Too violent, way too violent

Rating: 1/10 (8 May 1999)

I don't care whether this is a "comic book movie" or not; it's far too violent. At one point, the villain actually throws a little girl across the street into a kiosk. She goes through it and lands on the street in front of a bus, glass flying everywhere (and gets nary a scratch, of course, in true "comic book" style.)
Perhaps the filmmakers thought this was acceptable because the "bad guy" did it and Wesley Snipes saves the girl, but I was horrified. I actually cried out in shock and anger in the theater. I'm surprised Stephen Dorff agreed to do it; he should be ashamed of himself.
Of all the money obviously spent on effects, could they not spare a few more dimes for the script? I'm sick of hearing that I "want too much" from action movies, that I should just sit back and enjoy the ride. No, thanks very much, I want a decent story. I want some character development (a 10-year-old could come up with better than what "Blade" provided). Most of all, I want some decent dialogue ("A cold heart is a dead heart"? "Maybe you should just let it go"? Somebody stayed up all night writing those lines, didn't they?
And for heaven's sake, what's with all the evil Asians? Nearly every single vampire henchman was Asian, and an silent, chop suey type Asian to boot. As an American reporter and movie critic living in Tokyo, I was embarrassed to sit in the theater, surrounded by Japanese journalists. By the time it was finished, I wanted to throw a bag over my head and dash for the door in shame.