Post by Sgt. AWOLaLot on Jun 22, 2017 10:54:06 GMT -5
I decided to watch Blade Runner a few days ago since I had only seen it once before all the way through. It's easy to see why this film has stood the test of time. There's something appealing and mesmerizing about it this movie that makes you want to see it again.
Written June 21st, 2016
"Now for a review on the classic science fiction film, Blade Runner. With Blade Runner 2049 being released in October, I decided I had to see the original again after only seeing it maybe once or twice before. While I don't think Blade Runner needs a sequel, the script has received a lot of praise from Harrison Ford and is directed by Denis Villeneuve, director of Prisoners, Arrival, and Sicario. I have yet to see Sicario but Prisoners and Arrival are both excellent. With this in mind, Blade Runner 2049 is shaping up to be a good sequel. And for anyone that knows or is curious the version I'm reviewing, and the only one I've seen, is The Final Cut. There are actually 7 different versions, 5 of which are available on Blu-Ray/DVD. It is different from the theatrical release in the sense that it has no voice-over narration from Harrision Ford, more violence in some scenes, has the dream sequence with the unicorn, and doesn't have the "happy" ending. The Director's Cut and Final Cut are often referenced as being the best versions.
The theatrical version of Blade Runner was released in 1982, with the Final Cut released in 2007. It is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. It takes place in a dystopian future in Los Angeles (2019, which isn't too far away anymore). Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner, a kind of cop who's primary directive is to hunt down and kill (or officially, "retire") replicants, which are androids that are indistinguishable from regular humans in outward appearance. While Deckard no longer wishes to hunt replicants, he is aggressively "urged" back into service when 6 replicants are reported to have landed on Earth.
Blade Runner is often referenced as one of the greatest films ever made, and after seeing it again I would list it as a favorite. It's kind of a strange case though. Because Blade Runner is brilliant, but to me it's very subtle in that brilliance. Here's what I mean by that. If someone was to watch this movie and take it at just face value, then that person probably wouldn't find it to be brilliant. They might not even like it. The basic storyline is actually pretty simple, as there aren't any big plot twists or a whole lot of characters. There also aren't any big, epic action set pieces that will blow your mind. So what's so brilliant and intriguing about it? It's the themes that the film bring up and the way it portrays them. Blade Runner is a film with a rather profound message, though that message isn't explicitly stated to the viewer in the versions with no narration (and even then it may not be).
The other aspect of this film that makes it so appealing is the feel and mood of the setting, mixed with some excellent special effects that are good even today. It appears that natural sunlight no longer reaches the Earth's surface in this future, so the people lights on all the time. This makes for some lovely wide landscape shots when characters are traveling to different locations, and also adds to the tension in the film's climax. The way that Ridley Scott and the cinematographers handled the lighting was perfect. It adds to the film's neo-noir style, and makes it visually mesmerizing. Then there's the very different but distinctive soundtrack by Vangelis. The music for Blade Runner is almost if not entirely electronic/synthesized. Normally I prefer organic, orchestral scores, but the music Vangelis wrote fits Blade Runner perfectly. It's not very complex and the tempos were usually slow, but the instrumental sounds he came up with just seemed to fit with the scenes the music was paired with.
The characters and performances are also quite good. The replicants are especially interesting to watch. They only have a 4 year life span, and can start to develop some emotions. This means that while they are fully grown on the outside, they are actually young emotionally. This can be seen when the replicants say something odd or act impulsively. The leader of the 6 replicants, Roy Batty, is particularly interesting to watch. His main goal is to find his creator and see if there is a way to give the replicants a longer life span. It is from this quest that the main theme of the film originates and what makes the climax so memorable and riveting. I know I usually avoid spoilers, but I'm going to delve into them a little because the climax is what really makes this film the classic it is. In the climax, Deckard is in a very tall building trying to hunt Roy. But Roy takes Deckard by surprise and gets the advantage. Rather then just killing Deckard however, Roy toys with him, wanting him to live in fear. Roy can feel himself dying at this point, and he wants Deckard to know what it's like to think your life could be almost over. He wants him to fight for it. Some of the best lines in the movie are also said in this part. "Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave." "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... All of those moments will be lost in time, like... tears. In the rain. Time to die." "It's too bad she won't live! But then again, who does?"
There is also the character of Gaff. He is a character tasked with keeping an eye on Deckard when he hunts the replicants. He also does origami, which is actually important to his character. He doesn't appear on screen very much, but he was written so that he had a big impact despite that limited screen time.
I really think Blade Runner is a film worth seeing at least once. As for what version to recommend, that can be a tough call. I personally love The Final Cut version and most people cite it as the best version. Though the theatrical version provides the narration to help explain some obscure plot points, and I can certainly see the advantage to that. Either way, Blade Runner is a film that deserves it's prestige in science fiction. It might not be for everyone, but for those who want to see a thought provoking, interesting film, this is a good one. And as far as Scott's science fiction entries, I personally prefer Blade Runner over any of the Alien films."
Written June 21st, 2016
"Now for a review on the classic science fiction film, Blade Runner. With Blade Runner 2049 being released in October, I decided I had to see the original again after only seeing it maybe once or twice before. While I don't think Blade Runner needs a sequel, the script has received a lot of praise from Harrison Ford and is directed by Denis Villeneuve, director of Prisoners, Arrival, and Sicario. I have yet to see Sicario but Prisoners and Arrival are both excellent. With this in mind, Blade Runner 2049 is shaping up to be a good sequel. And for anyone that knows or is curious the version I'm reviewing, and the only one I've seen, is The Final Cut. There are actually 7 different versions, 5 of which are available on Blu-Ray/DVD. It is different from the theatrical release in the sense that it has no voice-over narration from Harrision Ford, more violence in some scenes, has the dream sequence with the unicorn, and doesn't have the "happy" ending. The Director's Cut and Final Cut are often referenced as being the best versions.
The theatrical version of Blade Runner was released in 1982, with the Final Cut released in 2007. It is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. It takes place in a dystopian future in Los Angeles (2019, which isn't too far away anymore). Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner, a kind of cop who's primary directive is to hunt down and kill (or officially, "retire") replicants, which are androids that are indistinguishable from regular humans in outward appearance. While Deckard no longer wishes to hunt replicants, he is aggressively "urged" back into service when 6 replicants are reported to have landed on Earth.
Blade Runner is often referenced as one of the greatest films ever made, and after seeing it again I would list it as a favorite. It's kind of a strange case though. Because Blade Runner is brilliant, but to me it's very subtle in that brilliance. Here's what I mean by that. If someone was to watch this movie and take it at just face value, then that person probably wouldn't find it to be brilliant. They might not even like it. The basic storyline is actually pretty simple, as there aren't any big plot twists or a whole lot of characters. There also aren't any big, epic action set pieces that will blow your mind. So what's so brilliant and intriguing about it? It's the themes that the film bring up and the way it portrays them. Blade Runner is a film with a rather profound message, though that message isn't explicitly stated to the viewer in the versions with no narration (and even then it may not be).
The other aspect of this film that makes it so appealing is the feel and mood of the setting, mixed with some excellent special effects that are good even today. It appears that natural sunlight no longer reaches the Earth's surface in this future, so the people lights on all the time. This makes for some lovely wide landscape shots when characters are traveling to different locations, and also adds to the tension in the film's climax. The way that Ridley Scott and the cinematographers handled the lighting was perfect. It adds to the film's neo-noir style, and makes it visually mesmerizing. Then there's the very different but distinctive soundtrack by Vangelis. The music for Blade Runner is almost if not entirely electronic/synthesized. Normally I prefer organic, orchestral scores, but the music Vangelis wrote fits Blade Runner perfectly. It's not very complex and the tempos were usually slow, but the instrumental sounds he came up with just seemed to fit with the scenes the music was paired with.
The characters and performances are also quite good. The replicants are especially interesting to watch. They only have a 4 year life span, and can start to develop some emotions. This means that while they are fully grown on the outside, they are actually young emotionally. This can be seen when the replicants say something odd or act impulsively. The leader of the 6 replicants, Roy Batty, is particularly interesting to watch. His main goal is to find his creator and see if there is a way to give the replicants a longer life span. It is from this quest that the main theme of the film originates and what makes the climax so memorable and riveting. I know I usually avoid spoilers, but I'm going to delve into them a little because the climax is what really makes this film the classic it is. In the climax, Deckard is in a very tall building trying to hunt Roy. But Roy takes Deckard by surprise and gets the advantage. Rather then just killing Deckard however, Roy toys with him, wanting him to live in fear. Roy can feel himself dying at this point, and he wants Deckard to know what it's like to think your life could be almost over. He wants him to fight for it. Some of the best lines in the movie are also said in this part. "Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave." "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe... All of those moments will be lost in time, like... tears. In the rain. Time to die." "It's too bad she won't live! But then again, who does?"
There is also the character of Gaff. He is a character tasked with keeping an eye on Deckard when he hunts the replicants. He also does origami, which is actually important to his character. He doesn't appear on screen very much, but he was written so that he had a big impact despite that limited screen time.
I really think Blade Runner is a film worth seeing at least once. As for what version to recommend, that can be a tough call. I personally love The Final Cut version and most people cite it as the best version. Though the theatrical version provides the narration to help explain some obscure plot points, and I can certainly see the advantage to that. Either way, Blade Runner is a film that deserves it's prestige in science fiction. It might not be for everyone, but for those who want to see a thought provoking, interesting film, this is a good one. And as far as Scott's science fiction entries, I personally prefer Blade Runner over any of the Alien films."