Final Cut - much better

Rating: Null/10 (26 August 2011)

This is without doubt Ridley Scott's finest hour - not many of his other films come within hailing distance. It is a visual treat of incredible production design, conceptual brilliance of a dystopian future, and a triumph of pre-CGI cinematography! I would score it higher but the story and characters are firmly locked into Marlowesque territory. The scifi element is dealt with merely in the short interview between Roy and Tyrrell, and a few descriptions of off-world activity. It is obvious watching the film now that so many films have lazily copied (but not really equalled) Scott's vision. The Final Cut was better than the original cinema release (middling), but the fuss about the meaning and the ending of the movie is way way overplayed. Let's face it, it is 'Frankenstein' with Roy (The Monster) pursuing the Robot manufacturer Tyrrell (the Baron) while Deckart (Philip Marlowe) tries to track the creature down and kill it. If Deckart is a replicant, as Scott later suggest, then much of the plot, set up, and action becomes flawed and unbelievable, and the film is a ridiculous hoax. They could have left out the Unicorn symbol (rubbish) and I presume it is only in to nod at the original Dick story title. Stick to the visual element and the final redemption of Roy as he rescues Deckart at the end to prove that robots have developed their own sense of humanity. That is the payoff, not naff unicorn origamis! The acting is okay, with Ford not really able to do much (outside of Han Solo and Indiana Jones, he has looked awfully overparted with a range that would not challenge Arnie Schwartzenegger!) but grimace, and everyone else in fairly deliberate robotic mode (so you don't guess the replicants). But then Ridley Scott and actors/characterisation do not mix well, as we all know now 20 years later!