Chilling, bold and simply Awesome

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2007)

Brilliant in every version but the original theatrical and International versions despite their flaws are the true masterpieces, more thought provoking and more varied in appeal than anything that came after.
With the decay of society on Earth and the environment in collapse, the seedy streets of Los Angeles 2019 are a character in their own right providing a stunning backdrop to what is a deep sci fi tale of the nature of humanity as well as a more superficial film noir detective story. Bladerunner works on so many levels, its imagination both in the way it tells its story and in the way it creates a fantastic yet totally believeble future inspires a multitude of questions, grips you from the opening moments and leaves you stunned at the conclusion.
Even with the creaky (but appropriate) voice over and relatively happier ending the original version shines. Filmaking is an ensemble process, as has been shown time and again placing the film back in the hands of one person, even the director, has a negative overall effect on the movie. The original movie inspires the viewer to think, gives them enough to discuss and form their own view of overriding concepts, it creates an enigma that fuels speculation much as 2001 did before it and it is all the stronger for giving the viewer this power. The director's and final cut just place you in the hands of Ridley Scott, the film is still awesome but its also more sterile and manipulative... if the final cut had made the cinema's in 1982 I doubt its influence and impact would have resonated today as significantly as the true original.
Please stop making directors cuts of films, Ridley Scott, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg etc are all prime examples of how even the most gifted and imaginitve of film makers end up damaging even more than they could ever hope to enhance.