Sunday, October 6, 2013

Blade (1998): Recap & Review

As it is now October and nearing Halloween, I thought it would be fun to go back and watch some Halloween-ey type movies and that has always included vampire movies.  Since I wanted something a bit more action-ey and one that I hadn't seen in a while, I decided on Blade (1998).  When I looked and saw that it was only released in 1998 I was a little shocked because for some reason I thought it was more early nineties but I guess that is neither hear nor there.  Blade is full of action, and stars Westley Snipes in one of his now iconic characters Blade.
Blade is a half vampire, half human known as the Day Walker because he isn't effected by daylight, silver, or garlic like the normal vampire.  Blade was born to a women who was bitten by a vampire right before she was due and therefore his DNA was effected by the bite.  He was taken in by a vampire hunter Whistler, played by Kris Kristofferson, when he was thirteen as it was discovered that he could suppress his thirst with a serum and that he had the same hatred for vampires as other.  This movie starts as he is hunting vampires and goes into the hospital to kill off one of the vampires that didn't complete incinerate earlier.  There he request a women Karen, played by N'Bushe Wright. who is a Hematologist who works there but it bitten by the vampire Blade is trying to kill.  Blade and Whistler try to prevent her from turning by injecting her with essence of garlic.  They then continue to hunt down Deacon Frost, played by Stephen Dorff, who is a vampire that is trying to capture Blade in order to use his blood to evoke an old prophecy to have the vampires take over the world.  Blade works to stop this while he is developing a tolerance to his serum.  He and Karen work to destroy the vampires but are unable to prevent harm coming to Whistler. 

I like this movie and watching it back through, I had forgot how the way movies focus on fights have changed.  In this movie it is much more karate style and focuses on the shapes and lines of the moves.  It has the classic Blade silhouette and lots of cool sward play.  It keeps the energy going with the fight sequences but gets a little too caught up with the science of the vampires blood having no hemoglobin and there is way too much focus in my opinion on the serum.  I think that it could have the same plot points without so much focus.  This movie is very nineties in attire and styling but to me that just adds to the nostalgic factor. 
Basically if you like action vampire movies this is a must see, if you have not already seen it and if it has been a while, it is worth a re-watch.

My Rating: 3-

My nostalgic Rating: 3

Hold up factor: Fairly well, the computers are a bit old and no one has cell phones but with vampire movies and their weapons it all references old school and that has remained more constant throughout the last fifteen years. 

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