Mclellan

'Blade II' delivers action

Dan Mclellan

Originally published Friday, March 29, 2002

The first "Blade" was an enjoyable, if flawed, gore-fest with neat action scenes and some cool special effects. Breaking the rules of almost all sequels, "Blade II" demolishes its predecessor in all aspects. The director, Guillermo del Toro, has delivered a rip-snorting, blood-pumping, grab-you-by-the-throat, intense action thriller. Not since "Aliens" have I had such a good time being freaked out at the movies.

It seems lately that action movies have been getting the short end of the reviewing stick. It's alright for a "respected" reviewer to give an action movie a good rating if -- and only if -- he or she remembers to insert a backhanded insult.

Example: " 'Blade II' is rip-snorting, blood-pumping, grab-you-by-the-throat intense action thriller, but the story is laughable, dialogue atrocious, and it is just an action movie."

Now, the way I look at it, if I'm looking for an original story and witty dialogue, I'll go see "A Beautiful Mind." If I'm looking for a movie that can make me jump, squirm and cheer, I'll see "Blade II."

Blade (Wesley Snipes) and Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), vampire hunters by trade, are offered a temporary truce by the father of all night-walkers. The reason for this curious act is that the blood-suckers need Blade's help. A new breed of vampire has hit the streets: reapers. The "Blade" comics and stories have always compared vampirism to an addiction, and "Blade II" is no different. Del Toro offers that if vampires are booze hounds, these reapers are hard-core crackheads. If they don't feed every few hours -- on vampires or humans -- they die. As Whistler puts it: "The vampires are just ticked off because they aren't at the top of the food chain anymore."

The reapers are the movie's true accomplishment. Vampires are pretty dang frightening in their own right, so coming up with a villain that terrifies even them was no doubt a difficult task. Reapers are sickly looking creatures with bald heads, pale complexions and desperate eyes. Watching one entering a bloodlust is like seeing a starving lion discover a wounded antelope. Their already sickened eyes glaze over white and yellow, and the bottom of their chins begin to split. To feed they completely rip open the lower section of their face to expose a second mouth used for attacking and hollowing out the victim.

But don't think that "Blade II" is a gore-fest like its predecessor. Rather than relying entirely on blood and guts -- which there is plenty of -- this sequel is trying to get your blood pumping, not make it run cold.

Obviously inspired by "The Matrix" and John Woo, the action scenes created for "Blade II" actually further the breakthroughs made by that movie rather than recycle them. Employing a fairly new and creative technique, the actors and/or stuntmen will perform half of a stunt, which is then finished off by computer artists who bend, break and launch the characters in impossible and creative ways. The blend is nearly seamless and greatly increases the intensity of the fight scenes.

"Blade II" is by no means a perfect film. It is, however, the most exciting action movie I've ever seen. Taken on its own merits, "Blade II" shines and therefore deserves four stars for delivering what it promised -- one heck of a good time.

Daniel McLellan is a freshman at Olympia High School.

'Blade II'

* * * *

- Rating: R.

- Playing: Lacey 8 Cinemas and Yelm Cinemas.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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