Blade!
I love the name.
"Don't you see what's happening here, Blade?!" intones former actor Kris Kristofferson.
"POLICE SEARCH FOR BLADE" read the spinning newspaper headlines.
I like visiting a world where a hybrid, martial arts vampire killer played by Wesley Snipes is even named "Blade."
I just like saying "Blade."
"Blade! Look out!"
And obviously fans of this Marvel franchise want more Blade too.
They want to see that leather cape flying up when Wesley does his high ass karate kicks. They want to hear him say: "I was born ready, mother f***er!" while a hard-edged soundtrack by some in-fashion rapper pounds away. They want to see multi-ethnic vampires get blasted into dust -- just like in the video game!
And the third installment does not disappoint.
(Well, maybe a little.)
Yes, there's more Blade!
And there's also a nice sequel injection of Jessica Biel, humor relief from Ryan Reynolds, some killer Pomeranians and, the best part of the whole Blade shmeer : Parker Posey, playing a vampire bitch goddess for the millennium in what may be her best, and best-dressed, Parker Posey incarnation yet.
For those who missed the Blade boat, Wesley Snipes is Blade -- a quasi-human who kills vampires. In Blades 1 and 2, there was a darker quality to Blade's work in this arena. The first incarnation was directed by Stephen Norrington and introduced us to Wesley's urban swordplay. And the follow-up, under the guidance of Guillermo del Torro, has the weight of del Torro's flavor-of-the-month status with the Comic-Con set -- thanks to his success with Hellboy. But what of Blade veteran David S. Goyer?
The screenwriter behind all three Blades, Goyer gets his opportunity to direct -- pay-off we suppose for years of service toiling in the Blade mines -- and he does not blow his chance. Blade 3 may have less actual Blade in it. There may be a tad too much over the top goofiness from Ryan Reynolds and a few jokes that are as vacant as a vampire staring into a mirror. But there's enough of the legend to keep the Blade-erati entertained and enough action for anyone who's never seen one to say: cool!
This time Blade squares off against a guy from five thousand years ago and yet somehow managed to be re-born with just the right haircut and clothes for 2004. Thank God he wasn't off by a few decades or he'd be sporting a fro and a pair of bell-bottoms.
This is not to say that Blade Trinity is perfect. It's a little bit predicable, especially Act Three, as Blade et al face the über-dude. Yes, it all gets a little bit butt-twitchy as we wait for the inevitable climax. And yes, it's still hard to root for someone whose eyes we can't see due to the damn sunglasses, but maybe that's the joke?
Serviceable.
Appropriately corny.
Say it with me now: Blade!
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