Blade Runner - 1982

As a film, Blade Runner actually had quite a bit to live up to, and to no surprise was misunderstood by many critics and people alike. Though the more I read reviews in today's time, it seems that  a lot of film watchers, whether they liked it or not, still do not fully understand the film. Which is no insult because its themes were hard to grasp at times if you do not know what you are getting into. But right before the release of Blade Runner, or a few years before, the famous original Star Wars came out, along with arguably the greatest action film of all time Raiders of the Lost Arc. But if you ask me, Blade Runner was far better than either of them.


In Los Angeles during the year 2019, Blade Runner Rick Deckard is hunting down replicants so that he can "retire" them. Replicants are basically fake humans, but after trouble on an Off-World Colony the replicants were declared illegal, and they are to be killed instantly when seen. But Deckard was a retired Blade Runner, and is only searching for the replicants this on last time. Though on this journey Deckard discovers a little bit more about the replicants, and more about life than he knew before.


I must admit, Blade Runner is without a doubt one of the best science fiction films I have ever seen. In fact, I would say the only science fiction film that is better than this one is 2001: A Space Odyssey. Every moment in Blade Runner was captivating, and brilliant, though it was not at all what I was expecting. Going into the film, I was thinking another Harrison Ford thriller, because I mean based on his most recent films that is what a viewer would have to expect. But Blade Runner was absolutely no thriller, it was nothing but a complicates, slow-moving Sci-Fi masterpiece.


Ridley Scott is a director I have never really loved. Alien is probably his most acclaimed film, and I did not see that one, so maybe that is why I do not like him as much as some. But his films like Robin Hood just did not sit well with me, and neither did his direction. However, both the film as a whole and Ridley Scott's direction were perfection is every sense of the word in this film. Blade Runner was a bit slow, and many people nowadays who do not understand the film will probably just mark it off because of that. But with Scott's direction Blade Runner completely draws in its audience from scene one, only boosted by the beautifully made set pieces. The development of the characters and the story was so brilliant that the film actually has a strong emotional effect on the viewer, which helps because of the message the film is trying to send. Blade Runner is by far the best Scott film I have ever seen, and I am very glad I decided to give it a go, despite not being a big fan of his.


Harrison Ford is fantastic. That's all there is to it. He may not be able to play many different types of roles, but I would go as far as saying this may be his best performance.Some people say they hated the annoying voiceover, but I actually liked it. Rutger Hauer was phenomenal. The "tears in the rain" scene where he is talking to Harrison Ford is almost unbelievable. If there was ever a Oscar snub for best supporting actor, this one is it. And all of the supporting actors were great as well, basically everyone hit the mark as far as that goes.


Overall, Blade Runner is one of the finest science fiction films ever made, or at least that I have seen. Combining brilliant performances, perfect direction, amazing set pieces, and a beautiful musical score makes up to a near perfect film. Blade Runner is one of my favorites.

Rating: 10/10