Rain, Rain Go Away!

Rating: 7/10 (15 February 2018)

You either like "Blade Runner" or do not. If you are a film noire Sci-Fi fan, then this is for you. On the other hand, if you don't like dark, dreary and a rain soaked scenario, I suggest that you move on.
The scene is 2019 in a futuristic Los Angeles (as seen from 1982) where there is little or no sunlight, rain soaked streets, flying cars, urban trash and people coming and going in every direction.
A group of life like androids known as replicants have taken over a ship at an off-world colony and murdered the crew. The replicants who have a limited life span and were being used as slave labor, have returned to earth seeking their "creator" to attempt to have him prolong their lives.
Enter Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) a retired Blade Runner (a cop who terminates replicants) who is called out of retirement by sleazy police official Bryant (M. Emmett Walsh) and his creepy assistant Gaff (Edward James Olmos) to terminate the four replicants who are at large. The first, Leon Kowalski (Brion James) we meet in the opening sequence where he kills the research doctor who was testing him.
Deckard begins the hunt by first meeting with "creator" Dr. Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel) the genius who devised the replicant program. He also meets his assistant Rachael (Sean Young) who turns out to be a more advanced replicant with more human like feelings. Deckard at first denies his true feeling but eventually an attraction builds between them.
Deckard is attacked by Kowalski who as he is about to kill Deckard is himself killed in an unexpected way. Deckard tracks down Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) another replicant and brutally shoots her down if full view of the public. That leaves Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) and Pris (Daryl Hannah) as the two remaining replicants at large.
Batty has Pris seduce the mild mannered genius J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) in order to have him arrange a meeting with Dr. Tyrell. The meeting takes place and............................................................
This film has had a number of different versions over the years. The original release ran 128 minutes and the "final version" released in 2007 runs 117 minutes. There were I think, a couple of other versions around as well until Director Ridley Scott supervised the full restoration of the film to the "final version".
Harrison Ford's performance in the leading role is well, Harrison Ford. Rutger Hauer makes a scary villain but elicits sympathy in the end. Daryl Hannah with those long legs, makes a sexy alternative to Hauer.
Followed by a sequel set thirty years after "Blade Runner" called "Blade Runner 2049" released in 2017.