"Blade Runner" still one of the greatest sci-fi films of all-time

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2012)

Watching "Blade Runner" is an emotional investment no matter how many times you see it. I don't know if it's the lighting, the music, the dialogue, or a combination of all of the above. How a science fiction film from 1982 can still have that effect on me after seeing it dozens of times is beyond my comprehension. I always come away from the film with my insides all mixed together with sadness, excitement, and that warm feeling of happy nostalgia you get when you experience something you never thought you could again.
No matter what version of the movie you watch, they all tell the same story. In the year 2019, a group of organic robots called replicants kill a ship full of people while escaping an interstellar trip and head to Earth. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is hired to hunt the fugitives down and destroy them. Deckard is what is referred to as a "blade runner" - a special police officer that "retires" replicants when they wander back to Earth where they've been banned.
I've seen "Blade Runner" in many different environments and formats. I've seen it on VHS on a 25-inch television. I had the opportunity to see it on the big-screen a couple of times at revival screenings. I've watched it on a 50-inch flat screen in a regular DVD format. I can wholeheartedly tell you that if you haven't seen this amazing piece of cinema history on Blu-ray in its restored "Final Cut" version then you've never properly viewed it.
Each version of the film has something different to add to its viewing experience. There are different endings, additional footage, and even a monologue by Harrison Ford that tells you everything you need to know (and many fans would say some things you shouldn't) to help explain what's happening throughout. I suggest watching every version of the film to truly appreciate and take it all in.
Douglas Trumball's special visual effects are a step beyond stunning. The use of models and practical effects gives "Blade Runner" a realistic look that filmmakers today using CGI only wish they could achieve. Everything from the architecture of the buildings to the designs of the vehicles still influences designers to this day.