Film Noir for the 21st Century. Blade Runner has style and substance.

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2005)

Adopted from the novel by Phillip K. Dick. Blade Runner is a blend of 1940s private detective yarns and futuristic society landscapes. Beautifully shot on stunning stylized sets by director Ridley Scott, fresh off another totally original success with his earlier film, 'Alien' Scott manages to create a future as unpredictable as the actual passing of time. Bizarre neo- Victorian dance fashions. Chinese vendors and gigantic hologram advertisements, hovering cars locked on an invisible monorail, that even now twenty three years later still manage not to resemble an 82 Pinto. The main sci-fi story centers around Deckard ( Harrison Ford ) Who is a 'Blade Runner' That is a cop who specializes in one field. His area of expertise is locating and destroying 'replicants'. Android slaves with a built in four year life span, which is apparently a couple of years too long for their uptight creators when they jump an off world shuttle and slaughter the entire crew in the process. They then return to earth in an effort to blend into normal society. Where it's Deckard's job to hunt them down. Fans looking for a reprisal of Ford's Han Solo roll will not find it here. Deckard is somewhat more downtrodden than the upbeat Captain of the 'Millinaum Falcon' From the outset, Deckard seems burned out, and has to be blackmailed into doing the job. He is much more stern and serious for this sci-fi fantasy. Unlike 'Star Wars' there is nothing for children in this movie. This is a dark tale, conveyed by director Scott's stark use of pale color and shadow. Ford's quiet understatement and pauses when delivering his lines really sets the bleak tone well and he's always giving the audience the impression that Deckard isn't the bad ass he once was. It's a fine performance by Ford, but Rutger Hauer as the Nexus six android Roy Batty steals the show. As he and his gang of fugitives try to figure out how to reverse the four year life span while staying one step ahead of Deckard, Hauer as Batty makes you afraid for the people they are interrogating. In the end even Deckard seems terrified of the violent and murdering Batty. Hauer's oratory summery during one of the final scenes is moving and memorable. Also look for E. Emmet Walsh in another strong supporting role as Deckard's overbearing and wisecracking boss. All in all, there isn't too much bad you can say about 'Blade Runner.' If I had one knock, it would be that I didn't feel the date was pushed far enough into the future. Even when the film came out in 1982 it seemed that technology wouldn't have the chance to catch up to the premise. I think Dick and company would have been better served had they tried for the latter part of the 21st century rather than the first part. But this is one small bolt loose in an otherwise tight machine. Blade Runner is a fantastic marvel. 9 out of a possible 10 T.H.