Visual feast, gorgeous music, memorable scenes

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2015)

No spoilers as always, just some coded references.
A bit of watch-history, if I may: I first saw Blade Runner as a kid, a kid who loved and repeat-watched Star Wars (the original trilogy, naturally). Back then I wasn't impressed by Blade Runner at all, probably because I was expecting Han Solo rather than the introverted action we get with the Ridley Scott film.
Then I saw it again as a young adult, and appreciated it a lot more. It still felt slightly detached, a bit cool (the cold kind), but I understood it much better.
Almost 20 years later I finally get round to watching it a third time. Kubrick's 2001 has a very similar watch-history, and upon its third-viewing just a few weeks ago I declared it my Number 1 favourite film, giving it an easy 10/10 (only 7 of my 700 rated films are a 10).
As a sci-fi fan I was fully expecting Blade Runner to similarly WOW me...alas, it somehow fell just a bit short. That cool, detached vibe was still there. The scenes, as memorable as they are, just sort of happen without much viewer connection (especially the famous final speech). The Final Cut version - first time I've seen this edition - has a couple of jarring edits which added to this odd feeling (check out how the edit cuts after the nose-pulling scene, and another example how after Batty says to JF: "I'm sorry, Sebastian. Come...come" it cuts immediately to Roy looking all theatrical, but alone, in a completely different setting.
Add those odd vibes to the overlong romantic scene in the middle of the movie, which just felt tortuously slow, and truly cheesy too, thanks to the only piece of soundtrack music which has dated horribly...Kenny G has a lot to answer for.
This 'disconnect' is the reason it can't touch 2001 (which has a very different quality of 'disconnect'). Saying that, Blade Runner is still worth a very good and entirely recommended 8/10:

this is one of cinema's best-realised future worlds. It's believable & immersive to the point you can almost taste the air.

great cast, with characters that reveal their colour over time...like a fine wine.

aside from that awful misplaced sax, the soundtrack is gorgeous, and fits the world perfectly.

the "is he or isn't he" ambiguity is nicely done, tho' I wouldn't even call it ambiguous (he "is", and so is Adama).

there's a large handful of memorable scenes, even if you do feel weirdly disconnected to what's happening, you'll still enjoy the surreal vibes.

Best to watch it when you're feeling that world, if the first 30 minutes don't pull you in then leave it for another day.