Is it only myself that has spent the huge wedge of money (£350) on this most expensive toy this Christmas? The kids in my family will love me for buying it, however where are all the excellent games that Sony promised would be ready for Christmas. Apart from the usual EA Sports titles & the odd film game, I have not come acrossed any stand out titles as yet. OK, the machine will play Blue Ray HD Disc's, but the purpose of buying the thing was to play HD games worth playing. With the launch of this machine behind us and the slowing down of the hype, are Sony going to get their act together and actually get some descent games to play on this over priced toy.......what do you think?
Writer/director David Goyer continues his comicbook vampire saga with the bloody and "sometimes bloody awful" Blade Trinity. Wesley Snipes returns as the moody urban hunter with newcomers Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel providing backup. It got a thumbs-up for its tongue-in-cheek humour otherwise critics were largely nonplussed. Of course that didn't stop it from being a No.1 hit with blood-thirsty moviegoers.
An extended version of the film adds just over five minutes of footage, though you'd be hard pressed to spot it. The real meat and bones of this two-disc release is the feature-length 'making of' documentary, which is split into 16 bite-sized pieces. Goyer begins with a breakdown of Blade's story so far and how he attempted to "reinvent the vampire mythology" with this third instalment. In Fresh Blood he talks about Snipes' portrayal as "reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven" and you can also hear from 'character actors' Reynolds, Biel and a fanged Parker Posey. Follow them through Nightstalker Boot Camp where they learn the art of kickboxing while maintaining a strict muscle-building diet. "I'm mostly eating drywall and woodchips," moans Reynolds.
All aspects of production design are meticulously covered. Head of the art department Chris Gorak walks you through the enormous steel and glass set inhabited by the corporate bloodsuckers, while costume designer Laura Jean Shannon rifles through the stars' wardrobe. Likewise a section on weaponry is chock-full of design detail, eg an explanation of sundog bullets that explode lethal UV rays when entering the body of a vampire. Diehard fans will also pick up lots of cool trivia in Beyond The Basics, including a deleted scene that features a cameo by Goyer.
And there's much more, including a visual effects breakdown of a body being incinerated inside out (nice!), plus master-classes in editing and sound design.
Aside from all the gory stuff, perhaps the most unnerving feature of the DVD is Goyer On Goyer - basically Goyer interviewing himself on taking the movie from script to screen. He adds that Blade Trinity mightn't be the last in the franchise and is even toying with the idea of a spin-off revolving around The Nightstalkers. There's also discussion of the film's various endings, one of which is included in this package. He also offers two very chatty commentaries - the first with cast members Reynolds and Biel (Snipes is curiously absent), and another more serious track which includes nuts-and-bolts titbits from the production crew.
A couple of design galleries complement the 'making of' documentary on disc two while a ten minute blooper reel injects a greater sense of fun - except for Reynolds' shocking confession that he loves Celine Dion. (Now that is scary!) On the downside there isn't too much one-on-one time with Snipes except for a creepy Easter egg featurette in the top corner of the special features menu. Still, this Extended Edition offers plenty to sink your teeth into.
