Release Date: September 18th, 2007

The Film

Uwe Boll is on track to become a Hollywood legend, but in the way that Ed Wood is considered a legend. Boll has managed to have every one of his films universally reviled by audiences and critics alike. His video game adaptations have set the genre back years and yet somehow he continues to get work. I can’t criticize him too much, his films must be making money somewhere or he wouldn’t get to make more. Still, it does boggle the mind how consistent he is in his skill or lack thereof. Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance continues the trend—another stinker for Boll.

The original Bloodrayne was an incredibly cheesy period piece about a half-human, half-vampire hottie who went around killing her enemies. It’s the sort of material fit for direct-to-video, yet somehow the film hit theatres. The sequel has no such luck and didn’t retain any noticeable stars. This time around Natassia Malthe stars as Bloodrayne. The film takes place one hundred years after the original, set in America’s wild wild West. There, led by Billy the Kid, a group of vampires are terrorizing the town of Deliverance and planning to use the railroad system to spread vampirism across the country. Rayne teams up with a rag-tag group of demon hunters to save the town from a bloody doom.

Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance does nothing to improve on the original. The dark, appropriate gothic settings have been traded for a very generic Western theme that never rises to the occasion. Instead it is a mixture of clichés and bad acting that will leave a bad taste in your mouth. I’d recommend the film for the action, but even that has been dumbed down as Boll makes an attempt at some serious dramatic moments. I won’t condemn Uwe Boll or Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance. As I said before, he’s getting to do what he loves regardless of what people think, and on some level you have to respect that.

The DVD

The video is presented in an unspecified 16×9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Unfortunately the film could have looked much better. Grain and compression artifacts are problems throughout the entire film and the level of detail is average at best. In a time where most DVDs look very good, the fact that these basic problems plague the transfer is a little unforgivable.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/Spanish subtitles. This is a very aggressive mix featuring plenty of rear speaker action, panning effects, and booming music. However, it lacks any subtle, atmospheric effects and relies more on flashy, gimmick sounds to please its audience.

The Extras

Commentary is offered by Director Uwe Boll. I recommend listening to this not because he will change your mind about the film, but because Boll is such an interesting person. He honestly believes that he makes good films and will spend 95 minutes explaining why with intense fervor. Other directors should learn from Boll’s passion as it makes for a much more interesting commentary.

Deleted/Extended scenes are offered and are truly worse than the film. There’s no reason to check these out, they were well chosen deletions.

15 minutes of interviews are offered with the cast and crew though the whole segment is pretty shameful.

Also offered are a digital comic book titled “Tibetan Heights,” a Trailer for his upcoming film Postal, and the entire original Bloodrayne game for PC. That’s not a bad deal except you could probably pick up the game for ten bucks somewhere.

Final Thoughts

Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance is, as expected, simply another Uwe Boll film. Make of that what you will. – Jeff Ritchie