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 f you enjoyed the originality of the original
"Blade",
and thought Del Toro's "Blade
2" was hells on wheels, mannerisms and good taste be damned, then
David Goyer's "Blade: Trinity", the third and supposedly final
installment in the comic book superhero turned successful movie franchise,
is something of a letdown. For one, there's that nagging notion that the
entire movie is little more than an introduction to the Nightstalkers --
the younger, hipper, and the MTV generation of Blade, as embodied by
insanely perfect physical specimens Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds. Then
again, it is the third installment of a comic book franchise, so why did
people expect so much out of it?
"Blade: Trinity"
returns Wesley Snipes to the only role in the late '90s that has garnered
him any semblance of commercial success. Snipes is the titular Blade, a
half-vampire, half-human vampire slayer who spends his nights killing
vampires and his days dreaming of new ways to kill vampires. Aided by his
trusted weaponsmith and father figure Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), our
hero has continued his vampire slaying ways with no signs of slowing down.
The vampires are understandably sick and tired of Blade, and they've
concocted a slick PR stunt to get him under control -- namely tricking him
into killing a human in front of a dozen witnesses (and capturing it all
on video). Soon, the FBI is after Blade.
After an FBI raid on Blade's warehouse nets Blade and
leaves Whistler blown to smithereens, Blade finds himself alone and at the
mercy of the vampires, led by the very prissy Parker Posey (taking a break
from low-budget independent films just long enough to pay off any
outstanding financial debts with her "Trinity" paycheck, no
doubt). Fortunately for Blade, the Nightstalkers ride to the rescue. Now
joined forces, the gun-toting trio gets ready for a final showdown with
the bloodsuckers, a task made more difficult because the vampires have
resurrected Dracula, the progenitor of the vampire species. Alas, the
purpose of Dracula's resurrection is a tad perplexing to the viewer and,
one suspect, to writer/director David S. Goyer as well.
More regurgitation of the last two films than
anything overly original, "Trinity" isn't how you'd like to see
everyone's favorite vampire hunter in tight black leather go out. As
mentioned by critics everywhere, the movie seems more like an attempt to
spin-off the Nightstalkers rather than anything having to do with Blade.
It's almost incidental that Blade and Wesley Snipes somehow got to be a
part of the movie, considering just how little effort Goyer puts into
justifying the sequel. The plot is so slapdash, in fact, that at one point
the vampire nation gets their own reason for resurrecting Dracula
confused. We share in their confusion.
Goyer, whose only previous directorial credit is
2002's "Zig Zag" (which also starred Snipes), handles the action
sequences well enough, if only because he's seen it set up, staged,
practiced, and executed about a million times courtesy of directors
Stephen Norrington and Guillermo Del Toro. Which is to say Goyer seems to
be simply repeating what he's seen Norrington and Del Toro do in their own
"Blade" movies. There's little imagination or originality in the
action or the narrative, which is a bit of a mystery, especially since
Goyer has been the only writer of record for the series. Knowing Blade,
and the world he inhabits, as he does, one would think Goyer could provide
something more intimate or worthy of fanfare. "Blade: Trinity"
is just...blah.
Still, for the undiscerning genre fan,
"Trinity" offers up decent enough entertainment, helped in no
small part by its Hollywood gloss and attractive actors. Ryan Reynolds,
late of "Van Wilder" and the obscure "Buying
the Cow", has enough perfect abs for an army of complaining
fanboys. His partner in crime, Jessica Biel, is the perfect gun-toting
(and sometimes bow-toting) superheroine, even if her propensity for
listening to loud music while battling armor-clad vampires makes you
scratch your head. Then again, complaining about Abigail Whistler's
fighting prowess or choice of music is something of a stretch, considering
this is a series about vampires and vampire slayers.
The villains are not entirely impressive, with the
exception of Parker Posey, whose Danica Talos is not the girl you'd call
for help in a scrape, since she's liable to flee first and wonder about
your health tomorrow, if at all. As the vampire who originally turned
Hannibal King, Talos and King share a history, and their exchanges toward
the end make up some of the movie's funnier moments. Less successful is
"John Doe's" Dominic Purcell, who is sporting a larger physique
than usual these days. Fans of Purcell's cancelled "John Doe"
must be wondering when this guy got so big. Not that his size helps him
against Blade, because Purcell, like underling Talos, is prone to running
away from a fight. Not exactly what you'd expect out of the king of
vampires, but there you go.
Without a doubt, "Trinity's" biggest
handicap is its script, which offers nothing new, innovative, or even
remotely "cool" to add to the Blade lore. It's simply another
installment in a moneymaking machine, which is a real shame. Granted, it's
an expensive and mildly entertaining popcorn movie, but certainly nothing
more. As the final installment in the "Blade" franchise, it's a
disappointment, but the movie's ending certainly doesn't solidify
"Trinity" as the last. If anything, it leaves room for more than
one path, with the further adventures of the Nightstalkers being just one.
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