*** Official "BLADE 2" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Dan Brecher]

I just caught a TV spot for this, it opens here on the 29th. Looks like incredibly stupid fun to me.

Dan

 

[rich_d]

Saw Blade .. like it.

Just saw Blade 2 ... really liked it.

Enjoy

 

[Quentin]

I enjoyed the original Blade despite it's faults.

And, this is a slightly superior film with a LOT of style. In fact, I think it's the first comic book movie to successfully capture the look and feel of a comic since the original Batman.

It's a big slamfest of badass fun, but it's no "Aliens". Also, after seeing the assaultively loud "Resident Evil" last week, it was nice to see a film with a very nicely mixed soundtrack. This will be a GREAT DVD.

 

[Bryant Trew]

The first blade had vastly superior character development, despite the fact that it was driven my a comic book hero.

The second blade has vastly superior special effects and fighting scenes, but the story is so poorly developmed that it lags seriously. If you thought the first one lacked depth, then.... whoo boy.

Blade 2 has a ridiculous amount of gore. It's so overdone, that it's like watching two different movies. One with Blade who disintegrates bad guys, and another with these reaper characters and kills that are far better suited to HellRaiser or Event Horizon.

 

[Phil Florian]

One effect that I really liked in this film was the vamp deaths. The original flick was nifty, especially for the time, but this time, it was so much better. They literally burn to a cinder leaving behind smoldering piles of ash and embers. Neat. As this is a discussion section, I would love to hear what Aryn feels would be an original superhero fighting vampire story? I don't want to get into defending the movie because if you don't like it, that is cool. But I always cringe when I hear "it lacked originality" about a movie that someone doesn't like. A lot of movies lack originality... in fact, at this point, they all do to some extent. Boil any movie down to it's root, usually they are stories told time and again. What I enjoy about a movie, as with Blade 2, was it's presentation.

I mean, a genre flick has to have some cliches else it wouldn't be a genre flick. Film Noir is a genre and there are some cliches that are observed...a lot of time, b/w. A murder has occured. Duplicity. A look and feel easily identified as "noir."

The same with comic book films and especially ones with vampires. Vampire movies have stakes, silver, pointy teeth. Comic book movies have outlandish physics, overblown sense of duty (why keep fighting? Cause you gotta do what you gotta do), superhuman abilities, etc. Supervillians.

What makes a movie "original" if that can happen any more is when there are little twists and turns. The Reapers feeding off of vampires was novel. Even Buffy hasn't had that and it has had to make up new vamp stuff for 6 seasons. Vampire uberculture and clans. For movies, rarely done (if at all...I know werewolves had that, but movies?). Vamp safehouses, vamp passtimes (vivisection of one another? I mean, ugh!).

Some of the cliches are also necessary in a vamp movie. Vamps since Dracula have familiars who do their daytime dirty work. Creepy Nosferatu-like leader (more of an homage than cliche, I suspect). Vamps know kung fu (a great cliche, even in Buffy, but useful or else...yawn...).

What was nice is getting away from the quasi-religious aspects of vamphood that dominate most vamp movies. Continuing the "vampirism as bloodborne virus" is much more novel and unique than cross-hating, holy water-fearin' vamps that are more akin to a bodice ripping romance novel than horrible creatures that they are.

Hmmm..enough of my ramblin'. Thoughts?

Phil

 

[Alex Spindler]

Not a bad movie, but nowhere near the first in terms of overall package.

Also, the expositionary dialogue and the ADR work is terrible in this film.

Did anyone else catch the huge plotholes in this one?

1. So the movie is effectively about them wanting to harvest Blade's blood so they can figure out how to be daywalkers? So why not just zap him on the many many occasions earlier instead of letting him continue to pursue the reapers (who are only released to get him in their snare)?

2. They figure that sunlight is the only thing that can kill them (except for the silly stab in the side thing). All the weapons have the UV lights on them. Why ever bother shooting them?

3. The light grenade explosion goes around corners?

4. Whistler gets a detox 2 years later when it was iffy with the girl from the first one just a few hours after exposure? And hers fails and whistlers succeeds?

5. What is with the indecision to kill Whistler? They keep him alive for years to torture him, then try and kill him in the sewer, then keep him alive at the end, then go to kill him. Seems they can't figure out if they want him or not.

6. Whistler gets the upperhand and then beats up Ron Perlman. Ron is a vampire last I checked, and they were pretty much physically superior to humans. How did Whistler beat him down?

 

[Patrick Sun]

All I have to say is that fans of WWF will love this film because I thought it was so funny when many wrestling moves showed up in the fight sequences.

It might have been about 10-15 minutes too long.

Scud was a dud. He kept reminding of Kid Rock and Rob Thomas rolled into one for some strange reason.

I was thinking Ron Perlman's character got weakened by his bout with the light bomb, so Whister was able to get in a few haymakers of his own.

Actually, you really shouldn't think much when you watch this film, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I posted my review in the appropriate thread.
I enjoyed Blade 2 despite a few overwhelming flaws and (as several have already pointed out) it runs a bit too long. I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
I know it's a cliché, but IF YOU LIKED THE FIRST ONE...

 

[Josh_Hill]

Now, do we really have to be baggin on Resident Evil in this thread? Come on, peace.
Anyway, I had no idea that Donnie yen did the choreography. Hats off to him.

 

[Timothy Alexander]

I thought it was a pretty entertaining movie myself. And so did the sold out theater I went to. It was the first time in a very long time people clapped in unison at the end of a movie.
Only thing that really pissed me off was Donnie Yen's role. Figures that the badass asian vampire with two swords gets killed off awfully easy...AGAIN!!! First time was in that dreaded Highlander Endgame movie. He was the only good part of that movie and he gets killed off during f*cking supper.
Other than that gripe, very cool movie. I didn't go in trying to overanalyze things and ended up having a blast and I plan on seeing this again very soon.

 

[Dwayne]

Very entertaining. Reapers were definately cool. Gotta a good laugh at the end.

Did anyone like the new "laser" sound of Blade's gun or didn't anybody notice?

 

[Carlos_E]

Scott Weinberg:

Thanks for your review over in the review section. As usual, your review was quite comprehensive(never only a few lines). I will be going to see the movie tonight. I was getting concerned with a lot of people posting before your review coming away dissappointed.

I know exactly why I am going to see this movie. Not for the character development or an intricate plot. I am going to the movie to see some (excuse the French) kick ass action with bad asses duking it out and techno music pumping in the background.

Knowing my level of expectation, will I be a happy camper tonight?

Also how was the music and the sound effects. Is there anything in the movie reminiscent of that awesome musical techno piece from the beginning of the first Blade movie (1998) in the Discoteque?

Thanks Scott and anyone else for all responses.

 

[Matt Wooten]

well basically everyone has said what needs to be said about this film. but to answer the music question.. this didn't have quite the same techno feel to it that the last one did. and im sorry i love crystal method but the name of the game is in every movie these days.. don't overdue the song people. personally i liked the film.. i didn't like the way it was shot tho.. it would have looked better wider frame i think. overall this one played more like a comic than the last one but i think the first movie had better overall plot. now in the next one i want them to bring back my boy Decon Frost.. i think this movie needed a "cool" villian element and no one can beat the deacon..

 

[Todd H]

Is it 1.85:1? Just curious since I think the original Blade was 2.35:1 (I could be wrong on both cases however).

 

[ChristopherDM]

I thought Blade II(and i quote winamp) kicked the lama's ass. My only beef with the film really was that the villians like Matt said didnt come off the way Deacon Frost did. The Plot was lose at times but it built from ideas from the orginal, like the inner racism within the vampire nation between pure bloods and ones simply bitten. Finally the one liners in this film where great especially the end

 

[todbnla]

Just saw this today at our local, now owned by AMC, mega-plex. The action goes up and down and its not Shakespeare but if you are a Blade fan, this one will please you. My only concern now is will Snipes hold up until Blade III or will he be too old, not too mention Kristoffensen. (See above in this thread for BIII info)
Hope the DVD is in DTS too

 

[Jay W]

Todd H: Yes, I believe the OAR for Blade II is 1.85:1

 

[Guy Martin]

Todd H-

Yup, it's 1.85:1, which I guess must've been Del Toro's preference. It didn't bug me too much (after all Aliens was 1.85:1 even though Alien was 2.35:1).

I dug this film, moreso than the original, which probably reflects mainly on my preference for Prague as a setting for mayhem over the original's generic US city location (a combination of Toronto and LA I believe). Actually us Prague fans have much to look forward to this year with Bad Company, XXX, I Spy and Shanghai Knight all taking place there.

One continuity thing vis-a-vis the original bugged me:



What ever happened to Dr. Jenson? Obviously Blade uses her cure on Whistler at the beginning, but her name isn't mentioned at all. He also seems to be using a more effective version of his serum, also presumably developed by her. I guess I figured she had joined team Blade by the end of the first movie. I guess I was wrong. Still some explanation would've been nice, even if it's just as simple as she left (that worked to explain Viki Vale's absense from Batman Returns for example).



- Guy

 

[Sean Moon]

This movie rocked hard!! Dont go looking for a thinking mans movie. Just go to have your pants pulled down, ass exposed, and kicked clear across kansas by a steel toed boot. This movie rocked that hard. Cannot wait for the DVD. The sound in this film was unbeliveable. Gonna need a new sub just to watch this movie.

 

[TerryRL]

"Blade II" earned $11.7 million on Friday and is on par for an opening gross of $30 to $35 million. This is great news for New Line since the movie was only expected to earn about $20 million and finish behind both "Ice Age" and the reissue of "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial".

No wonder New Line is already prepping a third "Blade" movie.