Excellent, no matter which version your watching

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2007)

I think I've owned 3 different versions of this film at one time and can finally 'retire' my old versions after being dished the final cut alongside the versions I grew up with.
To be fair, the first version I saw of this was on home video and included the now infamous voice overs and happy ending. I loved that version. Given, Harrison Ford's voice over sounds like he wasn't taking the ordeal too seriously, it unintentionally provided another layer for the movie.
One of the things that stood out in Ridley Scott's vision of the future was how America was more than a melting pot, it was a blur of images of past, present, future and a blur of culture and ethnicity. In a word, it was a blur of identity. The voice-over, love it or hate it, always gave an almost non-time feel to the movie, combining old fashioned detective film noir to a gloomy, messy future. Looking back, many of the narrations feel silly, but it still added an additional layer to the film.
Looking forward, the director's cut creates a different film. That idea of identity is further explored as the lack of narration makes Deckard's thoughts more ambiguous as his own identity is questioned. This version always created a sense of isolation and curiosity. Ridley Scott's vision seems more authentic.
I always loved the non-CGI visual effects of the film, which still hold up to this day (if you don't believe that, then do not wait for the 5 disc DVD - rush to a city showing it on the big screen). In the early 80s, sci fi films were popular and while many were experimenting with new technologies, a lot of Blade Runner is old fashioned models, which blow away ANY CGI (note to George Lucas, Robert Zemekis and all cgi aficionados everywhere). The sets were great - the muddled future, looking like a New York Nightmare.
But the simple story is what still stands out. Brushed off as a gloomy search and destroy pic in its original release, viewers now see the questions the film raises about humanity and identity, perhaps also raising eyebrows about how it all fits into science. The acting was always top notch, notably from Rutger Hauer who appears first as a classic villain but shows much more depth in his limited screen time. He's also got the best dialogue.
Whatever version you watch of Blade Runner, you're always in for a classic. The vision of this film is unprecedented and something about it remains fresh 25 years on. If you haven't seen it - watch it now. If you have, watch it again. There's always something new to discover about this classic.