Good but Flawed

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2003)

My Rating: ***1/4 out of ****.
Blade Runner is one of three films that was adapted from a Phillip K. Dick sci-fi story. The other two films were Minority Report and Total Recall. Out of those three Minority Report is the best. Blade Runner ranks as second but it has some flaws that cannot be ignored.
I have a complaint about the casting. Harrison Ford is miscast here, I know they wanted to put Ford here after his two excellent performances as Han Solo in the Star Wars films, but I found him flat here. Sean Young and Daryl Hannah dont have much acting to do here, but they do an adequate job nonetheless. The standout is undeniably Rutger Hauer, who is excellent as the bad guy, he is intimidating and he steals scenes from Ford and anyother actor in the film.
Nothing is more impressive here than the visuals. The Visual Effects still look fantastic, even 20 years later. The sets and the cinematography are excellent. The film has a dark film-noirish atmosphere to it. Its impossible not to be impressed by the visuals.
Blade Runner is an example of style over substance. The movie has loads of style but it also has a thin plot and some uninteresting characters. Visuals reign supreme over the entire movie. However, Blade Runner is still worth watching, even though I do not feel it is the best sci-fi film.