Over the past several years, there have been many vampire flicks to hit theaters. And to be honest, they all sucked ... get it? Okay, that was stupid. Anyway, after recent bombs such as Queen of the Damned and Dracula 2000, I lost faith in the entire Dracula/vampire flicks. So, when I saw Blade II last weekend, I was expecting nothing more than an average film with over-the-top action. Much to my surprise, it was an entertaining film.
So, after watching the sequel, I dug deep into my DVD library and started to watch the original. What I never realized before was how Blade brought new life into the vampire/action genre. So, for this week, I choose Blade as my DVD pick of the week.
The Movie
For those who do not know, Blade is a half-human/half-vampire hybrid hell-bent on ridding the world of all vampires. In the film, the vampire Deacon Frost is attempting to resurrect the Blood God and, naturally, Blade is the only one who can stop him. Not the greatest of plots, but being an action movie, it isn’t too bad. The action is lightning fast and has some of the most spectacular fight scenes in any movie. From the very beginning of the film until the end, Blade is packed with enough gun-fire, blood and fighting to satisfy even the most hardcore action junkies.
The Video and Audio
Even for being an older DVD, Blade is still spectacular looking. The action scenes are clear and crisp — it feels like you’re actually in the theater. As a side note, the movie has great-looking special effects, such as the vampire dissolving after being exposed to sunlight. Simply put, Blade is one of the better looking DVDs available.
Audio wise, Blade is a real treat. The thumping techno beats from the film’s soundtrack make you want to get out of your seat and imitate some of Blade’s moves. The sound effects are equally impressive and crisp, especially all of the shotgun blasts and shattering glass. The only downside to the audio is that in some scenes the music sometimes overpowers the dialogue.
Extras
As I mentioned before, though Blade is an older DVD, it is still packed with extra features. Although there are too many to mention, I will name a few extras that are worth checking out.
One feature I found interesting was the Designing of Blade. In this feature, you get to see how some of the special effects were accomplished, along with comments from production designers and make-up artists.
Perhaps the best feature on any DVD is a section called “The Blood Tide.” In this section, the film gives an in-depth background for the vampire mythology and describes real-life blood rituals. Strange, but very interesting.
Overall, Blade is a must-own DVD for any collector. Although the acting is mediocre at best, the action scenes are truly spectacular. The sound is incredible and the DVD has some of the best extra features ever.
