Essential and influential vision of the future

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2002)

This one has reached a cult status few movies can achieve without the aid of marketing and sequels. It's easy to see why, since I think it keeps getting better with age. Saw the director's cut a few minutes ago and loved it even more than previous times (it was also the first time I saw it on DVD), it brought back a nostalgic sense (it breathes 80's style) and that Vangelis score is simply unbeatable (and we know how many tried to imitate it). This movie unfortunately didn't establish Ridley Scott as a great director and bombed at the box office and at the critics' board (Leonard Maltin gave it a near BOMB rating). But it is clear that it's too good to be left unnoticed. It actually creates that essential thing most moviegoers seek when they enter the theatre - the power to escape from this world and be some place else for about two hours. The work done in cinematography is a triumph and the production design is simply astonishing. Vangelis has also made a remarkable work, which is still today a musical landmark on its own. Thrilling thriller, that's all that I can say, this movie is simply amazing.