Blade: Trinity

Dir: David S. Goyer

2004

**

After the huge success of the second film, Guillermo del Toro was asked if he’d return to direct another but, thanks to Blade II’s warm reception, his dream project Hellboy had been green-lit, so a new director was sought. Stephen Norrington, director of the original Blade, had at one point considered returning to direct this film but he changed his mind after reading the script which he didn't like. However, supposedly series star Wesley Snipes was unhappy with the film's script and original choice of director – who has never been officially named but was probably Oliver Hirschbiegel. David S. Goyer, who had written all three films in the franchise, was then selected to replace the original director of the film - which Snipes protested. Snipes behaviour on set is now legendary, with the star causing difficulties throughout the filming. He frequently refusing to shoot scenes, often forcing director Goyer to use stand-ins and computer effects to add his character to scenes. Co-star Patton Oswalt alleged that Snipes would spend much of his time smoking marijuana in his trailer, and that he had become violent with Goyer after falsely accusing him of racism. It has also been alleged that Snipes refused to interact with Goyer or his co-stars, and would instead communicate with them through his assistant or the use of notes. Snipes also allegedly referred to co-star Ryan Reynolds as a "cracker" on one or more occasions. Reynolds corroborated this while promoting the film, saying that Snipes would ignore the entire cast, but he once acknowledged Reynolds by saying "Keep your mouth shut. You'll live longer." Snipes and Kris Kristofferson, who at the time had become good friends after working on the two previous Blade-installments, were reportedly unhappy with David S. Goyer's script decisions. They felt that too many new characters were added to the universe, and that Blade did not need any sidekicks besides Whistler. It was fair comment but it was Snipes and his bad behaviour who really killed this film, sure Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel added nothing to the film but Snipes was also a producer and acted appallingly. In 2005, Snipes sued New Line Cinema and Goyer, claiming that the studio did not pay his full salary, that he was intentionally cut out of casting decisions and film-making process, despite being one of the producers, and that his character's screen time was reduced in favor of costars Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel. He lost and that was the end of Blade. He has since declared that he’d like to be Blade again, now that the MCU is so successful. I’m not sure anyone could be that naive but stranger things have happened, indeed, who would have thought Ryan Reynolds would become one of the most loved alternative Marvel superheroes of all time (Deadpool) after messing up in Blade III, Green Lantern and The Wolverine – as the same character he’d end up playing once more. The film suffers from trying to be bigger and better without concentrating on character development. The story sucks. The film begins with a group of vampires investigating an ancient tomb in the Syrian Desert, which they believe belongs to Dracula, the first vampire. I nearly gave up there and then. To keep Blade from interfering, they frame him for the murder of a human familiar. FBI agents subsequently locate Blade's hideout and kill his mentor and friend, Abraham Whistler – the only likable character left in the franchise. Demoralized, Blade surrenders and is arrested. The vampires' familiars have arranged for the authorities to turn Blade over to them. He is rescued by Hannibal King (Reynolds) and Abigail Whistler (Biel), Abraham's daughter, who invite Blade to join their band of vampire hunters, the Nightstalkers. From them, Blade learns that Danica Talos, an old enemy of King's, has revived Dracula, or "Drake" (Dominic Purcell), with the goal of using his powers to cure vampires of their weaknesses. As the first of the vampires, Drake's DNA is untainted and he is able to survive in sunlight. Along with newly-innovative ultraviolet "Sun dog" ammunition, the Nightstalkers have created an experimental bio-weapon known as Daystar, capable of killing vampires at the genetic level. However, they need a purer blood source to make it effective. As Drake is too powerful to kill via normal means, they hope that the virus will kill him and, with his blood in the mix, ensure the rest of the species is wiped out, but also fear that this will include Blade, too. Eager to test Blade, Drake isolates him from the Nightstalkers, as he considers them unworthy of challenging him. He explains that all humans and vampires are inferior in his eyes and that he intends to wipe them from the Earth. Abigail finds evidence of the vampires "Final solution": a network of 'farms' where comatose humans are drained of their blood for vampire consumption. Told the humans are all brain dead, Blade deactivates the farm's life support systems. Returning to the Nightstalkers's hideout, Abigail and Blade find all of them dead except for King and Sommerfield's daughter Zoe, both of whom have been taken captive. A recording left by Sommerfield, Daystar's creator, reveals that Drake's blood is all that is needed to make it complete and effective. King is tortured by the vampires for information, but refuses to talk, even when they threaten to turn him and feed him Zoe's blood. Blade and Abigail arrive and free the captives. Drake eventually bests Blade in single combat and prepares to kill him with his own sword. Abigail fires the Daystar arrow, but Drake catches it before it strikes him. He drops it to the floor by Blade, not realising the danger it poses to him. At the last second, Blade stabs him with it, triggering a chemical reaction that completes the "Daystar" virus, releasing it into the air, the virus becomes airborne, killing Danica and the rest of the vampires. As Drake slowly succumbs to his wounds and the virus, he praises Blade for fighting honorably, but warns him that he will eventually succumb to his need for blood, thus proving that Blade already is the new type of vampire. Using the last of his power, Drake disguises himself as Blade. The FBI recover the body and declare Blade legally dead (In the unrated cut, as the FBI tries to do an autopsy on "Blade", Drake springs back to life, killing several of the autopsy members before ominously looming over one of the orderlies). Hannibal narrates that the virus didn't kill Blade as the human half of his heart didn’t stop beating, it only slowed down, causing him to enter into a comatose state until his body was ready to fight again. Blade awakens several months later ready to continue his fight against the vampires. Bringing Dracula into a vampire film that isn’t about Dracula is suicide. This was always a modern vampire movie that took the horror sub-genre somewhere it had never been before. There is a scene where Hannibal King is telling Blade about the return of Dracula.  He shows Blade a copy of Tomb of Dracula #55 - Marvel's comic which included the first appearances of Blade (#10) and Hannibal King. It was a huge sign of regression, the sort of thing old comic book adaptations did and why they didn’t work. Why Goyer felt the need for the film to self-reference itself in its third chapter is anyone’s guess, I think by this time everyone was tired of Blade and had run out of ideas. The script is awful and the story is worse. Goyer is a great writer who has made a few mistakes but he isn’t a good director. He didn’t have the experience or correct knowledge to direct the film and it really shows in the finished article. It’s a very hard film to like. However, after its failure, the rights of Blade went back to Marvel, who I’m sure will do something great with the character in the future. It’s worth noting to MCU fans that Blade: Trinity is the first Marvel film to feature the Marvel Studios logo at the beginning of the movie and the post-credit scene that has now become synonymous with Marvel’s films. Still no Stan Lee cameo though and like that, Blade was dead in the water.