BLADE (1998) *1/2 If I have to say did I like it or not, I did. It's a vampire movie with tremendous special effects, with characters based on Marvel comic book characters. What's not to like? It's too gory for one thing, but without ever attaining anything near the critical mass required for great horror or gruesome lamentations. Comic book horror accentuating the yucky. On the other hand, when the special effects go so hopelessly out of whack in other ways, as they regularly do and as intended, the result is often supremely funny. L.A. is shot more authentically here than it usually is, giving credence to Wesley Snipes' observation that vampires have already taken over half the the town, working it as doormen and bouncers, hookers and cops. Kris Kristofferson is the artistic heavyweight, limping around with long stringy hair and uttering scientific platitudes in that deep south-went-to-Oxford of his. Traci Lords has one line, and is obviously desperate to infect it with her personality, she's been waiting to do it the entire time they've been shooting! The production is nicely overblown latter day Batman type stuff but Stephen Norrington gives me a headache when shooting action scenes as if he can't keep up with the action.
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