Stunning futuristic film noir

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2006)

As if directing one genre-defining science fiction film with 1979's ALIEN was not enough, director Ridley Scott returned to the genre a scant three years later and crafted another sci-fi classic that is completely different from that earlier film. Whereas ALIEN was a totally visceral thrill ride, BLADE RUNNER is a much more subdued, cerebral offering. Nominally based on Phillip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, BLADE RUNNER is perhaps best described as futuristic film noir. Although the film is set in the year 2019, and features a vast array of technical marvels, the film's depiction of Los Angels is not drastically different than the world of today, at least in terms of the humanoids that inhabit it.
The cast is a seemingly odd assortment of actors, but they come together as a surprisingly effective ensemble. Harrison Ford was born to be a sci-fi film star as his aloof, tough guy personae never caves under the extravagance of massive production design or heavy special effects. Rutger Hauer and Sean Young give haunting, compelling performances as two replicants who want more, and William Sanderson turns in an endearing portrayal of a perpetual child of sorts. Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, M. Emmett Walsh, and then-newcomer Daryl Hannah all deliver striking supporting performances that linger on in the memory of the viewer long after the film has ended.
Although justifiably considered a film classic today, BLADE RUNNER was surprisingly a box office failure at the time of its release, seemingly misunderstood by an audience who were expecting the more straightforward thrills and chills of Scott's ALIEN. It seems as if the majority of the film-going public simply was not ready for a sci-fi adventure that was as literate and thought-provoking as this film. Artistic justice was served in 1992 when Warner Brothers allowed Scott to release a "Director's Cut" version of BLADE RUNNER, which presents the film in the manner in which Scott originally intended it to be released. The "Director's Cut" wisely drops the studio-mandated narration and the tacked-on "happy" ending, and was almost immediately embraced as further improvement on this classic film by the majority of viewers.