Movie Review: Blade:Trinity

The first Blade film made Wesley Snipes an action star. Now he seems to be stuck in the role. Everyone thinks that Blade: Trinity will be the last film of the series but hot and hot-looking actors Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds might just spin this one off into their own monster hunting franchise.

In Blade: Trinity, the slick semi-corporate vampire brood headed up by vampiress Danica Talos (Parker Posey), is out to frame Blade (Wesley Snipes) for a series of grisly killings all over town. When FBI agents raid his H.Q., Blade's mentor and only real friend Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), bites the dust. To survive and get even, Blade must team up with the Nightstalkers, a butt-kicking unit of human vampire hunters that includes former vampire Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds) and Whistler's daughter Abigail (Jessica Biel).

While Nightstalker in-house science whiz Sommerfield, who also happens to be blind, is whipping up a vampire annihilation virus, the unit plus Blade ends up tangling with Danica's gang which includes wrestler Triple H as the thuggy Grimwood. The battle finally leads them to the resurrected King of all vampires Dracula (Dominic Purcell) whose human appearance masks a gnarly monster.

Wesley Snipes kind of sleepwalks through this probably last in the Blade film series but new "blood" stars Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds really perk things up with hot stunt action and some sharp and sometimes funny comic dialogue. Writer of all the Blade films David Goyer is given the chance to direct here and, overall, the results are fun. The action is shot a little too close at times for me to tell exactly who was doing what to whom but it does impress.

Since Goyer knows these characters and their backgrounds best, it would have been nice if he had delved more into Abigail's estranged relationship with her dad or we'd learned more about blind scientist Sommerfield. And what about Hannibal being a vamp before and turning back? This may be obvious in the comics but we movie-goers could have used some more background. Ryan Reynolds is often quite funny with his dry one-liners and Jessica becomes an action heroine to give Jennifer Garner as Elektra a challenge. Indie movie queen Parker Posey was an odd choice for lead bad gal vampire Danica but at least she made the character interesting to watch. I also got a kick out of a group of vampire dogs.

If you enjoy rather mindless, butt-kicking horror action flicks, this one works fine. The real stars are Blade's side-kicks and I can see them fighting on in a sequel. As for Blade, he's cool but it may be time to pass the torch to a new generation.

For fun vamp-fighting action 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.