Why Blade Runner is my favorite film...

Rating: 10/10 (1 November 2001)

Blade Runner: what can I add that has not already been said said so brilliantly by others, such as Brendan's fine review on this site? This film is the limit - not just for sci-fi lovers, not only for aficionados of Noir, or Ridley Scott fans. Even if it wasn't the single most influential work in the entire genre of modern sci-fi, even if it didn't contain so many intelligent references to the Noir/detective genre, taking the legacy of Raymond Chandler into the present and future (which is why I had no problem with the voice-over version and miss it terribly)...this film is so visually astonishing that it could live forever as a uniquely beautiful work of art.
Indeed, the first time I saw it I thought the plot was a bit loose and bizarre, and that technically many of the predictions about the future were improbable. Now I've grown up a little and have not only learned to love the story, but in this age of cloning and genetic engineering it's easier than ever to accept the idea of "Replicants". Above all though, it's as a visual statement that the film delivers its greatest impact. Aided by a simply perfect soundtrack by Vangelis, each scene offers a richness and depth that very nearly overrides the story - perhaps the reason it left so many viewers confused and disappointed when it was first released. A Harrison Ford action film it is not. A very real and believable, and ultimately haunting and unforgettable statement by a master director and his carefully selected team of actors, art directors, and FX engineers, it most assuredly is.