New Blu-Ray Disc Made Me A Blade Runner Fan

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2008)

Sometimes you just need to give a film a second chance, even if it is 20 years later! Only some rave reviews about the picture quality of this new 5-disc "Complete Collector's Edition" enticed me to watch this again. Wow, I am glad; this was a very entertaining and a tremendous visual and audio treat.
I actually appreciated the audio best because, even in this new Blu-Ray era, one doesn't often find a film with very active surround speakers. However, this "restored" version did and the sound is, at the point, the best I've heard on a Blu-Ray disc....or any DVD, for that matter. The visuals? Well, fans of Blade Runner know all about them. They are fantastic. Scene-after-scene reminded me of a Stanley Kubrick film or another bizarre 1980s movie called "Jacob's Ladder."
Because there are so many things to see and hear, and the story is different, one filled with strange characters, I can see where people would watch this film multiple times and enjoy it very much each time. The "Collector's Edition" has the best picture ever, according to director Ridley Scott, and "is the version I'm most pleased with." It has added scenes one didn't see in earlier versions. The rest of the DVD has those earlier versions. Apparently, there are several including those with Harrison Ford doing narration, like out of a late '40s film noir.
Speaking of the latter, that's what this film looked like: a combination film noir (or neo-noir) and sci-fi movie. It has many dark images, fantastic night-time scenes, wonderful closeups and an always-interesting color palette. Sci-fi films usually get dated in a hurry, thanks to ever-increasing special-effects progress in the movie industry, but this still looks very good. Despite being made over 25 years ago, Blade Runner still looks very much state-of-the-art.
Scott says this is the best version and the best his film has ever looked and sounded. Since it's his movie, who am I to argue. So, if you're like me and never gave this movie a chance (I lost interest halfway through with my VHS look at it), give this a second look on this Blu-Ray edition....and you will be blown away. This is, indeed, an amazing film.