Screenwriter David S. Goyer directs this final installment in the Blade series (Goyer is the writer of all three films.) I enjoyed his work on this film. This is a very tight and clean piece. Goyer allows for his dialog and his characters to get out on the edge of cheesy but doesn’t press too hard in most cases. There are times when the young vampire hunter Hannibal King’s bravado gets out of hand, but I find it excusable.
This is a well-shot and edited film. Technically, it is above average and stylistically it is great. I have little left to whine about…but that won’t keep me from trying.
You may remember Parker Posey in Christopher Guest’s improv comedies Waiting For Guffman and Best of Show. She is has been the darling of independent film for years. She can get away with playing Parker Posey in the cheap self-important indie films she usually haunts. In a big, fat production like this one, she sticks out as a Parker Poseur. This isn’t Shakespeare, but big productions call a certain level of discretion. An actor has to be careful when trying to pull off goofy action films like this one. You can wink at the audience, as Ryan Reynolds does or you can take it straight, like Wesley Snipes and Jessica Biel. Posey overacts her role and brings the film to a screeching halt. It says something that with her years of experience she is upstaged by The WWE’s Triple H. Besides, in the make-up, the tiny waif looked like a possessed Keebler Elf.
I was impressed with Ryan Reynolds’ performance. He was very natural and chummy in front of the camera. I expect to see more of him. The same goes for Jessica Biel. She played her character, Abby Whistler, wonderfully. Her brooding and distant performance worked and gave Whistler the depth she needed to be taken seriously.
Overall, it is hard to recommend this film based solely on its content. It is very violent and, let’s be honest, just plain dumb. On the flip side, it is well done and is a solid ending to the other Blade films. If you are concerned about content, skip it. If you don’t care, this will do you well.
Ed/Pub:LM
Article comments
1 - Tan The Man
I have to disagree - although Reynolds was cool. This was the worst of the three. Even with BLade 2, there was enough quality action for me to like it. But this was awful.
2 - visualsimplicity
Hmm... I actually thought Ryan Reynolds screwed the movie up. Blade always seemed like a serious series and Reynolds' jokes or flat out goofiness just didn't fit in.