Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, out now

The scourge of vampires in all three of his big-screen adventures to date.

I clearly remember seeing Blade and US Marshals (the sequel to The Fugitive) the same weekend while working in LA – and being amazed that Wesley Snipes was playing the lead (or guest lead anyway) in both movies. They were so diverse in performance, energy and overall charisma that you’d be pardonably excused for thinking there were two actors of the same name permitted to work.

I’m not totally sure I’ve rewatched either movie in the 22 years since then but the first Blade made a better impression on me this time around. It suffers from the various changes made after bad test screenings (not everything makes sense – although at least some elements were picked up for the sequels), but Snipes makes an impression that sticks.

Blade II is a Guillermo del Toro film, and therefore to some people unassailable. Watching on top of the first, it comes across as a dialled up version of many of its elements, and certainly Snipes seems more engaged. Blade Trinity, on the other hand, made no impression when I first saw it, and you come away from it remembering Ryan Reynolds more than anyone else. (For those who wonder if Blade’s use of the Daystar really did succeed, check out the start of the TV series which is in the same continuity.)

The films look excellent in high definition and there are multiple extras for each film (a 16 part documentary for Trinity isn’t as daunting as it sounds) that give some context to what was occurring.

Verdict: While Snipes seems good casting, there’s a lack of coherency about all three films that make them intriguing relics of a pre-MCU time. 7/10

Paul Simpson

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