Blade the Vampire Slayer isn't exactly the most recognizable Marvel Comics character. He's leagues behind the likes of Spider Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. But he has been around for a quarter of a century, first debuting in a 1973 issue of "Tomb of Dracula", and continuing as a supporting character in that book until its 1979 cancellation, after which he made a series of appearances in other Marvel titles. Now, with the release of this movie, the Vampire Slayer is poised to attempt the transition from secondary player to front line superhero. The question is, of course, whether this incarnation of Blade is more likely to cultivate a new legion of fans or entomb the lead character forever.
Wesley Snipes, the versatile actor who has played everything from a paraplegic (The Waterdance) to a John McClane-type action hero (Passenger 57), is Blade, a human/vampire hybrid. Although Blade can walk the world by day and is immune to the devastating effects of garlic and ultraviolet radiation, he still has a craving for blood. The serum he takes to control his hemoglobin thirst is gradually losing its effectiveness, and he is concerned that some day soon he may have to resume feeding. Aided by his trusted sidekick, a grizzled human named Whistler (the laconic Kris Kristofferson), and a once-bitten female doctor (N'bushe Wright), Blade pursues the most ruthless and dangerous of all vampires, a nasty piece of work named Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), whose goal is to become a god.
Blade opens brilliantly, with a series of fast-paced, visually-engaging scenes that display the seedy underbelly of vampire society and introduce the implacable title character in true superhero fashion. For about its first hour, the movie offers violent, visceral, rapid fire entertainment that concentrates as much on developing a distinctive atmosphere as on advancing a minimalist storyline. Unfortunately, Blade doesn't know when to quit -- like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps going and going, eventually wearing out its welcome. One too many battles and a lot of pointless running around cause the movie's final third to become tedious and repetitive, which results in an anticlimactic finale.
For the most part, Blade is effective as what it aspires to be: a screen version of a comic book hero's exploits. Action and horror fans will probably be satisfied, although even members of the movie's target audience may become impatient waiting for the inevitable conclusion. Plot is Blade's weakness, but the strong, sure presence of Snipes coupled with director Stephen Norrington's dark, bloodsoaked style almost compensate for this deficiency. Blade looks and sounds good, but is ultimately hollow, or, as Shakespeare might put it, the film is "Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."