Blade (1998) is a superhero action film directed by Stephen Norrington and starring Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff and Kris Kristofferson. The film follows Blade, a half-human, half-vampire vigilante, as he battles against a powerful vampire overlord planning to unleash a plague of vampires on the human world. With intense action sequences and unique visual style, Blade is credited with popularizing the darker, more mature tone for comic book films.