Both movies are a lot of fun -- they're also a great showcase for Wesley Snipes in his action hero prime -- but my biggest takeaway was that this is a cinematic universe that deserves to be revisited.
This very well may happen. The character has a pretty solid fanbase and name recognition, thanks in large part to the Snipes films. Black Panther proved there is a huge market for black superhero movies (and yes, I believe Blade qualifies as a super hero) and most importantly, at least in these first two films (I've skipped the third, which is supposed to be laughably bad) are bursting with ideas that could be deepened in a new, different kind of Blade film.
The first two Snipes films are fun, fast-paced and action-packed. They're not great in terms of storytelling or character development. The first film does a great job of establishing the character (although Snipes never quite fully commits to playing Blade as an emotionless killing machine and his offbeat humorous takes feel oddly out of place) and the world of Blade.
He's half-human, half-vampire (a 'daywalker') who hunts evil vampires who apparently roam the earth largely undetected. There are some who apparently are relatively benevolent, who are in a kind of underground truce with humans and then there are rebels, represented by a wonderfully campy Stephen Dorff, who think its beneath them to treat regular people as anything more than cattle.
So far, so good. Sure the effects can be wince inducing at times, but it's an entertaining, occasionally creepy ride. I liked the idea of 'familiars' (sort of vampire fanboys who seek to curry favor with actual bloodsuckers by doing their bidding) and the idea that there is this fractious community of vampires was fascinating to me.Snipes definitely makes a great Blade -- he really sells the fight choreography (because he is apparently actually well-trained in martial arts) and he just looks awesome in the role. That being said I could see a more emotive actor like Mahershala Ali working wonders with it.
In the two Blade films I saw, the character is never afforded much of a personal life save for his intense friendship with his fellow surly vampire hunter Whistler (played with great aplomb by Kris Kristofferson).
In Blade II, clearly the budget is bigger and the visual template is more ambitious thanks to the distinct sensibility of Del Toro. The film never quite feels like his though, it's definitely an action film of its era (dicey CGI and all). I think its action scenes are probably a notch about the original but it's more of a series of set pieces than an actual story.
Like I said earlier, by most accounts Blade: Trinity was a step in the wrong direction it seems as though this series is stuck in perpetual limbo. I know Snipes has long believed that he could still step into his iconic black ensemble and resurrect the character, and maybe he could -- especially if they try to do something akin what filmmakers did with Hugh Jackman/Wolverine in Logan.
Either way, I want more Blade!
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