Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds
Maybe the third time is the charm. Or repetition has made the heart grow fonder and the brain squishier. Or maybe it's the wiseacre charms of Reynolds, a lanky hunk who has a disarming way with a snarky quip and who has apparently spent his formative years studying the collected works of Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Michael Keaton. Whatever combination of the above, the third installment in the Blade series boasts more pep and punch than its predecessors.
Snipes returns as Blade, a dour vampire killer grimly intent on rid ding the world of blood-sucking scum. He's joined by Abigail Whistler (Biel), who is the daughter of his longtime helper (Kristofferson), and by Hannibal King (Reynolds), who was once the boy toy of the vampire leader (Parker Posey, baring her teeth and loving every minute of it). It's all an excuse for lots of fighting, firepower and special effects, but Blade fans will be pleased, and the rest of us don't suffer unbearably. (R)
