Review of Blade (1998) by Homer C — 08 Dec 2011

A stylish action-packed and spectacularly bloody horror film skillfully directed by Stephen Norrington, with a superb ultra-cool performance by Wesley Snipes who is perfectly cast as the badass relentless urban-vigilante and merciless vampire hunter named Blade, he is armed to the teeth with big automatic guns, swords, garlic and sliver filled bullets, silver-edge weapons and titanium spikes, he is part human and part vampire, he has all of their strengthen and none of their weakness and he can also walk in daylight.

Blade is based on the Marvel Comics book character created by Marv Wolfman, Blade is a perfect superhuman warrior who's personal crusade is to exterminate all vampires due to his hatred for them, Blade's mother was attacked and bitten by a vampire just before she gave birth to him, he is out to avenge his dead mother and protect humankind from the evil vampire nation, Snipes brings a dark mystique to the character of Blade, he makes a fabulous entrance in the beginning of the film at a secret underground disco where he rescues a human from devoured by dozens of bloodlusting vampires, the camera pans slowly from his boots to show him wearing sun glasses and impressively deck out in a long gleaming leather trenchcoat and wearing black body armor, as he removes his sun glasses and smiles, all hell breaks loose, in a amazing fight sequence, Blade uses his incredible Martial Arts skills and his silver weaponry on all the rampaging vampires, wiping out most of them that did not run away, he uncovers a plot by a villainous megalomaniacal vampire named Decon Frost, chillingly played by Stephen Drorff who is planing to make a serious power play against the ancient vampire council and take it over, by attempting to rise the voracious blood god La Marga, in a bid for ultimate power and world domination.

There is a marvelous supporting performance by Kris Kristofferson as Whistler, Blade's mentor and weapons maker, the rest of the cast all deliver solid performances it includes N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Udo Kier, Arly Jover, and Traci Lords, the production design by Kirk M.

Petrucceli and cinematography by Theo van de Sande are absolutely stunning. A full-tilt adrenaline pumping thriller. Highly Recommended.