The quiet western town of Deliverance is about to take their first step to becoming a growing destination with the pending completion of their railroad station, that will link the sleepy town to the rest of the nation.
Unfortunately for the citizens of Deliverance, the pending railroad is about to bring with it more than tourists, business travelers, and settlers. A pack of bloodthirsty vampires under the leadership of Billy the Kid (Zack Ward), have setup their base in Deliverance and have taken the towns children hostage to ensure the cooperation of the populace.
In “Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance”, Natassia Malthe plays Rayne, taking over the role from Kristanna Loken (who was unavailable due to her commitment to Painkiller Jane), and brings the half human, half vampire Dhampir to the old west as she attempts to stop the advancing vampire threat.
Upon arrival, Rayne soon finds herself at odds with the town’s non-human guests and the resulting carnage leaves Rayne facing a date with the hangman’s noose.
With the help of Pat Garret (Michael Pare’), Rayne escapes but soon finds herself facing a deadline when Billy’s nefarious plans come to light. With no time to spare Rayne and Pat enlist the help of two gun slingers, in an attempt to end the vampire threat once and for all and save Deliverance.
The film is a marked improvement over the previous film in the series, as the cast and premise are engaging and refreshing twist on traditional vampire films. Malthe embraces the physical role and brings more humanity and compassion to her portrayal as this is clearly a Rayne who has changed over the hundred years since we last saw her.
Zack Ward portrays Billy, as an old word vampire complete with European accent, who is more comfortable sucking the life from his victims than he is in dealing with gunplay. He is cold, calculating, and a step up from the traditional monster film uber boss.
The real highlight of the film for me were the sets, as Director Uwe Boll obviously went to great lengths to capture the look and feel of the era, and used natural lighting for many of the scenes to give the film and air of authenticity and beauty. Many times I forgot I was watching a monster film, and realized that this is a western first and foremost that just happens to feature vampires.
The film is not without its issues as there are some plot holes, and for my taste the film lost momentum and dragged in the third act before ramping up for the finale. The action in the film is good, but there is nothing overly spectacular here, as the action is a tool of the story rather than the focal point of the film.
I know too many it is an unpopular opinion but Boll continues to show progress with each film and “Bloodrayne 2” continues this tradition with rich visuals, and an engaging cast and solid pacing.
While it is not likely to redefine the genre, “Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance”, is a better film than the previous “Bloodrayne” and sets the stage well for the next film in the series.
3.5 stars out of 5.
