Blade (1998)

Blade (1998)

7/10

Starring

Wesley Snipes

Kris Kristofferson

Stephen Dorff

Directed by Stephen Norrington

Before we were dazzled by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first true Marvel superhero movie to grace the screen was Blade in 1998. By this time, DC had already given us Superman and Batman movies that would forever be considered classics.

Released 20 years ago, Blade was such a masterpiece that it set the pace for every Marvel movie that followed. Written by David S. Goyer and starring Wesley Snipes in the titular role as Blade the vampire hunter, this dark superhero film has gained a cult following and was both a critical and commercial success at the time of its release.

The movie is about a Dhampir named Blade (Wesley Snipes). A Dhampir is half-human, half-vampire, and Blade possesses all the strengths of a vampire along with their weaknesses—except one: he’s a daywalker. Blade can walk in the sun without feeling the burn that other vampires experience.

Blade was raised by Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), a vampire hunter who became his weaponsmith, trainer, and mentor. Whistler took Blade under his wing after sparing his life when he noticed something different about him. Together, they became a force to be reckoned with, raiding vampire hideouts and standing as the only barrier keeping the vampire world at bay.

The movie focuses on a new threat rising within the vampire hierarchy. Vampires are divided into two groups: those born as vampires and those turned by being bitten. The born vampires believe they are superior to the turned ones. Among the turned vampires is a young, ambitious vampire named Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff). Frost wants to end the vampires’ life in the shadows and start a war between humans and vampires. He goes against the vampire elders, killing anyone who stands in his way. Frost’s strength comes from the support of younger vampires who share his beliefs.

To bring about this war, Frost needs to upgrade his power, which requires sacrifices. Blade, along with his team—Whistler and a young doctor who joins them after Blade saves her life—must stop Frost’s plans.

The movie culminates in an awesome final battle, making it a fun and thrilling watch. It was so successful that it paved the way for two sequels.

This is a cult classic and a movie you should watch as often as you can. This was the time we did not have the MCU or the DCEU churning out superhero movies one after the other, this was when to make one was a risk, so it needed to be done well.