Hmm where do I start? Where do I end? OK, I've seen worse, but I really wish I hadn't wasted $7.50 on a film which had bad CGI and unsavory plot points. I'm sorry comic-fans, but unless you like flashy action films with a lot of cheesy CGI and lots of shots of the main hero posing for the camera, then stay away.

First off, not only is the CGI bad, the use of it is horrendous. The film is loaded with unnecessary action scenes that still could have been cool if only they could have used restraint or rather artistic common sense. I'm sorry, but when I see a film where two computer-generated cartoons(!) fight each other and suddenly appear normal again, and I can spot it, then I get nausea, especially when the kid next to me goes, "That was awesome". Let's just hope that he's not a future filmmaker.

Now on to certain plot points that I thought were dumb. (Caution readers: if you plan to see "Blade II" and are sensitive to spoilers, best to skip the next two indented sections.---Nolan)

• Blade rescues Whistler who supposedly killed himself in part one. (Drew Reiber pointed out to me that in the end of part one, originally Whistler was supposed to be alive but they cut it out and now it is in this one. But unless you know the whole background, the idea seems dumb in the sequel.) This is explained with the throwaway line by another vampire "He tried to shoot himself, but we kept him alive".
• One of Blade's partners turns out to be working for the bad guy. Blade says that he knew that all along and blows him up. Now I know the whole idea of the henchman/inside betrayal thing is cliché, but it wouldn't have bothered me so much except for the obligatory exploding human scene. Made an otherwise decent scene silly.
• The vampires are creating the reapers with DNA splicing or some garbage. Dumb. Vampires and science is a dumb idea. Only these modernistic vampire films do this, fortunately.
• Then there is the old villain being cofronted by his creation who runs around screaming for its "father"/Frankenstein scene. This is way too cliché. These type of plots should have ended with Blade Runner.
• The Vampire Daughter is in shock that her evil Vampire dad could have betrayed her and in the end helps do him in. Über cliché.

Finally, we come to the annoying scenes shot to build up Blade's "coolness":

• Blade falls in a vat of blood and emerges in slow-motion and starts cracking his knuckles and neck for what feels like an eternity.
• Blade body-slams a bad guy into a glass floor, WWF style, and then pops up real quick into the frame like The Flash to face the main foe.

Why they have to do these so called "cool" scenes is beyond me as I find Blade to be at his coolest when he isn't talking or posing cool.

It's not so much that Blade 2 is the main offender here, it's just that I've seen it at a time that I'm just getting sick of people wasting film on entertainment and not something more important. That and the current trend with blending Matrix-esque action scenes and editing into the film is just annoying and in bad taste in my opinion. That was the major factor that ruined "Brotherhood of the Wolf" for me.

If this is what you like, then I'm sure you will enjoy Blade 2, but if you are like me and think that a subtle film without flashy gimmicks works better, than you'll hate Blade 2. As for the bad CGI , well, I think my friend who accompanied me to Blade 2 (and who is going to school for 3-D animation) put it best, "If I had done the CGI on Blade 2, I would be ashamed of myself". All in all maybe Hollywood should just burn!

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This week's movie review of "Blade II" is ©2002 by Terence Nuzum. All graphics this page are creations of Nolan B. Canova, ©2002, all rights reserved. All contents of "Nolan's Pop Culture Review" are ©2002 by Nolan B. Canova.