Man has made his match...and now it's his problem.
Blade Runner is a 1982 neo-noir science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, produced by The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers, and Blade Runner Partnership, and distributed by Warner Bros.. It's based on Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. The film stars Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. This is the first film in the Blade Runner franchise. It was followed by Blade Runner 2049.
"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain." - Roy Batty
Plot
In the year 2019, humans have created perfect versions of themselves called Replicants. However, after some Replicants go rogue, the entire race is outlawed, and it is the job of blade runners like Rick Deckard to track down and kill the remaining Replicants. When a dangerous group of Replicants surfaces, Deckard must harness his power and take them out, all while questioning his own humanity.
My Favorite Part of Blade Runner
This film tackles a lot, and it doesn't really succeed in getting it all down. When I first turned off the TV after the movie was done, I thought to myself "What the hell was that?". Then I read about it. I thought about it some more. And, while this is still a frustrating movie, I think Blade Runner is a really cool movie to think about. It's very allegorical and symbolic, which can make it hard to watch, but the complexity of the themes and the deeper meaning is actually really interesting, and I'm enjoying the experience of thinking about the film way more than I enjoyed the experience of actually watching the film.
My Least Favorite Part of Blade Runner
The problem with the film is that it sacrifices most of the story and entertainment value for deep themes and symbolic meanings. This movie is not really that fun to watch. When you think of Harrison Ford in an 80s sci-fi movie called Blade Runner, you think of a fast-paced action thriller like The Fugitive mixed with Star Wars. That is not at all what Blade Runner is. This is a slow examination of humanity that dips into really artsy territory. There are times where the symbolic stuff worked, but it doesn't work for most of the movie. It's a trippy, hallucinogenic film that is kind of a slog to get through.
Why I'm Mixed on Blade Runner
As interesting and thought-provoking as this movie is, I just didn't actually have fun watching it. I'm pondering the meaning of everything in this movie, and that's the cool part. I've read a bunch of articles about the themes and complex nature of the film. That's really awesome. But I can't overlook the fact that this movie was just hard to sit through. I was bored. I was confused. I was really disturbed at times. I don't know. The messaging of the movie is impressive, but you can't sacrifice entertainment for allegories and complex themes, and Blade Runner absolutely does.
Final Thoughts and Score
This film is such a strange one to score, because I'm liking it more the more I think about it and write about it, but I really did not like sitting through it...at all.
Because of that reason, I have to go Sour here. Age range is 13+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad)
Moldy (Terrible)
"Blade Runner"
Fun Factor: 2.5/10
Acting: 8.5/10
Story: 5/10
Characters: 8/10
Quality: 7.5/10
Directed by Ridley Scott
Rated R for moderate violence, sexual content, frightening images, disturbing themes, thematic elements
Released on June 25, 1982
1 hour and 57 minutes
Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard
Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty
Sean Young as Rachael
Edward James Olmos as Gaff
M. Emmet Walsh as Bryant
Daryl Hannah as Pris
William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian
Brion James as Leon Kowalski
Joe Turkel as Eldon Tyrell
Joanna Cassidy as Zhora Salome
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