While Black Panther gets more of the credit it was not the first Marvel based African American hero it was just the more financially successful and part of the MCU. In 1998 Wesley Snipes took on the role of Marvel’s Half-human, half-vampire anti-hero Blade costarring Stephen Dorff. Now Warner Bros is bringing it home to 4K Ultra for the first time.

​

Blade follows Marvel’s half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter, Blade. With all the strengths of a vampire, and none of their weaknesses, the Day Walker uses his incredible gifts to hunt his enemies in his search for the one that killed his mother and turned him into the monster he is. Blade’s fight leads him to Deacon Frost, a rising force in the vampire world, set on raising a vampire God bent on destroying mankind. 

 

I remember seeing this film in theaters when it opened and being blown away by the whole thing. The techno type music got you instantly hyped and ready to fight and the soundtrack even became one I used on the way to my varying fight competitions for years. After seeing Snipes break out his martial arts skills in the 1992 film Passenger 57 I knew he was going to bring it when this film came out and he did not disappoint. This film takes the dark gritty tone and runs with it to perfection.

 

There are elements in the final outing with the transformation and effects that I was never a fan of on the choice, but the rest of the film is just so damn great you can let it go. There isn’t a single character in this film that isn’t just cool. Snipes embodies the character to perfection and clearly loved taking it on. Stephen Dorff, who I still maintain may be the coolest guy on the planet, was the perfect Frost that while doesn’t really embrace the look from the comic still works great.

 

​