In 1998 “Blade” put Marvel on the big screen map by earning over 130 million in gross sales, and by being praised by horror and mainstream critics alike. In the original ending to “Blade,” the day walker spots a mysterious figure peering at him from a skyscraper. That figure was Morbius. After iconic director Guillermo Del Toro took the helm of “Blade 2,” the Morbius storyline was scrapped. Fans of the character would have to wait two decades and then some due to the pandemic, to see the living vampire on the silver screen. Does “Morbius” hold up next to its sharped tooth cousin “Blade?” Or is this another failed horror/comic that crumbles into ash?
A young Michael Morbius makes a vow to his friend Lucien to cure them both of a rare crippling blood disease. Two decades later, Morbius is a world-renowned doctor, famous for creating synthetic blood. Morbius’s mortal clock is winding down, so he attempts an unnatural and illegal experiment with animal gene splicing. The results transform Michael into a living vampire, gifted with superhuman and supernatural abilities, but only if he consumes human blood. After being arrested for his suspected involvement in vampiric murders, Lucien visits his friend and against advisement, steals the cure. While Michael struggles to accept his new gifts, Lucien embraces the power and seeks revenge on a world that has always attempted to beat him down. A dark duel ensues as the two monsters race through New York city in attempt to put on another in an eternal coffin.
While “Morbius’ ‘ may be enjoyed by pre-teens and children, it fails in every aspect as a horror/comic film. Only the vampiric references resemble anything remotely horror related. While “Blade” thrived by not holding back on the blood, “Morbius” plays more like a Saturday morning cartoon, then a dark saga. In the comics, “Morbius” is a complicated character, radiating with both light and dark desires. This lazy script essentially has the legendary hybrid vampire moonwalking as only a good guy. In contrast, the nemesis Lucien goes quickly overboard and never once scares up enough fright to be taken seriously. While Deacon Frost, from the “Blade” original, gave audiences a serious and deadly adversary, Lucien strolls through the film like a silly arrogant aristocrat. Poor CGI and over ridiculous set pieces are splattered all over the 120-minute run time. Shot nearly twenty years earlier, “Blade” broke boundaries with its ash deaths and fantastic practical effects. The two main vampires in “Morbius” look like male nourished zombies from an Atari game as they leap at each other from building to building like a Spider-Man outtake. The horror nation was disappointed when the terrific “Swamp Thing” television series was cut short after one season, but it will be hard to find any horror fan sheading terror tears if “Morbius” does not get a sequel.
Scream Score: 5.9/10