A fascinating and visually stunning film. Still one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made!

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2003)

Having been a major fan of the late Philip K. Dick since before this movie was made, I initially had some problems with the movie leaving out some of the major parts of Dick's novel 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?', most notably the total absence of Rick Deckard's wife, and the removal of the sub-plot involving Mercerism. But I have long come to terms with that and now can happily judge 'Blade Runner' as a movie in its own right, without comparing it to the brilliant novel that inspired it. As a movie, 'Blade Runner' is a stunning achievement, and to me it is still one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. Ridley Scott is a very visually orientated director, and is often only as good as the script he is working with. In this case he was blessed with a very good one, co-written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples (the latter went on to co-write another modern SF classic 'Twelve Monkeys'). Scott and his team manage to conjure up one of the most impressive cityscapes of the future ever seen in a science fiction film. So impressive that it knocked the socks off William Gibson, the writer who is credited with "inventing" virtual reality. 'Blade Runner's look had a definite influence on Gibson's seminal 'Neuromancer', and the movie must therefore be seen as a major contribution to the cyberpunk genre, which is still making waves in pop culture, just look at 'The Matrix' for one. Harrison Ford is perfectly cast as the weary and cynical Deckard, and the supporting ensemble cast are all excellent. Many of these actors (especially Rutger Hauer, cult favourite Brion James, Daryl Hannah) would rarely be given roles as good as this again. Hauer is particularly good in one of his best ever performances, which gives Blatty a depth and humanity not even seen in Dick's original story. Legendary character actor M. Emmet Walsh ('Blood Simple') and Joe Turkel, veteran of three Kubrick movies (one of only two actors to have that honor) are also worth noting, as is the superb score by Greek electronics whizz Vangelis. 'Blade Runner' is a science fiction classic, and a movie which improves with each viewing. Highly recommended, but make sure steer clear of the version originally released in cinemas with the cheesy voice over. The (so-called) Director's Cut is the only one to see.