**THE GOOD: ‘BLADE (1998)’**

WRITING: 65
ACTING: 75
LOOK: 70
SOUND: 60
FEEL: 80
NOVELTY: 90
ENJOYMENT: 80
RE-WATCHABILITY: 75
INTRIGUE: 70
EXPECTATIONS: 80

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**THE GOOD:**

The action sequences are fast-paced and bad-ass, mixing practical and visual effects seamlessly and bringing the clumsy action sequences of some later superhero films (X-Men from 2000 and to an extent the first Raimi Spider-Man) to shame.

Wesley Snipes was **the** black superhero before Chadwick Boseman came along and he personifies the fascinating character of Blade so well that Mahershala Ali will have a tough time to reach that same level.

What I love about this film in particular, and Blade in general is that he is somewhat of an anti-hero, focusing his efforts on slaying vampires rather than fighting big cosmic threats (or the like), thus pitting him against both monster and law enforcers. It makes the film constantly tense and heart-pumping, securing a near uninterrupted thrill ride.

Blade has no real moral code, so it’s pretty fun seeing him throw people and vampires alike around just for the fun of it.

Director Stephen Norrington brings a dark, mature and serious tone to the film, which is only befitting for the character and his background. Even the more bizarre and admittedly comic book-y elements are handled with devotion.

I cannot stress this enough, but every single action sequence is a gem and beats most action sequences from superhero movies released before the current MCU and DCEU era.

The script spends a lot of time with the vampires, which helps the audience understand them better. There are also quieter character moments among Blade’s crew, even if they remain minimalistic.

Kris Kristofferson is one of the most memorably weird but outrageously loyal sidekicks in any comic book movie and I love him. He has a great rapport with Snipes.

Frost makes for a wonderfully crazy, over-the-top and psychopathic villain, played to perfection by Stephen Dorff. He is memorable without being overly comic book-y.

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**THE BAD:**

There’s not much of a plot, aside from a very typical one. There are attempts at depth when it comes to the vampires, but those feel tacked on and most characters remain shallow.

The climax feels perhaps a bit too ambitious, trying to pull too many strings at the same time, even if I admire how well it has stood the test of time.

The FX budget had probably been spent on the preceding action sequences because the CGI effects in the final action scene are horrible.

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**THE UGLY:**

Can you believe it, Blade did an awesome (almost) bullet time sequence one year before The Matrix made it famous?

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**THE VERDICT:**

_Marvel’s first successful comic book movie is a fun mix of the typically 90s, the boldly dark and the distinctively cool brought forward by its iconic star._

**75% = :white_check_mark: = GOOD**