From the artwork and animation, to the soundtrack and direction, Blood: The Last Vampire is flawless. The problem with Blood certainly isn't any of these. Instead, Blood's flaw is with what isn't presented.

From the vehicles, which some spectators mistook for actual video recording (as opposed to animation), to the elegantly crafted features of Saya and the monstrous Teropterids, which could never be mistaken for real, the artwork within Blood is absolutely astounding. Superb animation brings the artwork together, realistic movements and fluid animation are just what you would expect from I.G., and once again they have delivered.

From the first action sequence seconds into the movie to the final showdown Blood is almost all action. The movie slows down only for a few short minutes to give the viewers an idea of just what Saya is doing at the Yokota Base. But herein lies the only flaw in Blood: The Last Vampire; while we know what Saya is doing at Yokota (Hunting Teropterids), we don't know why, we don't know what the Teropterids are, we don't know why Saya works for the US Military! (or even if she really does), we don't know anything about Saya or the story itself, and we never find out, not in this movie at least. Mamoru Oshii may be writing a Manga for simultaneous release and Production I.G may be developing a PlayStation 2 game, all of which may or may not explain the missing elements of the story. A feature film should not need external references to complete important aspects of its plot. Blood would have been flawless if the script had been extended somewhat in the middle to further develop the plot and the characters, Saya especially.

Traditionally, regardless of a film's setting, producers have always opted to have all major characters speak the language of the country where the film is to be released. As Blood takes place on a US Military! base Production I.G decided to break with tradition, 70% of Blood's original dialogue is recorded in English. The Japanese release of Blood will feature Japanese subtitles during most of the movie. The voice actors, led by internationally renowned actress Youki Kudoh, (Snow Falling on Cedars, War and Youth) who plays Saya, complete Blood's production with an excellent performance. From Saya's wrath to the nurse's dim recollection of events the voices always match the mood and the faces of the characters.

Blood is an easy movie to follow, the art, animation, and sound are all well done. The action will appeal to any action movie junkie, but the intellectual movie-goer will not have his/her appetite satisfied. Blood seems more like a filler episode in a series then a feature movie; the missing elements in the script keep this well crafted feature from being the masterpiece it could possibly have been.