BLADE TRINITY

US, 2004, 108 minutes, Colour.
Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Dominic Purcell, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds, Parker Posey, Callum Keith Rennie, James Remar, John Michael Higgins.
Directed by David S. Goyer.

Short review: brutal and crass.

Longer review: brutal and crass with its body count and pretty coarse language.

The film is photographed well, many images quite striking. It continues the comic book crusade of Blade the hybrid human/vampire against the vampire plague. The first two films were frequently (and literally) dark. This one is set more in the daylight. The primordial vampire, born millennia ago in Sumeria, and living through the centuries, including his time as Dracula (and now referred to in dog Latin as hominus nocturnum) is resurrected by the current vampires so that he will help them to be able to walk in daylight. Blade is still battling and joins a kind of vigilante amateurs in a welter of slaughter. Not quite a body count in the usual sense - as each vampire explodes electrically.

Wesley Snipes remains stern and surly as Blade. Parker Posey (usually in independent films) enjoys herself in ludicrous hamming and Ryan Reynolds offers some deadpan humour, Jessica Biel some glamour. David Goyer wrote all three Blade films and directs this one. They were all quite brutal (that is, violence which is callous and ugly).

(The vampires and their exploding in fire as well as the warehouse of bodies were elements in I, Frankenstein.)

1. The third film in the series? Fans not so enthusiastic? Yet the same writer, now directing? The lore about vampires, their menace, in the ordinary world but unseen? The tradition of Blade, crusader and destroyer? Hybrid of vampire and human? The introduction of the age-old initial vampire, Dracula, Drake?

2. The title, the writer-director and his career, writing film versions of comic books?

3. The ordinary world, the cities, ordinary, the streets, buildings? The contrast with the underworld? Basements? The streets, the cars, bikes, apartments, weapons? The musical score?

4. The prologue, the excavations, the release of the power of the initial vampire? His appearance, his armour? Throughout the centuries? The Dracula legend? His now becoming the 21st century, Drake?

5. Blade, Wesley Snipes and his screen presence, dress, weapons, tattooes? His friendship with Kristofferson, helping him, getting him the potion to keep him alive? The bond, his help, the father of Abigail, the attack, his death? Dracula assuming his appearance to confront Blade and the Nightstalkers?

6. Blade going into action, the gangs in the streets, confrontation, destruction, their explosions by fire?

7. The police, the discussions, not believing in vampires? The bringing in of the psychiatrist, Blade seeing him on the television and his patter? The interview with Blade? The fact that he was a Familiar of the vampires? As was the police chief? The interrogation, the drugging of Blade?

8. Danica and her brother, their appearance, clothing, hair style? Vicious? The kingdom? Resurrecting Drake? His mission to kill Blade? Their self-confidence?

9. Drake, his look, strong, his memories, confronting Blade, the duel on the rooftops?

10. Blade, imprisoned, Danica and her defiance, using the opportunity to kill him? The rescue, the Nightstalkers, Abigail, King, their characters, appearance? Abigail as Kristofferson’s daughter? King as a former vampire? His repartee? The staff at the laboratory and their work, playing basketball, dead? The laboratory, the blind assistant, her daughter? The preparation for Blade? Preparing the virus to destroy Drake? The limited amount?

11. Drake and his being able to take on the appearances of characters, the psychiatrist, Kristofferson? The taunting of Blade about his need for blood?

12. Danica, her brother, the preparation for the confrontation? Danica and her henchmen, the big man and his wanting to fight? The build-up to the invasion, the fights, destruction? The warehouse, the fight, their taking King, the little girl, the taunts? The threats?

13. King and his repartee, defying Danica, fighting? Abigail and her battles? The arrival of reinforcements? The final confrontation? Blade and the virus, injecting it into Drake?

14. The police, their puzzling?

15. The end, order in the world, Blade surviving? More vampires?