Blade Runner is one of the two best science fiction films of 1982

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2013)

What is man? What is robot? What is artificial intelligence? Those are the kind of questions a sci-fi geek will ask themselves. Ridley Scott's explosive sci-fi adventure, Blade Runner covers those aspects in some of the most eye popping and thought-provoking ways. Blade Runner tells the tale of a futuristic policeman, specifically a blade runner, who's hired to track down 4 replicants. The blade runner is played by Harrison Ford, and he takes the job after thinking about retiring on the force. The setting for Blade Runner takes place in the futuristic year of 2019, where Los Angeles is overpopulated by Americans and Asian Americans. The leader of the replicants group is an albino, played by Rutger Hauer. His mission on Earth is to track down the creator who made him and the other robots. One of those robots is a female, played by Daryl Hannah. Blade Runner has a good story to it and it's beautifully told. But, the big surprise in this movie is the art-direction and visual effects. The whole city of Los Angeles is lit with neon lit signs and giant advertising posters that really enhances the culture aspects and look of the future. Harrison Ford is also convincing as the leading role. This is actually his best since Raiders of the Lost Ark. Rutger Hauer is very frightening and very good as the killer robot with a vengeance. I like how the movie uses the 1940's film-noir style to it, creating a feel of mystery to the story. Believe it or not, I am a sci-fi geek. I really enjoy watching science-fiction mainly because science-fiction movies are thought-provoking and brilliant about the way the story is told. But, the visual effects in Blade Runner doesn't undermine the story. The special effects are indeed, exhilarating. The look and feel of this rainy and depressing city is very similar to other movies that followed after this one. What's surprising is that Blade Runner did not do well at the box office, probably because people didn't quite understand the concept and story of it. Yet, another sci-fi movie, E.T., did a lot more better than Blade Runner. In fact, E.T. grossed over $435,110,554 that year. It was also one of the best films of that year, and compare to Blade Runner, it's different in its tone and look. I find this to be very disappointing. What I mean is that movies within the same genre should be viewed the same and be reviewed as films that will make cinema history. I think that Blade Runner deserved the same kind of criticism as E.T. does because both movies relied on different stories, but inside, there's a meaning to it. If audiences and critics can't seem to rendered that fact, the movies are in for a rude awakening. In a nutshell, Blade Runner is a excellent sci-fi movie, filled with interesting characters that we care for and a set that's worth a look at. It is also one of the best films of 1982. ★★★★ 4 stars.