The "Blade" Franchise

[StevePulaski]

Blade (1998)
Directed by: Stephen Norrington

Wesley Snipes is Blade in Marvel's first cinematic feature.

Rating: ★★★½

It's almost unfathomable to think had Stephen Norrington's Blade not been such a financial success upon release in 1998, Marvel Studios as the cinematic titan we know today might not exist. It wasn't X-Men who got the powerhouse studio up and running. Nor was it a film detailing the origins story of Hulk, Captain America, or Spider-Man. It all came down to a comparatively lesser-known half-man/half-vampire anti-hero who slays the undead with acrobatics and enviable swordsmanship.

Blade's release followed comparably darker pictures such as The Crow and Spawn that infused a comic-book visual style into action filmmaking. Prior to its release, superhero movies were not tentpoles but sources of mockery and disappointment. One too many Howard the Ducks and Steels polluted what was a potential-laden ground for visionary filmmaking and interconnected storylines. Not only was Blade a gamble, but it was a darker picture attempting to find a broader audience with its horror-influence, bloodshed, and involving narrative. Next time you praise Marvel, find a breath in the middle of your spiel and use it to put some respect on Blade's name.

Working off a character who made his debut in the comic Tomb of Dracula #10 back in 1973, the film opens with a quick prologue where we see his human mother give birth to him the night she was bitten by a vampire. Born Eric Brooks, "Blade" (not just played but embodied by Wesley Snipes) entered this world a hybrid, with the physical capabilities of a vampire yet few of the weaknesses (garlic and sunshine don't seem to phase him whatsoever). While his mother died giving birth, Blade has been raised and mentored by Whistler (Kris Kristofferson of all people), who kindly injects him with a special serum that keeps his humanity in tact, although he might be building a tolerance to it.

It's Blade who now lives to wage war against vampires, infiltrating raves and night-clubs where they're privy to bathing in blood and feasting on any unlucky human who comes through the door. Early in the film, he rescues a hematologist named Karen (N'Bushe Wright) after she's bit by a vampire. Her blood could hold the secret to a new serum possibly curated by Whistler. But Blade's larger problem comes in the form of Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a young, resourceful vampire keen on ridding the world of the human race.

Reiterating the plot in writing leads me to observe one key detail: how Blade effectively tags the bases for a franchise-starter. We have the origins story of our hero — not painstakingly fleshed out over the entire two hours, blessed so — a trio of characters that are easy enough for whom to root, a compelling villain given life by a menacing Dorff, and we have intrigue lurking on the sidelines in the impossibility of vampires and humans coexisting. Despite all of this, I still had one lingering question: what happens if the vampires successfully eradicate the human race? What is the next food source?

Snipes clearly loves the agility and stoicism offered in his role. He is a towering presence in his bulletproof black trenchcoat and dark shades that allow mystique to serve as his character development. Wright is close to becoming a damsel at the expense of the script, but overtime, Karen is permitted a larger, more active role in her own fate as she adjusts to this unexpected shift in her life that has her on the defense. Kristofferson amusingly provides narrative context and comic relief, and once again, Dorff is about as committed to his role as Snipes. When Blade and Deacon come face-to-face in a handful of scenes, some of the film's best moments occur.

Cinematographer Theo van de Sande and special-effects-artist-turned-director Stephen Norrington work together to give the film the amalgamated visual style of both a noir and a gritty graphic novel. Blacks and reds dominate the color palette yet are given some sense of diversity by way of numerous locales (bunkers, factories, night-clubs, etc). David S. Goyer's script constantly has the characters moving, maintaining a level of urgency that doesn't approach mania but doesn't allow for stagnation either. Even the fight choreography is pretty immaculate considering there was no blueprint such as The Matrix at the time.

Blade is as complete a superhero film as I've seen and its legacy not only laid the groundwork for superhero movies, but darker, more experimental films of the genre.

Starring: Wesley Snipes, N'Bushe Wright, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Dorff, Udo Kier, and Tracy Lords. Directed by: Stephen Norrington.

[StevePulaski]

Blade II (2002)
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Leonor Varela and Wesley Snipes in Blade II.

Rating: ★★½

Set two years after the original, Blade II rekindles us with the half-human/half-vampire (Wesley Snipes) in his ongoing quest to eradicate the undead from the world. Blade is in search of his partner Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), who isn't dead as assumed from the events of the first film. Once the two are safely reunited, Whistler is dismayed to discover Blade's new assistant, Scud (Norman Reedus, who had me thinking he was Edward Furlong for a hot second), is a two-bit punk despite his experience with combat. Before long, two visitors, Nyssa (Leonor Varela) and Asad (Danny John Jules), who seek to form an alliance with the experienced killer. Nyssa and Asad were sent by Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), an ancient vampire king determined to create a superior race of vampires to carry on his legacy. This new breed of vampires are known as "Reapers," who have no loyalty — not even to their vampire brethren. They also lack the garlic/silver sensitivity of their counterparts, although they are allergic to light. Patient zero in this mess is Nomak (Luke Goss), Damaskinos' resentful first-born son.

Blade begrudgingly teams up with the Bloodpack, led by Reinhardt (Ron Perlman), despite their contempt for him. To keep Reinhardt and crew in line, Blade attaches an explosive device to the back of his neck as they navigate nightclubs and convoluted sewers in effort to exterminate this new, fiercer breed of vampires.

Director Stephen Norrington had the lofty task of curating Blade, Marvel's first feature-film, without much of a blueprint in terms of contemporary superhero or action filmmaking. The result was a film that mirrored the look of a graphic novel, pleasantly so, and too featured one of Marvel's most fiendish villains to date in Stephen Dorff's Deacon Frost. Blade II goes for a more refined approach in style, and tapping Guillermo del Toro for director was a wise decision. Like many Marvel sequels to blossoming franchises, sequences of breakneck combat become the focus of the film and del Toro captures much of it with clarity and slickness.

Blade II lacks the substance of its predecessor, which worked to create a fully realized world inhabited by both humans and vampires. The vampire lifestyle isn't as much in focus this time around. In its place are extended sequences of hunting and fighting, and the rules for what can and can't kill the Reapers feel more like a plot convenience in effort to push the runtime near two hours. Blade II operates like a highlight reel of the first film; bloody and violent, but without the dramatic heft and compelling supporting cast. Lacking both those elements, this sequel doesn't have the same allure.

What is retained, however, is the moody atmosphere and the stellar cast. While a touch corny to bring Whistler back from the dead, it's a treat that Kristofferson's rugged exterior isn't missing from the film, and Snipes yet again embodies the titular vampire slayer in such a manner that subsequent roles make it difficult to distinguish him as anything else other than the stoic killer. There's plenty in Blade II to appreciate but there's a little less that dazzles.

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Norman Reedus, Leonor Varela, Danny John Jules, Thomas Kretschmann, and Luke Goss. Directed by: Guillermo del Toro.

[StevePulaski]

Blade: Trinity (2004)
Directed by: David S. Goyer

From left: Jessica Biel, Wesley Snipes, and Ryan Reynolds in Blade: Trinity.

Rating: ★★

The original Blade gave us a compelling origins story that dealt with vampires and humans clashing and how said conflict would position society to be on the brink of despair. It was slick in its comic-book visuals and managed to write the rulebook of superhero movies before such a book even existed. Blade II looked at the interpersonal conflict amongst different classes of vampires, and while the film was more focused on action setpieces, it had a stylistic master at the helm in Guillermo Del Toro. The story of Blade: Trinity, in so many words, tries to put the nail-in-the-coffin for the potential of vampire supremacy, which sounds like a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. Sadly, inferior side-characters and its clear abandonment of the ethos of the series sinks it like a stone.

Wesley Snipes reprises his role as Blade, and after we see his longtime partner and mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) killed early on, we are introduced to two new sidekicks: the wise-ass Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) and the alluring Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel), the daughter of Blade's fallen comrade. This time around, the enemy is Dracula (Dominic Purcell) himself, as he's been awakened by Danica Talos (Parker Posey), who has figured out a way to survive in sunlight. Blade, King, and Abigail are in the process of creating a bioweapon known as "Daystar," which, if effective, will wipe out vampires at the genetic level, rendering them extinct in due time if a natural blood source is obtained. The blood source they are seeking? It comes from Dracula.

Blade unfortunately feels like a side-character in his own movie. Writer David S. Goyer now performs double-duty as director, and one of his biggest mistakes from the jump is divorcing both Blade and Whistler from the center of the film and instead elevating flimsy supporting players to compensate. Abigail never comes close to having the same presence as her father, and in due time, you come to realize she's present for sex appeal and little else. Hannibal King is nothing but a vessel to recite cocky dialog and dick-jokes. The schtick proves exhausting in no time. However, it's possible that Stan Lee kept Reynolds in mind for the eventual Deadpool film as Reynolds shows promise for a character of that caliber more than a decade ahead of time. Alas, his excessive comic-relief doesn't work for a series that's predicated itself on the dark and gritty from the jump.

Inviting Dracula into the mythology was another mistake. If this was always going to be the case, Goyer would've been wise to find some way to incorporate him in the previous film, therein better linking Blade II with Blade: Trinity. The film fails to make Dracula, or "Drake," a credible addition to the story; he needed more development, which doesn't help when the script (a) sidelines Blade and (b) has the wrong man in Dracula, with Dominic Purcell being undermatched for a villain of that gravitas.

Furthering Blade: Trinity into feeling like a disconnected installment are long-standing reports that Goyer and Snipes did not get along during filming to the point where Snipes allegedly disobeyed Goyer's direction and refused to communicate with him on multiple occasions. Apparently Post-It notes signed as "Blade" were Snipes' preferred method of communication. These footnotes are crazy enough to be believed on the basis that Blade: Trinity is a sloppily conceived conclusion to a trilogy that otherwise pioneered contemporary superhero filmmaking. I suppose we'll always have Stephen Norrington's debut to remind us what a trailblazer really looks like.

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey, Dominic Purcell, and Patton Oswalt. Directed by: David S. Goyer.