Blade Runner

This definitely was a movie. There is a lot to discuss with this one, as, well, it's Blade Runner and it kind of merits discussion, but still, I'll try to keep this review as concise as possible. This movie had a lot happening in its nearly 2 hour runtime (for this review, I watched The Final Cut, seen by many as the best version of the film), and so the plot is kind of complicated.

Basically, the story takes place in 2019 and follows a former Blade Runner, which is a police officer assigned to kill (or as they like to call it, retire) humanoid robots known as replicants should they go rogue. This Blade Runner's name is Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, who is brought out of retirement to retire four rogue replicants, led by a man named Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer. It seems like a simple premise on the surface, but this isn't your typical neo-noir film.

This film really is there to comment on the nature of humanity and what makes somebody human. Replicants look and act human, yet only have a four year lifespan. Despite this, they are shown to have complex feelings and Batty's group of replicants really care for one another. Even Deckard himself falls for a female replicant named Rachael, played by Sean Young. I really liked that this show really tried to show you what life is like for replicants as well as humans, and the final scenes where Batty and Deckard have their confrontation really dials into those similarities and differences.

I will fully admit that, although I don't mind meditative and slow sci-fi films, this one took a bit longer to understand, and writing this review is actually helping me to really explain what I just saw in a way that makes sense. I did feel for Batty, who was a man misunderstood by his creators, who just wanted to live like a normal human being, and in the end, realized that his unique experiences would be lost to the ages after he died. Honestly, there was more focus on Batty than Deckard, and I feel that was by design to show the above mentioned humanity displayed by his character.

Overall, while it wasn't my favorite film, I did have a lot of respect for what it did for science fiction. It had strong performances, a unique visual style, and an appropriately techo-influenced score. This is easily a must watch for any sci fi fan, and even if you don't like it, you will still get something out of it, like I did.

Next time, a robotic assassin is sent from the future to kill the mother of the man who will save humanity. That's right, keep your eyes open for my review on The Terminator.

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