User Reviews

This series has some potential.

No, it's not the Blade movies, it is different. And that can be a good thing.

Once "Sticky" makes the role his own and stops trying to act like Wesley Snipes' Blade character, I think his role and his acting will improve.

The rest of the folks do a decent acting job and the story looks like it has an arc that can last a while. The supporting cast looks pretty strong. If Spike gives it a chance to develop an audience, I think it can stick around a few seasons.

Consider other titles that appeared shaky at first but went on to strong showings: Firefly, Buffy, heck, even Star Trek, TNG had a pretty shaky start but eventually the actors and writers found the characters and they developed them richly.

I think the show has potential.

It has a good story line so far. It will be interesting to see the story progress as the season continues. I like the actors playing Krista and Marcus. They have nice chemistry.

However, the actor playing Blade needs a little work. He's trying too hard to duplicate Wesley Snipes, making it difficult to understand his lines. Maybe he needs to enunciate or maybe it's just hard for him to speak with fangs...? Either way, he needs a speech coach.

All in all it's a good show if you're a fan of vampire movies or Buffy/Angel type shows.

The vast majority of the cast members show promise, and the plot line seems to have been thoughtfully written. I'm not crazy about Sticky Fingaz' portrayal of Blade--his performance in the debut was wooden, as best--but I'll reserve judgment for a few episodes, and hope that with more experience comes more confidence, which will lead to better acting.

My biggest issue is with the combat scenes: more money and time should be invested in training Kirk Jones; the director needs to pace the action better; or the choreographer ought to rethink his/her sequences. Even the gun battles seem oddly envisioned and strangely out-of-synch.

Network: Spike TV; Genre: Action, Drama, Horror; Content Rating: TV-14 (for strong language, graphic violence and gore); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Complete Series (1 season)

For their first big scripted dramatic series, Spike TV went to the movie well and got screenwriter David S. Goyer himself to adapt Marvel comic book character and movie trilogy star Blade for the small screen. Half-human, half-vampire, Blade (Kirk "Sticky" Jones, "Over There"), also known as The Daywalker, tries to infiltrate a vast highly sophisticated underground syndicate of vampires. Meanwhile, a battle brews between the infected, lead by Marcus Van Sciver (Neil Jackson), and the purebloods that rule the vampire bloodline, one of the leaders of which – in the show's best character twist - is 12-year old Charlotte (Emily Hirst).

"Sticky" Jones does a decent Blade, as well as Wesley Snipes, but even at series length Blade is an anti-social one-note force of martial arts destruction. The show compensates by bringing in an original character. After her brother is shot by Marcus in the pilot, Krista (Jill Wagner) ventures into the vampire underworld, is converted and is then flipped by Blade as a double agent on the inside. With Blade left to do nothing more than grunt and growl, the show follows Krista's rise to the right hand of Marcus - much to the chagrin of his beautiful partner Chase (Jessica Gower) - as he tries to develop a vaccine to kill the purebloods.

One of the most interesting things about the "Blade" movies was that vampirism was treated like a disease and the aristocratic depiction of the vampire culture and inside of which where political power struggles between the 2 "races". It is fertile ground for a series to explore and yet "Blade: the series" feels like a monumental missed opportunity. Vampirism is now sold on the street like a drug as "Ash", but otherwise the show can't think of any new avenues to take itself down. If we aren't getting action how about vampirism as a social metaphor? The whole production reeks of an inescapable feeling of creative claustrophobia. I know should be grateful, given how few shows like this actually are on TV, but good intentions don't keep me entertained.

But the marquee appeal of "Blade" was the comic book fight scenes. While the Pilot looks great (the visual style of the entire series is slick eye-candy), as the show goes to series the action is suffocated by the Spike TV budget. In order to pay for a CGI effect of vampire skeletons exploding into dust (or a bit like my favorite, where Krista decapitates a vampire with a street sign), "Blade" scrimps and saves every penny by padding the show with endless, endless, scenes of expository conversation and dramatic dialog, effectively turning "Blade" into a vampire-related drama instead of a comic book actioner. And that is the biggest, and likely unavoidable, mis-step the show makes. All the saving does pay off in the end. If you can make it that far the show delivers a satisfying face-to-face final battle between Blade and Marcus.

I should also make the point that the TV-14 rating given to the show by Spike is wildly, irresponsibly, inappropriate given the language and level of gore on display here. "Blade" is a basic cable TV-MA if I've ever seen it.

* * / 4

The lack of Wesley Snipes in the lead role here is a benefit, not a handicap. It has allowed the effective suspension of disbelief that a fantasy series like this needs. Instead of looking at Snipes, we're looking at Blade. Much better.

Despite the silly and rather stereotypical name, "Sticky Fingas" does a good job in the title role, and Nelson Lee is good as the loyal sidekick and Neil Jackson as Marcus van Sciver is convincing in the lead bad guy role.

All in all, a good attempt (I rated it at 7/10) at pulling the Snipes vehicle onto television. I just hope the series doesn't descend into formulaic TV rubbish.

The show was actually good, especially the female star of the show. But the Blade character himself was absolutely terrible. He had no acting ability at all. All he did was look serious and had a fake serious voice. Terrible actor.

Show would have been perfect had it not been for the Blade actor. All other actors were also good at their job.

Also, it really irritates me that TV shows keep always being canceled, even good ones, and even though they do reasonably well. Just because they don't "win" some stupid ratings war, they think the show isn't good enough to keep. Further, they do stupid things like showing two good shows in the same time slot, and then they wonder why a show that might be good, doesn't get the ratings they want, if another show is slightly better. Then what's new of course, they both get canceled.... Fools. :(

When I discovered that "Blade" was going to be made into a series, I was extremely skeptical; I didn't go out of my way to watch it when it first aired. That being said, I am extremely grateful that decided to watch the July 26 episode. I am all the more grateful that Spike, during that episode, announced their Sunday marathon, and that I watched. The storyline is extremely interesting and imaginative (the "ash" drug was an ingenious idea), and very intelligent.

"Sticky," while no Wesley Snipes, pulls off his portrayal quite well, and seems to be growing into the role; I think he'll only get better over time, and truly make "Blade" his own. Also, I like that the writers make it harder for his Blade than Wesley Snipes' portrayal, in that his encounters with them are not, consistently, one-sided massacres. The Krista character (aka Jill Wagner) is an absolute gem of a find. Very believable not only as an ex Iraq veteran, but as someone struggling with the hand she's been dealt, and with the inherent conflicts that come with it. Van Sciver and Chase are yet additional examples of excellent casting. Jessica Gower nails the Chase character as the ruthless and sadistic enforcer, and Neil Jackson portrays Van Sciver perfectly as the outwardly elegant but ruthless, ambitions operator--it is clear that he has ulterior motives coming out of his ears.

And that incredible child character, the pure-blood vampire "boss," was absolutely riveting, and from the second she entered the story. Hopefully we'll see plenty more of her. She looks absolutely frightening.

Am anxious to see more dimension to the Blade character--in fact, I think, that is going to be essential to the long-term success of the series. While interesting, he is not, by a long shot, among the most fascinating and intriguing characters we've been introduced to--and it's his series, after all. His sidekick (Nelson Lee)--who is clearly fearless and dedicated--is also sorely in need of more development; I'd like to know what drives him, as well. Since this is to be a series, however, there's time (hopefully) to take care of those essential elements.

Overall, "Blade" the series far exceeded my expectations; hopefully it will be on long enough to reach its full potential. As I've stated, I'm hooked.

After three movies, all of which had, at least some, good visuals, action and dark tone, this franchise tried for a television show. I've only read one comic with the title character, so I base my evaluations on the movies and the show, and what little I know about the comics. This show only got one season, and it lasted a dozen episode, with a pilot the length of two full episodes. Personally, I think they did a pretty good job, much of the way. Rather than just try to imitate the movies(which is not to say that they didn't take notes, in fact, almost everything, especially as far as look goes, is from the movies), this went for on-going plots and provided character development. Yes, some of it is similar to the movies. No, not all of it is terribly original. But most of it is entertaining, and they do some interesting things, and provided some more or less solid drama. The pilot has some self-irony over the character and introduction, and they bring in a fairly known face to explain the origin story. It's unclear where in the time-line of the movies this takes place, but it could be after the course of all three movies, and it would seem to be in the same universe, as the character of Whistler is referenced. The music is OK, it consists of score and some rock and rap. The action is reasonable, and has some *really* awesome moments. The sets are decent enough. The special effects aren't as spectacular as they could have been on a higher budget, but they do look quite nice. The acting varies, but is usually acceptable, sometimes great(and once Emily Hirst appears... impressive performance. I urge any potential viewers to not look her up, or try to find out what she plays). Sticky Fingaz isn't too bad in his portrayal of Blade, and his looks, moves and fighting skills fit the part. The character of Krista was a magnificent idea; she starts out being the viewer's introduction to this world, but she goes on to be much more. She is interesting, and she helps keep the show grounded. No matter how big it seems to get, her character makes it *real*... which makes the impact of the events much stronger. The dialog ranges, some of it is lines from the first movie, occasionally bastardized. The production values are high, to an extent. The cinematography and editing are standard at times, and even less than that does occur, but there are some noticeable exceptions, where it is a lot better than that. The look and tone is done right. The show is funny, very much so, at points. It does try too hard sometimes, but other times, it really works. Blade is still a bad-ass, though he has more trouble than he did in the films. Now, I'm told that that's actually close to the comics. He isn't stronger and faster than vampires, he's *as* strong and fast. That comes across clearly, here, and makes the fact that he hasn't already won the war more credible. The mythology is intriguing. The racial diversity is commendable; in the pilot alone, there are African-American, Asian, Native American and of course white, characters. You can tell that it's Spike... there is sex(the sensual nature of vampires of either gender is not lost on the crew behind this), violence(they manage the bloody and gory nature of them, as well) and mild swearing, and they aren't difficult to come by. The show is at times uneven, and some corners are cut. Still, they put some noteworthy visuals on the small screen, some cool action sequences(shootouts and fights alike, both tend to be nicely done, and plentiful), and the episodes are all worth watching. I agree that it isn't without flaws, but it's certainly not without its merit, either. If you like the movies, and/or the character, and this comes on TV, I suggest you give at least the pilot a chance. The finale is not bad, and I would tune in for a second season, if this ever gets another chance. I recommend this to even casual fans of Blade, those also interested in the character, and, as have been said by others, maybe give it some time. 7/10

Wow...I'm in amazement that there are people comparing Sticky to Snipes, that's like comparing the best 5 star hotel to sleeping in a dumpster. Sticky couldn't act, he couldn't fight, he showed no emotions, the guys not an actor, he's horrible, and the worst choice I can think of to play Blade and take over that role from Snipes.

As for the show, why was it called Blade, it should have been called the Jill Wagner show as her storyline was the main theme, not Blades. Bad call number 2 for the show.

And lets not forget how they took everything from the movies, tossed them aside, and just did whatever they wanted to with the stories and such. You don't base a TV series on a very well liked movie franchise and then crap all over what the movies have done and shown.

I'm very happy this show was axed, maybe if this happened more often instead of people just accepting crap Hollywood would get the message and put out some decent stuff.

I myself was a skeptic of this series, because I enjoyed the movies a lot and didn't want the series to ruin that. I listened to Howard Stern the other day and he was raving about the series, and said "if you can get over the fact that it isn't Wesley Snipes, then you will really enjoy this show." And I completely agree I watched it for the first time last night and it was awesome. Watching this show is like jumping into the comic, dark and twisted.It is very different because you don't hate the bad guy Marcus, you almost feel for him, and there is a mystery about him because he has sympathy but is very powerful and strong.It great because it has a little of everything plenty of action, blood, skin and good plots. So everyone should give this show a try, once you do you will be sucked in (no pun intended.)

I pretty much agree w/ the overall consensus on this one. I too believe that, giving what I've seen so far the benefit of the doubt, that the one "setback" (my attempt at diplomacy) w/ this project is its main subject, Blade! I've been accused at being 'overly lenient' to say the least when it comes to my viewing tastes but I think a lot of viewers will agree that I'm pretty justified on this one.

Stay w/ me on this one. The real problem w/ this project is that the big budget trilogy has already been done. Now practically anyone whose been following Blade and his adventures since then is pretty much "fixated" on the image of the main character as he's presented on the big screen. This is a huge hump for many viewers to get over and the more dedicated the Blade fan, the harder it will be for them to take Kirk "Sticky" Jones seriously. It's almost unfair to cast Jones in the same light as Snipes.

W/ that being said, one has to put oneself in a certain mindset when watching the series (granted I'm aware that that's a lot easier said than done). For one thing, we all can agree that Wesley pulls off fight sequences MUCH better than Sticky. But remember, Blade is an immortal vampire killer...PERIOD!! Never in any of the comic book tales is it written that Blade only uses flawless, proficient martial arts tactics to kill vampires. The big screen presentations had this luxury because the lead actor has a martial arts/boxing background. Sticky barely has an acting background!! So you really can't fault him for the choppy, dry and lackluster fight sequences. Had the series been done before the movies, I think it may have been better received simply because you wouldn't have had anything to compare it to.

Other than that, everything else seems to serve its purpose. The 'Chase' and 'Krista' characters are presented pretty colorfully and of course one of the reasons their respective actresses were chosen is because they make great "eye candy." And while the 'Van Sciver' character gets to be a little gimmicky at times, I think overall it goes over real well. I must also admit that the story is growing increasingly more intriguing. It might even be too early for me to accurately comment right now but I had to say something at this point. I guess my only fear is that this may come to a very intense build-up only to have a somewhat bland letdown as closure simply because the main actor was unqualified to bring any life to his character.

My advice to anyone watching this series is try to be as objectionable as possible. DON'T try to compare it to the big screen presentations or you'll be setting yourself up for major disappointment. But you never know, we're only approaching episode 4. Overall, so far, it's a somewhat decent attempt.

Although I did give this a 4 out of 10, this is the second times I've watched the series after watching all 3 blade movies...For me, I think the best thing about the show is that it does some of the world building that was left out of the movies - getting into the different vampire houses, etc. That was hinted at in the movies, but never really explored.

But there are so many problems. None of the actors are really good enough to carry this series, like Sticky for example as blade....the characters who are doing the heavy lifting, like Jill Wagner, have to contend with inconsistent, nonsensical writing.

Honestly, I will continue to watch this show when I go through the Blade series, but this is more of a watch and talk trash sort of situation...and that's ok. If you wanna see some more world building, some nudity, and a bit more to the Blade mythology, check it out...just don't expect good quality.

All of us who are fans of Blade, whether it be in the comic or movie form appreciate quality action/martial arts, great actors/acting, & a leading man who brings the title character to prominence. I was so looking forward to enjoying "Blade" with his cool demeanor & fantastic martial arts displays. Being a martial artist myself, the thrill of a TV series starring Blade caught my attention immediately.

Unfortunately, rapper-turned actor Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones is way above his head taking this role for the TV series. Jones is no LL Cool J, Busta Rhimes, or even Queen Latifah for that matter. Jones' portrayal of the fearless vampire hunter is beyond wooden; boringly comatose fits more in this case. Being a die-hard fan of the films expertly done by accomplished martial artist & actor Wesley Snipes, I find it hard to imagine any actor taking on the role of Blade without the athleticism & martial arts skills it takes to successfully pull off such a demanding part.

Jones looks awkward at best in the action sequences & could not copy Snipes' rendition of Blade to save his life! I was so disappointed with Jones' portrayal that I may not be watching much more of the series. The rest of the cast has a lot of potential but will have to carry Jones unless another actor is cast for the lead. In short, dump Kirk Jones & find another actor worthy of Wesley Snipes' Blade. As a concerned fan, I hope "Blade: The Series" does not stop fans from going to the theaters for any more "Blade" flicks. And hey Jones, stick to rap & give up acting!!!!!

The series has kept me watching this far. The only downfall is the main character, Blade. After seeing Wesley Snipes play Blade, it only seems fitting to see someone with more martial arts experience star behind him. The preciseness and speed of the moves is part of what makes Blade so awesome. I just don't think that "Sticky Fingaz" adds up to Blade. I really just would have liked to see a better actor play such a great role as Blade. Krista (Jill Wagner) is a breath of fresh air. The way she holds on to her humanity makes vampirism seem that much more attractive. I hope this series lasts for a while. Maybe even Sticky Fingaz will grow on me. I can only hope.

Interesting series, but I truly found every other character more intriguing than the actual protagonist!

After a very disappointing "Blade Trinity" I wasn't expecting very much of this series. "Blade" the series manages to deepen some issues surrounding Blade and at the same provide the action we are used to from the movies. That doesn't mean it is a better product than the movie trilogy. Because "Blade" the series certainly has some flaws. One of them is that Blade doesn't seem to be the only main character. For some reason "Krista" (a woman turned into a vampire by Marcus Van Sciver) is introduced. And the larger part of the story is mainly about her involvement of things. I liked her and she performed real well. But shouldn't the focus be more on Blade. In that aspect I think it is a missed opportunity to show more of Blade and his past (only 2 episodes directly concerning his childhood.) Also what was the point of Larry Pointdexter having in the show. He is not directly involved and doesn't really add anything special to the show. Like some other characters that were in the show. I did like the mature approach of matters. The series isn't shy of showing blood and gore. Some scenes are just disturbing. It will shock you! The result is that the vampires look scarier and more dangerous. They are a force to be reckoned with and not just simple monsters to be killed off by Blade. "Blade" the series is highly entertaining and a good addition in the "Blade" franchise. A good show that won't be renewed but does deserve to have a second season!

I've watched the series and am disappointed to say the least. The show's writing is appalling at best. Thought jill wagner is hot, the series title is still blade, yet she is 80% of the show. blade has no redeeming qualities. little or no fighting skills, other than choreographed, no personality skills other than barking requests to people. the shows writers spend too much time on marcus and kristie, trying to get viewers to sympathize with marcus and not portray him as the bad guy he is supposed to be. kristies character should have never been left with marcus but should have been fighting with blade all along to avenge her brothers murder which was her original task, yet the writers gave no time for her and blade to build up an alliance and trust in each other. he also offers no respect for his sidekick. Let the show die a deserved death - and find a better gig for jill wagner.

I wasn't sure if I'd like it at first. I was worried it would be a silly action show with no plot, bad acting, and no depth. Even after watching the pilot, I was hesitant, and I didn't watch any more for awhile. But I did record the first season(DVR). Later, when I had more time, I went back and watched a few more episodes, in order. I got hooked. My conclusion: It's not a silly action show as one might expect. A good story develops into a great one, with a lot of intrigue and mystery. To me, its a little bit like ALIAS meets UNDERWORLD. I hope people give it a chance. There just aren't many shows like this on TV. We lost DARK ANGEL and other good shows. Hopefully this one will stick around. While I like Smallville and watch it religiously, it's nice to watch something a little darker with less teenage drama. I'm a fan of a certain kind of vampire story -- like UNDERWORLD, VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE, KINDRED THE EMBRACED, and BLADE. So, this new series is satisfying me and I hope it stays. Jill Wagner's character Krista Starr was a brilliant idea. She is a very good, very necessary, character for the series. If it was just Blade and his sidekick, I believe the series would fail quickly. And, Jessica Gower's character, Chase, is great! Scary, striking, beautiful, and very memorable. I'm also fond of Neil Jackson's character, Marcus. A good choice. So there you go, a good ALIAS/UNDERWORLD show, with Marcus, Krista and Chase as my personal favorites (so far).

"Blade: The Series", despite its short lifespan, was a quality production. Perhaps its lengthy story lines lost it viewers but there's no doubt that the production standards were top-notch.

While Sticky Fingaz was never going to out-do Snipes in the Blade stakes (pardon the pun), he delivers a reasonable performance and has a genuine presence on the small screen.

It's actress Jill Wagner that really steals the show. I'm amazed that Wagner hasn't hit the big-screen with a "Bang!". She has a mesmeric quality and delivers a truly impressive performance as the recently-turned vampire Krista.

7 out of 10. I keep my fingers crossed that perhaps a one-off made-for-TV special will tie up the loose ends....

Sad, should of made a Nightstalkers TV show and left Blade alone

Kirk Jones is just wrong wrong wrong for this part...

Not in the least convincing as Blade, he cannot act at all. He seems to be trying to do a Wesley Snipes imitation and he's doing it badly. He also could benefit from voice and acting lessons. Mr. Jones obviously has no real martial arts training or skill, having studied and multiple forms it is very easy to spot a fake. The Blade character seems secondary to the series and sometimes seems like filler for episodes... The script, stories and dialog need serious tweaking and the show seems to be a Buffy/Angel wannabe knockoff. The character of Whistler is no where to be found and I do not see the audience accepting another actor in this role that Kris Kristofferson defined so well.

I'm done complaining.

EOL

I loved the first two episodes of Blade, it's a great show with a great character. Jones does a good job as Blade, he's defiantly different than Snipes, but does a good job. The supporting cast is interesting, the story is as good as you'd expect it to be for a TV show. This pretty much leaves off a while after the Blade films (which I loved), keeping the movies as part of the past. The style that it is filmed seems very much like a movie, I love how it looks. It's a good show with a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to tonight episode. Pretty much if you liked all of the 3 Blade films, you will love this show.

From the very beginning it was weird to see Sticky Fingaz instead of Wesley Snipes, but once you get used to it, "Blade" becomes quite entertaining show. It's sequel to the movie franchise and has pretty good plot that pulls you in and it's a shame it was canceled after single season. There's no bigger flaws to brag about, but it also doesn't have any outstanding qualities. Just an average Marvel that will bring joy to Blade fans and mediocre for the rest of us.

6/10

Created and written by David S. Goyer, Blade: The Series follows of course Blade, a "daywalker" human, half-vampire vigilante who vows to hunt down the vampire scourge that has infected Detroit. Following the events of the trilogy of films before it, the series takes the Marvel character and quickly moves into a fairly expected serialized format, with a new street drug "dust" being pushed by different vampire gangs known as "The Houses", and so many very dumb romance sub-plots. The action is okay, but often in that very frequent cuts, lots of moving cameras, very obvious rubber weapons kinda campy way, but it works for what it is I guess. Again the plots themselves are where this really falls apart, its just so much copy paste of the existing crime format but now with vampires involved. The series does take a small amount of time to go into some of Blade's backstory / origin story, which was always fun, I would have much preferred a prequel series vs what we got, but oh well. The greatly named Sticky Fingaz stars as Blade, and while he doesn't quite live up to Wesley Snipes before him (who could), his delivery is ridiculous enough its fun, if not somewhat bad acting. If you've watched the films and liked them, this isn't as good, but its definitely content, so I'd say go for it. If you're just looking for something to get hyped for the new Blade 2025 film you can just stick to the movies. Wouldn't likely recommend.