Fun escapist Horror/Action fare, based on a comic

Rating: Null/10 (18 June 2000)

I had actually never heard of the comic that this movie is based on, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.
"Blade" is set in the "present" (1999) where a Vampire Hunter, the title character, is on a "ridiculous crusade" to get revenge on the vampire underworld that killed his mother.
Sporting black leather, a nifty pare of shades, a sword, and enough gadgets to make the Inspector proud, Wesley Snipes' action hero takes on nasty after nasty in a dark sinister world run by legions of the night. He really kicks butt!
With excellent performances by the main characters, good visual effects, and plenty of mindless action and mood music, this dark action/horror flick is worth watching, as long as you don't mind non-stop swearing and bloodshed. The ending sequence is particularly cool.
If you liked the movie, avoid the official "soundtrack" at all costs, unless you're a hardcore rap fan, as the music is merely "inspired by," and only a couple of tracks (including the monotonous rave blood club theme) from the movie actually make it in. It's not worth it for a bunch of rap with Blade references thrown in seemingly at random.
Back to the movie. It suffers from some hokey flaws, such as the fact that we're treated to a Dick Tracy-esque smattering of "explanations" (ex: "You're being injected with sodium nitrate.. garlic"). The audience is treated as stupid, with every technical (or semi-technical) term being explained or given another name. While this make sense in some respects as a character is being "shown the ropes" it's a bit annoying with repeated viewings. The annoying bits of dialogue aside, the main bad guy has a certain affinity for overuse of the "F" word, (much as Kevin Smith's "Jay" in "Dogma"), which really gets old fast.
If you got sick of black leather/trenchcoats and designer sunglasses (no cell phones thankfully) in "The Matrix" prepare for more of the same...
Watch for a hilarious "Japanese Rap" scene at a nightclub.
There is a lot of gore towards the end, as is expected in modern "vampire" movies.
There are some "sexual" scenes within the first few minutes of the film, but you don't see any exposed flesh (sex always detracts from these kinds of movies anyway, IMHO).
I'd give it an 8 out of 10. It's exciting, it has great atmosphere, and it's fun to watch for the fight scenes alone.