While
BLADE TRINITY ($30) is certainly a reasonably entertaining
action/horror movie, I’ve got to be right up front and say that this
third entry is the weakest in the series. After the first two terrific
installments, you would think that adding Dracula, the ultimate vampire,
would produce superior results, but instead, BLADE TRINITY is a bit
more pedestrian than the films that preceded it. Based upon the Marvel
comic book character, BLADE TRINITY stars Wesley Snipes as the
title character, a half human/half vampire hybrid with a bad attitude, a
slew of cool weaponry and knack for slaying the undead. The plot of BLADE
TRINITY finds the vampire population in another of their misguided
attempts to subjugate humanity. This time, the vampires hatch a plan to
eradicate the day walker, by resurrecting the first of their kind- namely
Dracula (Dominic Purcell), who goes by the moniker of Drake in this film.
Providing the film with a high-level eye candy quotient is a kick-ass, but
totally babe-alishious, Jessica Biel as Abigail, the daughter of Blade’s
mentor Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). The cast of BLADE TRINITY
also features Ryan Reynolds, Parker Posey, Mark Berry, John Michael
Higgins, Callum Keith Rennie and Paul Michael Levesque AKA Triple H.
New
Line Home Entertainment has made BLADE TRINITY available on DVD in
a 2.35:1 widescreen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays. As I’ve come to expect from New Line, BLADE TRINITY
looks phenomenal on DVD. Sharpness and detail are absolutely first rate.
Colors are strongly rendered and flawless. Blacks are dead on perfect,
whites are crisp and contrast is excellent. Additionally, this
purposely-dark movie boasts marvelous shadow detail. The film elements
used for the transfer are virtually pristine and there is little apparent
grain. Digital compression artifacts are always well contained.
BLADE
TRINITY features 5.1/6.1 channel soundtracks that come in both the
Dolby Digital and DTS formats. The sound design is totally kicking and
doesn’t take any prisoners. Fully enveloping, with aggressively deployed
effects makes this the kind of track that will give your average surround
junkie a much needed fix. Fidelity is also great, with believable sound
effects and full-bodied music. The bass channel is explosive enough for
the material but never fatiguing. Dialogue is always crisp and fully
intelligible. As for the differences between Dolby Digital and DTS, the
latter provides a warmer, richer sound, but the standard bearer is
certainly no slouch. An English Dolby Surround track has also been
provided, as have English and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have been
spread across both discs of this set. Disc one features two separate
running audio commentaries- the first is with writer/director David Goyer,
Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds, while the second includes director David
Goyer, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, producers Peter Frankfurt and
Lynn Harris, production designer Chris Gorak and editor Howard E. Smith.
Moving
on to disc two, one will find the remainder of the supplemental
programming. The main feature of disc two is Inside The World Of
Blade: Trinity, which is a sixteen-part "making of"
documentary that runs over one hundred minutes in total length. Goyer
On Goyer: The Writer Interviews The Director is an amusing
five-minute split screen featurette, whose title says it all. A goofy Alternate
Ending is also provided on disc two, as is Blooper Reel,
a couple of Galleries and a few Trailers. One
will also find some DVD-ROM content on disc two.
BLADE
TRINITY is a pretty entertaining action/horror flick, although it isn’t
quite in the same league with the first two entries in the series. As for
the DVD, it is up to the usual New Line standards of excellence, which
means it’s virtually perfect. If you are an action/horror fan or just
want to complete the trilogy, you can’t go wrong by checking out BLADE
TRINITY on DVD.
While
BLADE TRINITY ($30) is certainly a reasonably entertaining
action/horror movie, I’ve got to be right up front and say that this
third entry is the weakest in the series. After the first two terrific
installments, you would think that adding Dracula, the ultimate vampire,
would produce superior results, but instead, BLADE TRINITY is a bit
more pedestrian than the films that preceded it. Based upon the Marvel
comic book character, BLADE TRINITY stars Wesley Snipes as the
title character, a half human/half vampire hybrid with a bad attitude, a
slew of cool weaponry and knack for slaying the undead. The plot of BLADE
TRINITY finds the vampire population in another of their misguided
attempts to subjugate humanity. This time, the vampires hatch a plan to
eradicate the day walker, by resurrecting the first of their kind- namely
Dracula (Dominic Purcell), who goes by the moniker of Drake in this film.
Providing the film with a high-level eye candy quotient is a kick-ass, but
totally babe-alishious, Jessica Biel as Abigail, the daughter of Blade’s
mentor Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). The cast of BLADE TRINITY
also features Ryan Reynolds, Parker Posey, Mark Berry, John Michael
Higgins, Callum Keith Rennie and Paul Michael Levesque AKA Triple H.
New
Line Home Entertainment has made BLADE TRINITY available on DVD in
a 2.35:1 widescreen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on
16:9 displays. As I’ve come to expect from New Line, BLADE TRINITY
looks phenomenal on DVD. Sharpness and detail are absolutely first rate.
Colors are strongly rendered and flawless. Blacks are dead on perfect,
whites are crisp and contrast is excellent. Additionally, this
purposely-dark movie boasts marvelous shadow detail. The film elements
used for the transfer are virtually pristine and there is little apparent
grain. Digital compression artifacts are always well contained.
BLADE
TRINITY features 5.1/6.1 channel soundtracks that come in both the
Dolby Digital and DTS formats. The sound design is totally kicking and
doesn’t take any prisoners. Fully enveloping, with aggressively deployed
effects makes this the kind of track that will give your average surround
junkie a much needed fix. Fidelity is also great, with believable sound
effects and full-bodied music. The bass channel is explosive enough for
the material but never fatiguing. Dialogue is always crisp and fully
intelligible. As for the differences between Dolby Digital and DTS, the
latter provides a warmer, richer sound, but the standard bearer is
certainly no slouch. An English Dolby Surround track has also been
provided, as have English and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have been
spread across both discs of this set. Disc one features two separate
running audio commentaries- the first is with writer/director David Goyer,
Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds, while the second includes director David
Goyer, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, producers Peter Frankfurt and
Lynn Harris, production designer Chris Gorak and editor Howard E. Smith.
Moving
on to disc two, one will find the remainder of the supplemental
programming. The main feature of disc two is Inside The World Of
Blade: Trinity, which is a sixteen-part "making of"
documentary that runs over one hundred minutes in total length. Goyer
On Goyer: The Writer Interviews The Director is an amusing
five-minute split screen featurette, whose title says it all. A goofy Alternate
Ending is also provided on disc two, as is Blooper Reel,
a couple of Galleries and a few Trailers. One
will also find some DVD-ROM content on disc two.
BLADE
TRINITY is a pretty entertaining action/horror flick, although it isn’t
quite in the same league with the first two entries in the series. As for
the DVD, it is up to the usual New Line standards of excellence, which
means it’s virtually perfect. If you are an action/horror fan or just
want to complete the trilogy, you can’t go wrong by checking out BLADE
TRINITY on DVD.
