The proof of concept for Marvel’s film efforts came in the form ofBlade, but the trilogy’s quality was a mixed bag. Exhibiting the best and worst of the genre at once would be inexplicable, but three films created by three different directors will inevitably have very different results. The trilogy seems to be a default state for genre film, every franchise seems to comfortably divide itself into threes. The modelwill almost certainly continue, but the results are as varied ever.
1998’sBladecame to the big screen from the mind of director Stephen Norrington.This first big screen outingfor the character was an immensely fun ride, relying heavily on the director’s strong visuals. At the time, he had only directed one other film, a sci-fi horror calledDeath Machines.Since, his other best-known project is 2003’s ill-fatedLeague of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It was that unfortunate project, mired by studio notes and clashes with Sean Connery, that disillusioned Norrington with the industry.Bladeis likely the high point of his career in both success and quality, and aside from some special effects work in the mid-2010s, Norrington has been tragically absent from cinema.
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Blade IIcarried a much greater pedigree, and came with the quality to match. This film came from the masterful mind of Guillermo del Toro, who has gone on to become a hugely beloved filmmaker. He’s still putting outout fantastic films today, but at the time,Blade IIwas his first big introduction to American audiences. The year before, del Toro put out the outstanding Spanish language horror filmThe Devil’s Backbone, which landed him the big Marvel movie job. The second film is almost inarguably the apex of the trilogy. Del Toro’s horror background, unique tastes, and love of monsters made the film an absolute joy to behold.
After a good start and a great sequel, the third film came just in time to ruin everything. Long-time series writer David S. Goyer directedBlade: Trinity. The conclusion of the trilogy was seen by many as a shallow rehash of the previous films without any of the narrative sharpness or aesthetic glory.Goyer is a complicated filmmaker, more often a screenwriter than a director. He’s a veteran of the superhero genre, but his other directorial efforts don’t touch the genre. Mostly supernatural horror or dull action. Goyer co-wroteThe Dark Knighttrilogy,Batman V. Superman, andMan of Steel. Goyer clearly has the skill to write the films, but when it came time to bring his script to life, he tragically faltered.
The threedistinct directorial visions, even with a ton of returning crews, crafted radically different takes on the franchise. To watch all three in a row would feel more like episodes of a monster of the week style TV show than a trilogy of films. Unlike many sequels, the directors felt little need to maintain consistency, instead each pulling in their own directions for better or worse. Looking at the bizarre line graph of quality experienced by theBladeseries, one has to wonder whether it would have been improved by letting one director keep the reigns.
ConsiderThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, one of the best-loved adaptations of the modern era and the sole creativevision of Peter Jackson. Jackson’s faithful interpretation of the source and beautiful visual storytelling were integral to the trilogy, and putting another director in his role mid-series would likely ruin the flow overall. Jackson even returned forThe Hobbittrilogy, ensuring he remained the filmmaker of Tolkien’s legacy. Compare that sprawling beloved adaptation of an iconic series of novels to theHarry Potterfilm series. 8 films brought to screen by four different directors, featuring exactly the kind of wild peaks and valleys to be expected of that.
Of course, this rule is far from hard and fast. Even inBlade, the separate directors brought awesome success as well as failure. Surely the wrong director given full control over a trilogy would only fail consistently, and surely fans would prefer a series to glimpse greatness, if only on occasion. Series likeAlien, Terminator, orPredatorhave similar results toBlade.Wild assortment of directors, wild variance in quality, occasional flashes of brilliance, equally occasional crushing failure. There are also examples of single directors with mixed results;Sam Raimi is responsiblefor the first twoSpider-Manfilms, but also takes the blame forSpider-Man 3. It’s far from airtight, but a trilogy with a single director will inevitably lead to a more consistent experience.
While obviously not the only role that matters, the director is one of the most important creative forces on a film. TheBladefilms can teacha number of lessons, and one of the most interesting is that maybe a trilogy should be treated more like a single story.
