7. Blade II
Del Toro's second outing playing around with Hollywood money proved much more fruitful, even if it was ultimately just the director's through-point to get his baby - a Hellboy movie - made. Blade II is a solid follow-up to the Stephen Norrington-directed original, and though it doesn't quite reach the same heights, it's different in all the ways that a franchise sequel should be. Stylishly directed for a far eerier tone, the movie's villains, The Reapers, are kitted out with a gross protuding mouth that can open up, and the film certainly doesn't want for action. Holding the film back, however, are some atrocious visual effects that looked horrid even for the time; some of the fight scenes possess "floaty" physics because they were clearly animated from scratch rather than being motion-captured. However, the introduction of some more colourful characters - namely Ron Perlman's leader of the Blood Pack - does add some much-needed humour to proceedings, ensuring that things never get too portentous or self-serious.