Cast. Stephen Dorff, Udo Kier, Kris Kristofferson, Donal Logue, Wesley Snipes, N'Bushe Wright.
Rating. 26%
Whilst many observers will credit Bryan Singer's X-Men as the film that launched the modern superhero film, that honour actually lies with Blade. Despite mixed reviews from film critics, Blade performed well at the box office ($130 million worldwide). And following on from other New Line Cinema releases such as Mortal Kombat, Spawn and Dark City, this was the direction superhero films were heading in at the time. A combination of gothic, noir universes populated with comic book characters.
The character Blade first appeared in Marvel Comics' The Tomb of Dracula #10, in July 1973. Half-vampire, half-human, Blade possesses all the powers of a vampire, but requires a manufactured serum to control his inherent blood-lust.
There is no denying Blade is a stylish film. Director Stephen Norrington unveils a slow-motion bullet sequence one year before the Wachowskis made it famous in The Matrix. And the opening sequence is particularly elegant, with a hedonistic set piece in an off-the-grid nightclub, featuring a pulsating remix of New Order's Confusion.
And whilst, Wesley Snipes very much looks like Blade. Even sounds like Blade. The problem is, that Blade himself is somewhat dull. Combined with an ever-increasingly ludicrous plot, Blade fails to entertain.
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