WOW, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 23 years since I sat down to watch Blade in the cinema for the very first time, now the 4K Restoration of Blade has recently returned to cinema screens and I check it out at Cineworld in Broughton.
A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires in the movie that first introduced me to movies from Marvel and one that probably put the MCU on the map, it’s also a movie that I have lost count of how many times I’ve watched it at home on DVD, SKY, Amazon etc. But tonight was a return to the big screen and my first time seeing Blade in 4K.
I think that most of you reading this article have seen the movie in one format or another, but as I noticed at tonight’s screening at Broughton there seemed to be a good amount of people that weren’t old enough to see Blade when it was first released in 1998, plus there were lots that much like me are fans of the movie and know it line by line, yes I was quoting lines under my breath.
Despite Blade having many issues, such as some of the continuity faults and the obvious moments that you can blatantly see that it’s the stuntman and not Stephen Dorff, the film is still one that is such a joy to watch, it’s packed with amazing action, plenty of blood-curdling gore and a stomping soundtrack that has you nodding your head to the beat of the tracks,, much like the opening introduction to Blade in the “Blood Rave”.
Over the years and the many movies that I have seen Wesley Snipes in, Blade is my all-time favourite of his, the on-screen connection between Blade (Snipes) and Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) has stood the test of time over the last 23 years, very much the movies itself, right from the start it still has me glued to it and the 2 hours running time just races by, you don’t get the chance to have much of a breather before all the action kicks off again and you are pulled into the fantastically choreographed fight sequences.
Blade is Back in 4K
This screening of Blade is the 4K Restoration and having the movie at home on Blu-ray, which I watched the other night for comparison, looks fantastic. The red titles are vibrant at the beginning of the film as well as being clear, the “Blood Rave” looks stunning with the colour palette working great on the big screen, when it comes to the sound that sounds amazing.
I have a DD5.1 system at home and watching the movie at home sound great, but when it comes to the cinema experience of Blade in 4K, I could hear things that I really haven’t picked up on things before with moments in the Blood Rave where I could here quieter voices and subtle sounds that I hadn’t picked up on before, everything sounds so much clear and precise.
The soundtrack really comes into its own when you see the movie on the big screen again, with such a powerful sound system that only a cinema can offer you the baselines that we have come to love in Blade really take hold of you throughout the movie.
After 23 years it’s been amazing to relive the experience of Blade in the cinema, I have to say that I did feel like I was back in my 20s again and it still gave me the excitement that I had when I first time in 1998, even though I’ve seen it so many times since.
For me, this first move is was the best in the trilogy, they seemed to go downhill a bit after that and I would have loved to have seen N’Bushe Wright’s character return in the sequels, now the wait is on to see how the reboot of Blade goes when it finally goes into production, lets just hope that it arrives with an 18 rating and keeps that bloodthirsty vibe of the 1998 release.
So thank you Cineworld for giving us the chance to see Blade back on the big screen again, now I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring us next with some more 4K restorations.
Not got a Cineworld Unlimited Card, you can now get a three month trial for as little as £9.99 per month and if you want a month free then use the code RAF-98ZT-02KX-63MR-75NH and we will both get a month free. Find out more on the Cineworld website.
Blade is Back in 4K
Movie title: Blade (1998) 4K
Movie description: Wesley Snipes stars as the tortured soul Blade – half man, half immortal. Blade sharpens his lethal skills under the guidance of Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), his mentor, guardian and fellow hunter of the night. When the bloodthirsty Immortals’ lord, Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), declares war on the human race, Blade is humanity’s last hope for survival.
Date published: October 31, 2021
Country: UK
Duration: 2 hours
Director(s): Stephen Norrington
Actor(s): Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Summary
A welcome to return to the big screen after 23 years, Blade looks even more awesome than it did in 1998 on the big screen.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
