Blade 2

If the black-vampire-hunter-as-action-hero genre isn't exactly oversaturated, it's hardly because of the strong star turns of Wesley Snipes in the film adaptations of the popular Blade graphic novels. This sequel to the '98 original may have a plot hole (or three), but Marco Beltrami takes the baton from the original vamp-hunting thriller's Mark Isham and delivers a rousing orchestral score full of dark corners and ominous percussive thunder. While the film's strong, club-mix-heavy song score emphasizes the story's contemporary setting, Beltrami instinctively gets the tale's gothic, sword 'n' sorcery roots, punctuating his rhythmic, suspenseful score with blasts of Barbarian-friendly blasts of brass. The title track fuses the composer's dramatic instincts with the back-to-the-'70s synth-swagger of electronica artist-producer Danny Saber, while "Nomack the Knife" is anything but playful, powered by a beat-heavy symphonic wallop that just might clear the dance floor. --Jerry McCulley