Blade stood out because it didn't have the pretensions of other vampire films. It gave us enough story to sink our teeth into (sorry, couldn't resist), but didn't pretend to be anything it wasn't. It opted for excellently choreographed fight scenes and snappy one-liners rather than a convoluted plot and arty posturing. Blade II looks to be more of the same, only this time, Blade reluctantly joins forces with the Vampire Council in order to combat the Reapers, creatures which threaten the existence of both humans and vampires.

After centuries of leading a covert, nomadic existence the vampire Lestat (Townsend) wants his name not only to be heard, but to be worshipped. What modern figure can gather legions of followers who will serve him unquestioningly? A rock star, of course! With a commanding voice supplied by Korn's Jonathan Davis, Lestat and his goth group become a worldwide sensation. However, whilst Lestat's openness about his past is a driving force behind the hype ('Man or Beast?' demands Rolling Stone), it also attracts the attention of many of the world's vampires, who are not happy to have been 'outed'. Worse still, Lestat finds he has woken the formidable Queen Akasha (Aaliyah) and he fears that he and his allies may not be able to stop her from taking control of the world. If this all sounds ridiculous, that's because it is. It's hard to take seriously, so the best thing is not to. The humour, some of it intentional and some of it not, makes this film well worth your time as an escapist farce.