Any
fan of ``Witchblade,'' a smart, edgy comic book from Top Cow Productions,
is going to come away disappointed with TNT's new TV film.
It's
not that TNT's version is a total failure. In fact, for the first 20 minutes
or so and then sporadically throughout the rest of the film, director Ralph
Hemecker (a veteran of ``The X-Files'') and screenwriter J.D. Zeik (``Ronin'')
manage to capture much of the mood and energy of the comic. But in the
end, ``Witchblade'' totally comes apart and ends up looking exactly like
what it is: a mediocre pilot for a television series.
Still,
``Witchblade'' -- the saga of a New York detective who becomes heir to
a mystical weapon once controlled by the likes of Joan of Arc -- has its
moments. Most come from some fine ``Matrix''-like action sequences and
a bewitching performance by Yancy Butler (``Drop Zone,'' John Woo's ``Hard
Target'') as Det. Sara Pezzini.
Butler
not only looks good -- although her clothes don't get torn off quite as
often as in the comic book -- but she is a smart actress and buff enough
to carry off the action scenes. It's hard, as an actor, to project credibility
as a superhero with powers far beyond those of mortal babes but Butler
manages the feat.
Butler,
however, can't carry the film by herself -- no matter how hard she tries
-- and ``Witchblade'' ends up being no better than an interesting disappointment.
