Top 100 Films. 86. Blade 2 (2002)

The sequel to the most bad ass superhero brings a bigger and badder installment to a very good franchise. Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, nothing could go wrong.

Set a few years after the original, Blade 2 deals with a new breed of vampires that do not have the typical vampire weaknesses except for sunlight. They are vicious and are a bigger threat to humanity then vampires ever could be. So Blade must work with his enemy, the vampires to defeat this new mutation called the reapers.

The premise is simple but it does not hinder the film at all, sometimes the most simplest concepts can be the most effective. This film does not apologise for anything. It is full of action, gore and vampire butt’s being kicked. Del Toro brings a distinct visual style to the genre. Blade was one of the first modern superhero films and to stray away from it’s original in tone was a bold move that worked. The reapers are a hellish and well thought out villain. They seem unstoppable and the design of the reaper was quintessential Del Toro. If you have seen any of his past films, you can see he takes pride in the design of his monsters. Blade 2 is no different.

Wesley Snipes is Blade, I cannot imagine anyone else playing the character. Wesley Snipes has that bad ass attitude that fits with the tone of the film. As he hides under the sunglasses, Blade is a mysterious character that works more like an anti-hero. He is not the nicest guy but he doesn’t try to be. He walks in, kills vampires, then walks out. He is one of my favourite superheroes and this is all from Snipes portrayal of the character.

The beginning scene at the party where the house music is playing and blood spurts out of the sprinklers is a scene that has always stayed with me. It is a time stamp of the early 2000’s but it creates the pace of the film. It is rapid, stylish and so so gory. Blade 2 is not in the top 100 films ever made but it is by far in my top 100 favourite films. It set a standard for superhero films. Not the PG rated films but the R-rated films that have started to become popular. Blade 2 showed the potential of what superheroes could do and the audience it attracts. It is one of my favourite films in the genre. Blade 2 is the ultimate bad ass film and sometimes you need that in your life.