Blade
Blade: There are worse things out tonight than vampires.
Karen: Like what?
Blade: Like me.
Ah Blade… I mean Blade… if you agree, I’d keep original title, somehow it’s cooler 😁)…
Maybe some younger (TikTok) generations wonder if there were superheroes before year 2000. (In voice of old man from Foča): “Eeeee, my children, once upon time superhero films came out once a year, and they weren’t all popular superheroes, nor was it high-budget production, nor was there green screen to draw all sorts of things with computer… listen, children mine, to legend about superheroes before two thousand year…”
Meet titular hero. Blade is dhampir, something between man and vampire… let’s say, man with vampire powers (strength, speed, endurance, sharpened senses), but without their weaknesses (neither garlic nor Sun bothers him, nor holy water). Moreover he’s vampire hunter (vampire hunter), who finishes off (logically) vampires he blames for his mother’s death. However, he doesn’t approach vampire extermination like hysterical brat, but as real professional, who, moreover, seems to enjoy making vampires’ lives miserable.
Blade doesn’t have many allies… in fact, only ally is old Abraham Whistler, who’s, in a way, like father to him, and who moreover helps him with weapons, information, but also watches over his health (so our titular hero isn’t carried away by desire for blood).
And so… on one side Blade, on other vampires. However one vampire is currently very interesting to our vampinator (get it? Vampire + Terminator? No? Ok, I’ll leave room myself…), and that’s Deacon Frost.
Frost is very specific vampire. Besides running rave club for vampires, he doesn’t exactly show respect toward purebred old-school vampires (who have their “Council,” where they deliberate about most important questions), who don’t want to expose themselves to people too much, but liv(e scav)e from shadows. Though Frost is also “Council” member, he’s not purebred vampire, but has large number of followers among young vampires. However, Frost also has hidden ambition to become most powerful vampire with help of one ancient record.
And into conflict between Blade and Frost also gets entangled one girl, Karen Jenson, whom Blade saved from vampires turning her into their compatriot (or meal) in minute to 12… and moreover Karen is also hematologist, which is why she can be of great help in finding potential cure that prevents infected (by bite) victims from becoming vampires… and maybe even find cure that can put under control Blade’s always smoldering desire for blood.
And whether Blade will prevent Frost in intention to create most powerful vampire ever, you’ll find out in first part of film “Blade.” 🦇
It wouldn’t be exaggeration to say (first) “Blade” film became cult title (despite average ratings), which did many things well. With earnings of 131 million dollars (and budget of 45), “Blade” is factually first “Marvel” film that’s truly seen as successful (and profitable) live action comic adaptation, which later gave “Marvel” wind in sails to enter more bravely into future adaptations.
Then, this showed even superhero film that has “R” rating (not for viewers under 17) can have good showing in cinemas. Moreover, “Blade” is (superhero) action horror with elements of martial arts, where vampires aren’t some goth emo mice that can be pale mannequins for “Timberland” (I made this up of course, how would I know what they’d be mannequins for), but brutal bloodsuckers that can look (both figuratively and literally) quite nasty. There’s blood everywhere, vampire eliminations are brutal, real Mortal Kombat for audience. And moreover vampires in some scenes are really disgusting, so horror element in film is solidly strong.
“Blade” also showed origin story (i.e., how someone became superhero) doesn’t have to be explained immediately in first part (so audience better understands hero and his motives) and last almost entire film. In couple minutes we learn titular hero’s mother, while in advanced pregnancy, was bitten by vampire. Blade was born prematurely and doctors barely saved his life, and mother didn’t survive. Period. Next scene, thirty years later, Blade bursts into vampire rave party with sprinklers (note, water doesn’t come from sprinklers) and scatters vampires everywhere. Audience already forgot origin story and enjoys action on screen.
“Blade” also did good job on visual aspect (film came out before year 2000). Film has quite dark atmosphere, almost comic-book dark (with again its own unique style). There are vampires in various (human) form, from elegant and measured to rough and aggressive and disgusting, and went quite in different direction compared to, for example, how Bram Stoker imagined his literary “Dracula.” And what’s added as CG elements still holds up well.
Bonus is excellent music. Film focused on darker music tone, and moreover excellently “walked” through rave (club music is really well done), which was followed by hip hop, techno to electronic music, which gave excellent tempo to film itself.
Action elements are perhaps trademark of “Blade” films. Film largely defines itself as martial arts movie, and with reason. Blade isn’t stranger to firearms, but for him nothing’s sweeter than when he butchers vampires with his handmade blade or beats them with his unique fighting style (which mixes shotokan karate, capoeira, hapkido, ninjutsu, boxing, jeet kune do, kung fu and some more). One of reasons for successful choreography is Wesley Snipes (who plays titular hero) dealt with martial arts since childhood. All in all, for action lovers (especially at film’s beginning and end), fun is guaranteed.
We’ve come to acting.
Wesley Snipes… our former tax non-payer nicely breathed life into this sarcastically talkative john-wick-style exterminator of bats. Sometimes cool and cold, with often unusual excesses (in film you’ll occasionally notice unusual comments or Blade’s facial expressions), and sometimes angry, Wesley Snipes interestingly presented this eccentric dhampir. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that’s, what they’d say in Old Slavonic, his iconic role in his career and something he’s most recognizable for (only films besides “Blade” series that are my association with Snipes are cult “Demolition Man” and “White Man Can’t Jump”). From today’s perspective, maybe it wasn’t that wow acting, but for late 90s, in action horror superhero film, more than enough. Though there are anecdotes Snipes on set behaved like he was Blade (method acting).
Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost… honestly, this actor really has strange acting path (acted in over 100 films). He had more success as really young actor (“The Gate,” “The Power of One”), this film maybe brought him peak of fame (like, Best Villain MTV Movie Award), then nothing special with later films, and only recent years we see him in better quality films and series (“True Detective,” “Botched”). Though his role as Deacon maybe isn’t too developed in this film, Dorff did solid job. Obviously others noticed this too, because at one time there was talk about spin-off film about this ambitious vampire (actor stated he’d still be interested in filming film if opportunity arose).
Film also had experienced member of older guard of actors in form of Whistler, whom Kris Kristofferson played. Country music legend (inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame) was solid addition as Blade’s ally.
As for N’Bushe Wright as Karen… meh, somehow she’s lukewarm water to me and not too memorable character.
Film’s director is Stephen Norrington (interesting is as director he worked on total of four films in his career), and screenwriter was now quite famous David S. Goyer (worked on “Batman” trilogy with Christian Bale in lead role, “Batman V Superman,” “Man of Steel,” “The Sandman,” “Call of Duty” video games and similar).
To summarize “Blade” film… in fact, essence was already written in middle of review. Simply, film did quite a lot of good things. It encouraged film industry to dare to make more R rated (or at least ones that flirt with R rated) dark superhero films (“Watchmen,” “V for Vendetta,” “Constantine,” “The Punisher” and others). It made it known African American actors can be (superhero) action stars. It showed horror elements don’t have to be only for sci-fi or certain thrillers, but action (to be more precise, superhero) genre can use it well too.
Film has always been in some underrated category, which is a bit unfair toward this title. It did many good things, both as film, and for film industry and superhero genre.
Watch it (again), you won’t go wrong.
And finally, couple interesting facts:
- When talk started around filming, film bigwigs believed only three actors could carry this film: Wesley Snipes, Denzel Washington and Laurence Fishburne. But David Goyer in his head already saw Snipes as best choice
- At moment he was offered role in this film, Wesley Snipes was open to idea of playing Black Panther
- Villain Deacon Frost’s role was offered to Jet Li, but he refused because he wanted to work on fourth part of “Lethal Weapon”
- Legendary Stan Lee had cameo in this film, but was cut from final film version
- In film’s “vampire history,” it was decided cross has no effect on vampires, because they asked simple question: “Would cross ‘work’ on Jewish vampires?” 😂
And you, dear reader, does any other famous dhampir come to mind? 😊
Trailer | Imdb | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic
Format: Film | Premiere: 1998 | Runtime: 120 minutes
