Blade

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson
Directed by: Stephen Norrington
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Action
Box Office: $70,087,718
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: Blade(Wesley Snipes) is a vampire hunter, who is part vampire himself. Blade wages a war against all vampires, especially those led by a very intelligent and charismatic vampire, Deacon Frost(Stephen Dorff). As their war wages on, the stakes grow higher as Frost discovers a way to allow himself to walk in the day- a feat that could allow vampires to take over mankind.

Review:

Tim: The first time I watched this film, which was in the theater, I really didn't like it. Its flaws were very apparent to me. I watched it again, this time on DVD to refresh my memory of how bad it was. However, I was quite disappointed- I actually liked the film. Yes, the movie is flawed- that is still apparent. However, despite being flawed, this movie still manages to be enjoyable. I liked the film, although it clearly could have been better.

Wesley Snipes is good as Blade. Snipes is past his prime, but he was the right choice for the role. Snipes plays it like he knows this is his last shot at stardom. There are far too many moments where he goes over-the-top or delivers suspect acting, but for the most part, he works well in the role. Stephen Dorff is tremendous as Deacon Frost. Comic book movies need a strong villain, and Dorff delivered. Again, he occasionally seems a bit too silly, but for the most part, I enjoyed him here.

The action in this movie is outstanding- it is really something to see. The film also contains just a hint of humor which keeps the film moving. While there aren't any especially memorable action sequences, they do occur regularly enough to keep the audience invested and interested.

Blade is definitely not a movie for everyone. It is a comic book film, but one clearly rated R. It contains many gruesome scenes. There were a few moments where I cringed, which doesn't happen often. Still, the grittiness definitely gives it a unique tint.

If you can stand the blood and gore, this film actually is pretty good. The action is sharp and the acting works. While flawed, this movie was important- it was instrumental in starting Marvel's eventual domination of the comic book genre. It was influential in that regard, so it's worth seeing. My recommendation for this film is a toss up, but you can do much worse.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Blade II, Blade: Trinity, Vampires, X-Men