B-movie foolishness translated to the small screen, Witchblade plays like the demon child of Roger Corman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's the not-very-believable comic-book-adapted story of hardboiled New York detective Sara “Pez” Pezzini (Yancy Butler), who periodically leaves mundane crime scenes to her fellow officers when serious evil needs a whupping. See, Pez secretly wields the Witchblade, an ancient, living weapon that must be deployed against supernatural enemies. With partner Jake McCartey (David Chokachi) to back her up, Sara takes on assorted demons that plague the city, hoping to find the one responsible for killing her father. Witchblade eked out 24 episodes of wildly varying quality over two seasons (2000-02). An interesting subplot involves Jake's recruitment by cops who act as vigilantes when they go off duty, but this storyline seems out of place when juxtaposed with Sara's battles against occult adversaries. Still, the combination of gritty cop procedural and fantasy/horror/adventure won this show some loyal adherents, and rumor has it that this release is a response to fervent and persistent lobbying from passionate fans (although a projected 2009 feature film may also be a factor). DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes and casting sessions. Not recommended. (E. Hulse)
Witchblade: The Complete Series
Warner, 7 discs, 1,122 min., not rated, DVD: $69.98 September 1, 2008
Witchblade: The Complete Series
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