The opening sequence of the new slasher movie "Blade" is nothing short of sensory mayhem. A pretty woman leads an all-too-vulnerable man to a vampire rave (in a meat-packing plant!) complete with two literal bloodbaths; the second of these is provided by the title character as he wreaks havoc on these monsters of the night. But surprisingly, this film has more character than the recent spate of such mindless movies. Instead of pure fluff,director Stephen Norrington has created a work with just enough pathos to keep even a skeptic interested during the slower scenes while packing enough gore and action in for the most jaded viewer.

Based on a Marvel Comics character who has even teamed with Spiderman in his 25 years of existence, Blade is half-human, half-vampire--a Daywalker. According to producer Peter Frankfurt on the official Blade website, "There are a lot of complexities to this character...we needed a highly athletic actor who could convey Blade's profound emotional torment. The production team chose well in delivering Wesley Snipes. From the beginning to the end of the film, Snipes wields his sheer brawn against the forces of evil while managing to convey some measure of feeling in the tormented hero's inner life.

And tormented he is. Born of a mother in the death throes of the kiss of a vampire, he has dedicated his life to ridding the earth of them. Guided by Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), his weapons machinist and translator of vampiric texts, Blade grapples with his need for blood and his thirst for a revenge just this side of evil. After saving the beautiful Karen Jenson (N'bushe Wright) from the clutches of his archenemy, Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), his need for blood waxes concurrent with the increase of Frost's influence among the relatively benign non-Gen-X vampires. Luckily, Jenson just happens to be a hematologist and not only develops a cure for her own vampire bite but gives Blade a sure-fire weapon against the creatures, one not based on strength but science. Before we cry out that the plot is far too complex for a Van Damme/Stallone type movie, we remember that today's comic books are indeed more accurately called graphic novels. Rarely is the development or plot altogether ridiculous; at least the blood serum Blade needs is better than the pig's blood some movies have used as a substitute.

While Snipes occasionally has difficulty making the viewer really believe he's continually in danger of sliding over to join Frost to unleash an unstoppable vampire god, both he and Kristofferson succeed in their loner roles. Dorff is so sinister that he even takes out his own kind with obvious relish, while convincingly seducing Blade near the films end with one of the movie's surprise character returns. His manic energy is only enhanced by the legions of orgiastic groupies hanging on him, just as Snipes excels most when cut off from Whistler and Jenson in a me-against-the-world role. Still, there are no Academy Awards to be won here, even though Wright plays her subpar part especially well ("These blood cells are bi-convex. But that's impossible!).

Then again, this ain't "Saving Private Ryan"; we're here to be entertained. And that is one thing the film succeeds at all the way through. The action scenes are sometimes so bloody that one really can't watch without sincere revulsion, and the Gotham-esque locales bring to mind the best comic book artistry of the "Batman" series, leaving behind the worst. The final thrilling sequence has all the cosmic implications of the book of Revelations combined with all the hubris of the Icarus myth. Nicely done all round, lads; next time, tell us another good yarn.

A good yarn is exactly what is promised and delivered. The plot is anyone's guess; surely we dont need another battle to save the world from the many remaining vampires, all of whom are beaten only at the last second with a combination of American ingenuity and martial arts prowess. As for the location, let's just say Snipes needs to work on his pronunciation of certain Eastern European tongues; not bad for a beginner, though. According to a report in the Star Tribune dated August 20th, it "is his attempt at creating a franchise black action hero. 'I'm not as concerned about [being typecast as an action hero] as I used to be.'" This reviewer at least would love to see his attempt succeed; here's to Blade's success and, even more, to his potential influence in putting some brains into action movies.