Other than
Tim Burton's original
Batman and
Alex Proyas'
The Crow,
Blade was one of the first really dark, really serious attempts at taking a comic book character and putting him on screen in an adaptation intended for adults. Directed by
Stephen Norrington and written by
David S. Goyer, who has subsequently been involved in all three
Blade films and numerous other comic book adaptations, the film is highly stylized and quite engaging despite some flaws in the internal logic and some sloppy editing (both of which will probably go unnoticed upon the initial viewing).
The film is based on the vampire-slaying exploits of Blade (Eric Brooks) a man whose mother was turned into a vampire while he was in utero, and as a result he was born possessing all of the inherent physical strengths of a vampire, but none of their weaknesses. Able to walk in daylight, he is dubbed the Daywalker and becomes the most fearsome warrior to stand against the bloodsuckers. But he has a vulnerability in that he too must consume blood (or a synthetic serum substitute) in order to survive. Much like Batman or The Punisher in his dark, brooding quality, Blade is a much more violent and somber figure. What separates him from the vampires he kills isn't that he is more human or peaceful by nature, certainly not since he is capable of equal if not greater acts of brutality, but that he is symbolically killing the monsters that remind him of what he might become if he loses his self-discipline.
As Blade,
Wesley Snipes gives an appropriately iconic and thrilling performance and shows that he can not only play the inner turmoil of the half-human, half-vampire anti-hero, but also displays his physical prowess in the action scenes.
Stephen Dorff who plays Frost, an ambitious and sadistic vampire with a goal of total domination over both humans and vampires, gives an equally thrilling performance layering his character with humor, brutality, and sex appeal.
Kris Kristofferson plays Whistler, Blade's mentor and the inventor of his unusual arsenal, with a slightly grimy, curmudgeonly charm.
Despite the fact that the film makes many departures from the comics, the end result is an admirable and very exciting action film that reinvented the
Marvel Comics character as well as the entire approach to vampires in films. Unfortunately, the sequels failed to live up to the original film (
Blade II isn't bad, but it's script is fairly dull, while
Blade: Trinity is just awful on every conceivable level), so I'd recommend just avoiding them or if you decide to watch them, go in with low expectations and just focus on the special effects and action.
