Bonus Features: ‘Blade’ brings original Marvel story to life in 4K

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever came to dominate the big screen, a blood-sucking anti-hero brought the comic book giant to life.

In 1998, Wesley Snipes starred as the titular Daywalker – a human-vampire hybrid who hunts vampires around the globe – and launched Marvel Comics into the world of major motion pictures. The film may have garnered mixed reviews from critics who praised the style and action but expected more from the plot, but “Blade” quickly became a cult favorite among audiences. With last year’s announcement that Mahershala Ali will once more be bringing the character to life in the MCU, interest in the originals has spiked again.

Snipes’s character may be part vampire, but he shares no love for his blood-sucking relatives. Also known as Eric Brooks, Blade’s mother was attacked by a vampire before giving birth to her son, but ultimately died in childbirth. Her offspring, however, resulted in Blade – a child with all the strengths of a vampire but none of the weaknesses. Now an adult, Blade is using his powers to rid the world of vampires and hunt down the one responsible for killing his mother and turning him into the monster that he is now.

Remastered in stunning 4K UHD quality, the rerelease of “Blade” does not bring anything new to the table other than the improved visuals. While it’s still loaded with bonus features, everything here has been previously released on past Blu-ray editions of the film.

Still, “Blade” has a lot to offer, so let’s break it all down.

Special Features on 4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary by Cast and Crew – Commentary with Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, David S. Goyer, Theo Van De Sande, Kirk M. Petruccelli and Peter Frankfurt alongside the film.
• Isolated score with commentary by composer Mark Isham – Listen along to the sounds of “Blade” as composer Mark Isham discusses his creative choices.

Special Features on Blu-ray Disc

• La Magra – Named for the film’s villain, La Magra is an ancient blood good and vampire deity portrayed by Deacon Frost. This featurette dives into the character and the decision making process behind creating him.
• Designing “Blade” – From production designers to stunt coordinators and everyone in between, see how the crew of “Blade” worked to create something that was simultaneously unique, yet true to the anti-hero’s comic book origins.
• The Origins of Blade: A Look at the Dark Comics – In case you need a refresher on who exactly Blade is, screenwriter David Goyer and Marvel creator Stan Lee break down the character’s cartoon history.
• The Blood Tide – Whether its archdioceses or vampire scholars, dive into the rich history of blood offerings, vampires and more in this informative look across the centuries.
• Theatrical Trailer – Throw it back to 1998 and act like you’re getting pumped up to watch this year’s big release, “Blade.”

“Blade” (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital) is now available for $24.99.

The Nuts and Bolts

4K Ultra HD showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper and more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

For the complete 4K Ultra HD experience with HDR , a 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, an Ultra HD Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI (Category 2) cable are required.