Overrated "meh" festival

Rating: 5/10 (8 October 2017)

Boring and pretentious, the original "Blade Runner" is an overlong slog that was just isn't worth the trip. There's a reason this movie bombed when it was released in 1982, and no amount of fanboy revionist history can overcome its basic flaws.
Yes, the dystopian vision of the future was groundbreaking some 35 years ago, but now we've seen it over and over again, and usually done better; you can give Ridley Scott an A- for originality since he got there early, but only a C for execution. The synthesizer soundtrack may have sounded futuristic and innovative at the time (though it was likely more of a concession to budgetary realities than an artistic choice) but now it's just a bit grating. Similarly, he visual effects were not even cutting edge at the time (compare them to "Star Wars" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," made five and three years earlier, respectively: both look much better.) Harrison Ford, who can turn in a fine performance when he wants to, just phoned this one in, and seems as bored as the audience for most of the film, especially during his monotone narration; Sean Young (though quite decorative) was similarly wooden. The dialog is stilted, the pacing stodgy, the story overstuffed, and the editing insufficient.
"Blade Runner" can be most appreciated for its contribution to the "feel" of many later films. But on its own merits, it's mediocre at best.