Bluntly put, ‘Blade’ is pointless

In film number three, “Blade” has grown a little dull.

“Blade: Trinity” is the latest chapter in the popular ongoing film series about the Marvel Comics hero whose life’s mission is the destruction of all vampires.

Once again, Wesley Snipes stars as the title character, a monster-

killing hybrid that has apparently been influenced by every Samurai movie he’s ever seen. He has a passion for killing vampires, despite the fact that he is half-human and half-bloodsucker.

Snipes, a talented fellow who used to perform in thought-

provoking movies, seems content now to get as much mileage as possible from his fearsome fang-stomper. This time though, Snipes barely phones in his part, speaking fewer lines than normal, expressing a bit of attitude and demonstrating a few karate kicks.

Writer-director David S. Goyer and Snipes hand over most of “Blade: Trinity” to the co-stars, a new wave of younger vampire-

fighters. Perhaps it’s an attempt to take a bite out of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” market. Abigail Whistler (Jessica Biel) is a daughter of Blade’s aged associate (Kris Kristofferson). With her is a flippant, wise-guy warrior named Hannibal King (Ryan Reynolds), who provides some very welcome comic relief. Reynolds’ dialogue is the only intentional humor in the film.

Indie movie queen Parker Posey slums as one of the film’s most campy villains, a Goth-influenced vampire who sports some of the weirdest hairdos in movie history. She’s far more eye-catching than the film’s main villain, Drake, the supposed granddaddy of all vampires, who rises from the underworld to reclaim his bloody throne.

Dominic Purcell plays Drake with surprisingly little pizzazz. Hardcore “Blade” fans probably will find something worthwhile here; other viewers will simply conclude that Blade no longer cuts it.