. And because of this animosity between the vampires and Blade, despite the fact that they need each other to carry out the mission, you just never know when one will suddenly turn on the other.

Blade II is an almost perfect action movie, but some of the CGI work is a little offbeat and doesn't blend well with the real action. Plus, even if this is an action/fantasy movie, there's no way in the world Blade's sunglasses could have stayed on his face during his fight with the Reaper. You'll agree once you see what I'm talking about. Oh, well. Small potatoes. The rumors are true: this is the best action movie of 2002.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Just awesome
Review: A tremendous movie from Guillermo del Toro.....the action and special effects are top notch. If all out dazzling action is your thing then this one is for you.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A somewhat worthy sequel.
Review: This film, though not as good as the original, is a marvel of special effects. The plot is less coherent (and, ultimately, less believable) and moves a bit more slowly. What's missing here is some originality. We've seen most of this in the first Blade movie.

Rental only. Buy if you're a fan of the series.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: great actioner
Review: this movie has a ton of gore and great action. it may have a bit of a weak story but its a great movie. the action is non stop and the creatures they fight this time r cool. the fight scenes are cool from gun fights to swords or hand to hand style. therers really not a lot to say about this movie. just action and gore.u should watch it. by the way its not supposed to be scary.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Vampires & Reapers & Blade---Oh my! Bloody good fun.
Review: NOTE: This is a review of the Platinum Special 2-DVD Edition.

Like your vampires flicks with a generous helping of red frothy gore and a side-order of automatic weapons, plus a little appetizer of Techno? Look no farther: Blade II, Guillermo del Toro's follow-up to the so-cool-it-hurt Blade, delivers the goods with plenty of the Red Sauce, a pulse-pounding score, and a superbly sleek, leather-and-blood stylistic sheen that was made to order for a high end home theater system.

That said, let's give out a little full disclosure: the first time I saw this movie, helmed by horror-maestro and visionary Guillermo del Toro, I hated it.

Why? Well, for one thing, it didn't feel like the first Blade outing; I didn't like the Reapers (far too goopy, with those spring loaded sideways-firing jaws---not erotic at all); I thought the Vampire corporation was lame---the motorcycle helmeted cattle-prod wielding thugs just didn't work. And the fight sequences---it was all too WWE for me, lots of dull wrestling maneuvers filmed without style, enthusiasm, or the panache of the first installment. Blade II, at least the first time around, felt flat.

Two months later I was bored, looking for a nice, sleek, glossy, high-tech gorefest to watch to pass the time. Guess which movie I chose? You got it: Blade II.

Let's face it: Guillermo del Toro has style, style in spades, and so does Blade II. The opening credits (after the initial melee with Russian mob vampires, all very stylish) are worth the price of admission alone, and set up Blade's first mission: find his old pal and aide-de-camp Whistler (played by Kris Kristofferson, in the role he was born to play), who has been turned into a vampire, and cure him or kill him.

Are you still with me? Good. Look at those credits: right there you have an excellent sense of what this Blade movie is all about. Pure, sheer, adrenaline fueled, sleek and sexy, leather clad style. Blade II is a movie that is all about style.

PLOT: There's a new vampire in town, and its name is the Reaper: more ruthless, stronger, more powerful, far nastier, and certainly less photogenic than the 'suckheads' Blade fought in the first movie, the Reapers pose a threat to both vampires and humans, as the opening sequence demonstrates. Blade is recruited by the global Vampire corporation to join forces with the BloodPack, a group of vampires assassins specially trained to kill him.

This time, though, they're ordered to work with him to hunt the Reapers and destroy them. And what a team the Bloodpack is: helmed by Ron Perelman, an uneven but physically intimidating actor who is perfect for this movie, right down to his bulging biceps and shaven pate. And from the start, he hates Blade (need I even mention that Blade is played to the hilt by Wesley Snipes?), his erstwhile ally and future enemy. Half of the fun of Blade II is in the playful enmity between the two, and del Toro plays it for keeps.

But let's boil it down: this movie is about high style, and in that vein, del Toro succeeds admirably. The action sequences are nicely paced, the cinematography is lush and dark, the fight sequences, even the clumsy ones, are well shot, and the movie is chock full of really cool stuff, with the gore ratcheted well higher than the first installment and the volume turned on HIGH.

This is also a lush DVD Special Edition, with slick packaging, nice cover artwork, a tasty and sanguine commentary track with Guillermo Del Toro and producer Pete Frankfurt, DVD-ROM goodies, an 80+ minute fully-loaded and highly interesting documentary on the making of the film, and a Reaper's jaw full of other yummy bits.

Brains? Absolutely none. But Blade II is a sleek, lush, stylish horror/action movie, and certainly worth sinking your teeth into.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer."
Review: Guillermo del Toro's "Blade II" is one slick action film. Despite appearances, it's not a technically a horror film but rather an action film with horror elements. Yet, whatever the genre this film falls in, there is no denying its entertainment value. It makes the first "Blade" film - which itself was not bad - look silly in comparison and illustrates that this franchise is one of the more creative, witty, and stylistic franchises going today. "Blade II" is not high art or the next candidate for a British Film Institute analysis, but it is a fun and bold viewing experience.

Half-man, half-vampire Blade (Wesley Snipes) goes in search of Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) who is being held prisoner by the vampires. After freeing his mentor, the two men return to Blade's dwelling where they are immediately confronted by other vampires. However, these vampires do not want to kill Blade but rather want his help. After sizing up the situation for themselves, Blade and Whistler reluctantly form an uneasy alliance with the bloodsuckers and go in search of The Repears who threaten both the human and vampire population.

"Blade II" has its moments of strong violence and gore but they are not gratuitous and are sensible within the context of the film's story. del Toro is smart enough to know that showcasing blood and gore just for the sake of doing so only generates cheap thrills so he has wisely avoided this approach to the material. Thus, "Blade II" is a film with a dark tone that is more creepy than upsetting. Helping to further differentiate this work from the average run-of-the-mill slasher film is the strong performances throughout. Snipes and Kristofferson are great and Ron Perlman and Leonor Varela ably complement them. Sure, maybe Whistler shouldn't have been revived for the second film and yes, some of the CGI effects are pretty bad, but in the end the scorecard still comes out in favor of "Blade II" as its positive aspects handily outnumber its negative ones. Long live the Daywalker!


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