Blade (1998)
6.785 /10
5767 Reviews
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The Daywalker known as "Blade" - a half-vampire, half-mortal man - becomes the protector of humanity against an underground army of vampires.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Eric Brooks / Blade
... Deacon Frost
... Abraham Whistler
... Dr. Karen Jenson
... Quinn
User reviews
Blade is tons of fun, particularly when viewed through the nostalgic lens of 90s action cinema. It's also worth noting that the success of this movie - an R rated vampire flick with an African American lead - gave birth to the comic book movie era. The action, effects, and music are silly and dated, plus the story makes no sense. But Blade is nevertheless still fun.
Director:
Release Date:
1998-08-21
Run Time:
121 min
MMPA Rating:
R
Reviews of
Blade
Blade is tons of fun, particularly when viewed through the nostalgic lens of 90s action cinema. It's also worth noting that the success of this movie - an R rated vampire flick with an African American lead - gave birth to the comic book movie era. The action, effects, and music are silly and dated, plus the story makes no sense. But Blade is nevertheless still fun.
First released in 1998, Blade brought commercial success back to Super Hero films, after the woeful distribution of films like Batman & Robin and Steel stopped the genre in its tracks.
Starring Wesley Snipes as the eponymous Half-Vampire/Half-Human hybrid come Super Hero/Vampire Hunter, Blade works with Dr. Karen Jensen and Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) in order to defeat vampires Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff) and Quinn (Donal Logue) and their host of undead soldiers before they can kill Gitano Dragonetti (Udo Kier) and the other vampire Elders in a ritual that will transform Deacon Frost into La Magra, the vampire Blood God.
With me so far? No? That figures. The script's interesting, but it's not terribly sense-making. What I mean to say, is, the script's rubbish, but the *story* is great. The whole film is really rather story and effects driven, but the characters are pretty lacking. Quinn is sort of fun, and Deacon's... well... he's attractive, but not a lot else. Still, there's more to him than most of the characters, including the titular Blade.
Straight up, just putting out there, I think goth-culture is attractive, so, my aesthetics may go quite a way to influencing my decision in the final score, if you disagree with me, you might want to keep that in mind, seeing as most vampires have at least a little bit of that going on. All that aside though, the opening of Blade is one of the strongest ways a film can start off that I've ever seen. It has basically everything you could want for a modern vampire tale. Including the Blood Rave song, Confusion (Pump Panel Remix) by New Order.
The cinematography was another cool point, lots of ins and outs in a non-nauseating way. Although the fight choreography suffered from a serious case of "Only-One-Guy-Attacks-At- A-Time" Syndrome. Come on guys, this ain't Tekken. When there's an army to fight, fight an army. Maybe not all at once, I know that could get a tad pointless, but it really didn't transfer well in this film.
To end with, there's one plot-hole I'd like to bring up, I don't think I'll be spoiling anything too badly, but if you want to go in completely fresh, stop reading. There's one point when Frost says he needs to kill the 12 Elder vamps in a big underground ritual in order to complete his ascendancy into the Blood God (Khorne?), but he kills the leader earlier, on a beach. Okay, so maybe he wasn't counted, and he was actually number 13. But, Frost's lady-friend Mercury kills another with Blade's sword, before the ritual gets started, and nobody seems to care... I am dubious- faced.
After all that though, Blade is a vampire film that's not slow like Nosferatu, and not indescribably awful like Twilight, so for people with tastes like mine, it's certainly worth a geez.
66%
-Gimly
The Daywalker.
Half human and half vampire, Blade's function in life is to rid the world of vampires, he is driven forward by the notion that his mother was killed by his half brethren.
This is no ordinary vampire film, this is nothing to do with bearing crosses and creatures making music of the night, this is armoured weaponry, dazzling swordplay and a protagonist that is as cool as anything that has leaped off of the comic book page. Wesley Snipes (perfect piece of casting) is Blade, a much troubled superhero (aren't they all?), he has to take a formula suppressant to keep away his inner vampire cravings. Aided by trusty pal, Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), they wage war against all blood suckers and here they must stop the sinister Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff) from executing his monstrous plan.
There are no cranial pondering's here in this piece, this is a joyously high velocity action horror movie, containing great choreography and retaining its comic book heart. Blade is pure popcorn fodder for the MTV generation, in fact director Stephen Norrington utilises his music video background to great effect as the combat scenes are scored with delightful sledgehammer precision. Blood brains and gore flow freely as the film hurtles towards the head splitting conclusion, loud, dark and tinged with brooding menace, Blade is hugely recommended for a ripper of a night in. 7.5/10
Some good fight scenes and like Snipes in the role (reminded me of a time when he was trying) and Stephen Dorff was an okay villain, plus it was a serviceable plot. However, and I know this was 1997/98 when it was made, but the CGI at the end took me out of it (hell, good CGI done today takes me out of these sorts of films). But all in all, found it entertaining enough. **3.75/5**
When this came out I thought it was the best vampire movie ever. Tons of action, fight scenes, and gore. I love how the vampires look when they die. One of my favorites!
Wesley Snipes is "Blade" - an immortal half-breed charged with protecting mankind from the menace of the ever-peckish vampires with only his quirky sidekick "Whistler" (Kris Kristofferson) as an ally. Finally, the vampire council decide it is time to rid themselves of their nemesis and so "Deacon Frost" (Stephen Dorff) is tasked with bringing him down. I was always a fan of Dorff - never the best actor, but he had a bit of presence on screen - a good looking bit of rough, I suppose - and here is is a good counterpoint to the fastidious man-in-black whom he is out to destroy. The fight scenes are too choreographed for me, way too much acrobatics that detract from the menace of the story - it's supposed by about vampires, not rhythmic gymnastics - but it still moves along well as "Frost" tries to summon the blood god "La Magra" to give him the ultimate power to defeat our hero. This doesn't hang about, the action is fast-paced and the effects and characterisations gel quite well together for an enjoyable, if predictable story that is by far the best of the sequels it spawned.
Cast & Crew of
Blade
Cast
... Eric Brooks / Blade
... Deacon Frost
... Abraham Whistler
... Dr. Karen Jenson
... Quinn
... Gitano Dragonetti
... Mercury
... Racquel
... Officer Krieger
... Dr. Curtis Webb
... Vanessa Brooks
... Pearl
... Nurse
... Senior Resident
... Resident
... Heatseeking Dennis
... Creepy Morgue Guy
... Pallantine
... Japanese Doorman
... Kam
... Paramedic
... Paramedic
... Pragmatic Policeman
... Blood Club Bouncer
... Martial Arts Kid
... Lyle Conway
... Menacing Stud
... Vampire Underling
... Frost's Goon
... Frost's Goon
... Von Esper
... Crease
... Pleading Goon
... Party Girl
... Slavic Vampire Lord
... Russian Woman
... Russian Vampire
... Cardboard cut-out in Subway (uncredited)
... Vampire Victim (uncredited)
... Blood Bath Vampire (uncredited)
... Henchman (uncredited)
... Blood Club (uncredited)
... Vampire (uncredited)
... Vampire (uncredited)
... Vampire Lord (uncredited)
... Woman in Elevator (uncredited)
... Woman in Elevator (uncredited)
... Vampire at rave (uncredited)
... Frost's Goon
... Henchman (uncredited)
... Henchman (uncredited)
Crew
... Executive Producer
... Casting
... Editor
... Director of Photography
... Original Music Composer
... Costume Design
... Producer
... Director
... Writer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Casting
... Executive Producer
... Producer
... Executive Producer
... Producer
... Co-Producer
... Co-Producer
... Art Direction
... Set Decoration
... Makeup Department Head
... Production Design
... Costume Supervisor
... Armorer
... Transportation Coordinator
... Makeup Artist
... Set Designer
... Lead Painter
... Visual Effects Editor
... Art Department Coordinator
... Supervising Sound Effects Editor
... Visual Effects Producer
... Location Manager
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Wigmaker
... Sound Designer
... Gaffer
... Visual Effects Producer
... Set Designer
... Supervising Sound Effects Editor
... Music Editor
... Music Editor
... Construction Coordinator
... Lead Painter
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Still Photographer
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... Foley
... Steadicam Operator
... Video Assist Operator
... Animation Supervisor
... Leadman
... Visual Effects Editor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Production Supervisor
... Hairstylist
... Music Editor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Camera Operator
... Unit Publicist
... Stunt Coordinator
... ADR Editor
... ADR Editor
... Editorial Production Assistant
... Best Boy Electric
... Lighting Technician
... Executive In Charge Of Post Production
... Conceptual Design
... Sculptor
... Seamstress
... Set Costumer
... Set Medic
... Set Dressing Artist
... Craft Service
... Researcher
... Post Production Supervisor
... Set Production Assistant
... Music Supervisor
... Technical Supervisor
... Transportation Captain
... First Assistant Editor
... Chef
... Digital Effects Supervisor
... Stunts
... Electrician
... Hair Department Head
... Production Accountant
... Orchestrator
... Production Illustrator
... Projection
... 3D Supervisor
... Propmaker
... Stand In
... Color Timer
... Executive In Charge Of Production
... Production Sound Mixer
... Grip
... Carpenter
... Driver
... Production Manager
... Boom Operator
... Sound Effects Editor
... Visual Effects Coordinator
... Production Coordinator
... Key Hair Stylist
... Systems Administrators & Support
... Digital Compositors
... First Assistant Camera
... Painter
... Martial Arts Choreographer
... Line Producer
... Animatronic and Prosthetic Effects
... Lighting Supervisor
... Unit Production Manager
... Production Controller
... Camera Loader
... First Assistant Director
... 3D Animator
... Utility Sound
... Key Costumer
... Makeup Effects Designer
... Second Assistant Director
... 3D Artist
... Pilot
... Assistant Production Coordinator
... Dolly Grip
... Key Grip
... Tattoo Designer
... Foley Editor
... Assistant Property Master
... Digital Effects Producer
... ADR Voice Casting
... Casting Assistant
... Lead Animator
... Camera Operator
... Script Supervisor
... Dialogue Editor
... Sound Mixer
... Dialogue Editor
... Property Master
... Electrician
... Foley Recordist
... Generator Operator
... Assistant Camera
... Second Assistant Camera
... Digital Color Timer
... Location Production Assistant
... Extras Casting Assistant
... Post Production Coordinator
... Key Rigging Grip
... Costume Assistant
... Assistant Location Manager
... Best Boy Grip
... Music Coordinator
... Effects Supervisor
... Production Executive
... Second Assistant Production Coordinator
... ADR Mixer
... First Assistant Accountant
... Production Assistant
... Storyboard Artist
... Swing
... Foley Artist
... Special Effects Technician
... Stunt Double
... Art Department Production Assistant
... Rigging Grip
... ADR Recordist
... Assistant Dialogue Editor
... Visual Effects Production Assistant
... Project Manager
... Costumer
... Second Second Assistant Director
... Assistant Chef
... Characters
... Characters
... Stunts
... Sequence Supervisor
... Prosthetics
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Coordinator
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
Videos & Photos of
Blade
Videos (3)
![BLADE Remastered Release Trailer [1998] 4K](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HTAxRPJvjDE/mqdefault.jpg)
Photos 45
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