One of the great science fiction movies....

Rating: 9/10 (21 August 1999)

Bladerunner starts out with a breathtaking scene that makes me cringe at the thought of our cities getting that bloated in the future. From this first scene, the whole movie sets up a great atmosphere that is not broken throughout the whole film. I sat enraptured, my eyes not moving from the screen for fear that I would miss something on screen. Okay, well, I admit that the first time I saw this movie I thought it was boring. Well, I was stupid and young. Now that it is out on DVD, I can enjoy it in all its film noir/sci-fi glory. By the way, this review is to the Director's Cut, which is the way it should be seen.
It is 2019 and the technology of replicants has had some unexpected backfires. They look like humans; however, they are physically superior, if not mentally equal. A special police unit of Bladerunners has been created to combat this problem if they ever come to Earth. Deckard (Harrison Ford), is a retired Bladerunner who is brought back to track down and "retire" four replicants who sneaked into Earth. As he tracks the lead replicant (Rutger Hauer) and begins a love affair with a female experimental replicant, he begins to acquire clues that show him he may not be who he thinks he is..
The acting in this movie is very good. Any movie with "the man" Harrison Ford seems to be good. Most of the emotional qualities of the characters seem flat, but that is what I would expect from the future that they live in. Harrison Ford is great as the Bladerunner Deckard, and Sean Young does well by playing his love interest Rachael. But Rutger Hauer does a really great job as a replicant who is desperate to survive.
Let me just say that the special effects for this movie are really realistic, and they help get the feeling of an overblown gothic 50's city. The rest of the movie really does seem like it is during the post WWII years, but in a science fiction future. This movie is original and has the same qualities that make movies like The Matrix great. Any lover of science fiction should like this movie, but I know that it is not everyone's cup of tea. It is violent and it is slow moving, but it is beautifully shot, each scene done with care. I recommend it, and it is one of my favorite science fiction movies. Make sure you see the director's cut, and not the other one, with the dumb producer/Hollywood movie ending.
****1/2 stars (out of *****).