Lovely to look at....that's it.

Rating: 7/10 (3 November 2003)

'Blade Runner' may be the most over rated film of 1982. It is lovely to look at, and all without the use of CGI. The Tyrell Building is a real eye opener. The rain washed streets, the colours and shadows, the flying cars and the floating advertisement craft, the light lancing through broken rooves, the smashing of glass and so forth. It all looks great. It is a truly realised environment.
Within this is a story as thin as a blade but without any bite. The director's cut without the noir-ish voice over is hardly any better. Harrison Ford is an ordinary actor and his performance here is dull. He is overwhelmed by the scenery. It is Han Solo re-cycled and doesn't convince for a minute.
There are excellent actors in it but have very underdeveloped roles. Interesting actors like Edward James Olmos. M Emmet Walsh, Joanna Cassidy and Joe Turkel are wasted. Rutger Hauer is splendid however and gives a powerful and oddly touching performance. To see his film decline the way it did was sad to see. Good roles like this one came to him too infrequently.
The film is the usual Ridley Scott product. Lovely to look at and that's it. I can't imagine why some people rave about it as they do.