A fast paced, kinetic romp through modern vampire mythology...

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2006)

Now the summary above might seem a bit highbrow for a film like Blade and, to be honest, it is. However, that doesn't detract from a movie which, although it doesn't do anything new with the traditional vampire story, does offer a fast and furious couple of hours of well choreographed action.
Wesley Snipes is Blade, a half breed human/vampire mix and the only one of his kind. Taken from his mother by Cesearean section, after she was bitten by a vampire, Blade has all the strengths of a vampire with almost none of their weaknesses... garlic, silver, sunlight... all are nothing to the Daywalker. Unfortunately, he still ages like a human and he still has the vampiric thirst for blood.
Discovered as a child by vampire hunter Abraham Whistler (a wonderfully gnarly Kris Kristofferson) Blade is subsequently trained into a highly skilled martial artist and fighter who hunts vampires across the US. Naturally the vampires take a dim view of this but are consistently unable to take down their nemesis due to his regenerative abilities and impressive skills, particularly with the sword. Using this and other weapons, created by the partially incapacitated Whistler, Blade is a powerful enemy, albeit one fighting against a seemingly insurmountable adversary which has its claws, figuratively and literally, in much of the modern world.
However, all is not well in the vampire society. A schism has developed between true, pure blooded vampires and those who were merely bitten to develop into vampires. As the 'turned' (bitten) individuals grow in power behind their leader Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff in a selection of very cool shirts), they begin to examine ancient vampire relics which suggest that there may be a way of bringing a vampire god, La Magra, to Earth where he will initiate a vampire apocalypse. Blade must stop them.
The plot of this film is well paced and interesting, although sometimes has to stretch a bit too far for comfort's sake. Still, despite the occasional lapse or ridiculous moment, sun block protects turned vampires from sunlight apparently, the tension is built up fairly continuously and the various fights and climaxes work effectively.
Unlike the CGI heavy sequel and truly diabolical third film with its horrendous products placement (could you really fight someone if you were listening to an iPod!?!), the original Blade comes with few strings attached and no obvious debts to be paid (although devotees of Hong Kong cinema might take umbrage at that). Using wire work before the Matrix made it the done thing, Snipes and, perhaps more importantly, Norrington give us a genuinely super hero whose gravity defying moves seldom appear too excessive. A general (if not total) lack of slow motion and characters who are prepared to be fairly unambiguous means little distracts us from the standard good versus evil fights throughout, while N'Bushe Wright is scorching but useful (not your average screaming damsel in distress) as the doctor caught up in the middle of Blades' fight with Frost and the vampires (and who creates a recombinant viral gene therapy in about five minutes!).
Gerenally Blade works very well, the reveals are unexpected and the acting fairly downplayed. However, the secondary bad guys and the Big Bad Fight at the end are less effective, the latter of which seems particularly lame. A look at the DVD deleted scenes suggests that an alternative, perhaps more apt finish was unworkable within the limited budget available. Instead the film leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth due to its unpalatable finish but that shouldn't take away from the overall achievement of making an excellent, fun if overly serious movie that goes down well after a few jars in the pub.
Comparisons with the sequels are, in my opinion, favourable. The less said about Blade Trinity the better but there is a definite suggestion that the second movie was superior. I don't agree with this, thanks mainly to the ham fisted attempts to arouse emotion, the rather ridiculous plot, too much CGI and too much gore for gore's sake. It also gains a character and loses one with almost no explanation as to the how's or why's and has the most unrealistic bunch of kick asses ever committed to film (the blood pack really should've seen an image and accent consultant before filming and what is the point in having Donnie Yen in a martial arts film if he doesn't even get to fight anyone!?!).
So stick with the original and best: Wesley Snipe's Blade slicing and dicing the evil vampires with some hardcore moves, kick ass tools and a thumping soundtrack.