BLADE: THE IRON CROSS (2020) Reviews and overview

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Blade: The Iron Cross is a 2019 American horror film directed by John Lechago (Feast of Fear; Killjoy’s Psycho CircusKilljoy Goes to HellBio•Slime) from a screenplay written by Neal Marshall Stevens [as Roger Barron] (Puppet Master: Axis Termination).

The movie stars Tania Fox (Apocalypse of Ice; Choke; Art of the Dead), Roy Abramsohn, Griffin Blazi, Jarrell Hall, Bobby Ree and Angelica Briones (From the Depths; Dead Voices). Produced by Charles Band and Nakai Nelson.

Plot:
An unspeakable evil from Blade’s past emerges in the form of a murderous Nazi scientist named Doctor Hauser. As Hauser’s heinous crimes are discovered, the psychic war journalist, Elisa Ivanov, awakens Blade, and together the bloody journey of revenge begins. It’s Herr Hauser’s reanimated undead army versus a possessed doll and a beautiful vengeance-seeking clairvoyant! Who will win, and how will it affect the Full Moon Universe?

Featured review:
“On the plus side, Blade: The Iron Cross is miles ahead of Corona ZombiesNecropolis: Legion and most of the other crap Full Moon has been putting out lately. There is an actual plot for once, and a cast that can act. That alone is a welcome change from the endless lame stoner jokes that make up the Evil Bong franchise. The whole Nazi zombie thing is a bit tired, but director John Lechago (Blood Gnome, Killjoy Goes to Hell) and writer Neal Marshall Stevens (Super Hybrid, Thir13en Ghosts) using his Roger Barron alias manage to fashion an enjoyable horror noir out of it.

That, however, is also the biggest problem with Blade: The Iron Cross. This isn’t supposed to be a horror noir, it’s supposed to be about a killer puppet. Blade is barely in his own movie. And a lot of the time he’s not doing much. I’m sure part of that has to do with budget constraints, but that’s really no excuse […] When Blade does get to kill the scenes are well done, there’s just not nearly enough of them.” Read the full review at Voices from the Balcony

Other reviews:
“Some fans who followed along for a while but then drifted away because of the drop in production value may be drawn to this one simply because Blade is at the center of it. Those fans should proceed with caution because this isn’t like getting a Blade movie in the early years of the franchise, this is getting an Axis addendum with only one puppet in it.” Arrow in the Head

Blade: The Iron Cross is definitely emblematic of the lower tier of the Puppet Master franchise. It may not be the absolute worst in the series and it’s technically a little less insulting than Puppet Master: The Legacy, but this feels like the death rattle of a corpse that’s been brought back to life with some half-baked resurrection potion.” Bloody Disgusting

“A ripoff runtime that struggles to outlast an hour. Actors who know they’re not pulling off any sort of immersive illusion yet aren’t free to be completely campy either, so they give up and do their own things. Don’t forget a main attraction who only appears in the movie bearing his name for maybe five disappointing minutes.” Culture Crypt

“Giving the film one star for Tania Fox and a half star for the very minor Blade shenanigans as the little guy doesn’t get to cut loose until the final twenty minutes leaving us with Nazis, goons, and a not-so hard-boiled detective to fill the time instead… and ain’t none of them worth it.” Fake Rob Hunter

“It drags a bit in the first act, taking a little long to establish the set-up. It also bears the production quality that viewers likely expect from a Full Moon production. Ultimately, a fan of Full Moon’s brand of low-budget horror is destined to enjoy this film more than the general viewer. Blade: The Iron Cross is a fun time.” Horror Geek Life

“My only major complaint of the film lies with the strange underuse of Blade himself. There were many times throughout the film that I forgot this was a story surrounding him. Because I was already engrossed by the story and characters, this didn’t always bother me, but for die-hard fans of the series, I can see this being a major problem.” Killer Horror Critic

“Those looking for a plot won’t find much to write home about. Those looking for horror will find even less. Blade is in this, eventually, but aside from one gory kill there’s not much else to whet anyone’s blood appetite.” Splatter Critic

“This is the most fluid camera work I’ve seen in a Full Moon movie since Castle Freak. And it’s not just the camera movement, either. Lighting plays a big role, too. There are a lot of period genre pastiches going on here, and they’re all lit very appropriately, from the snappy reporter stuff to the heavily shadowed noir elements and the seedy bad guy hideout.” Wicked Horror

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