Blade Runner [Director's Cut]

Rating:
Summary: Blade Runner - second choice - Editors Cut
Review: I have owned both copies and found the older copy with voice naration a much better choice, Due to the lack of background thoughts it looses much of the depth of the emotions and conflicting thoughts. The voice naration adds much needed insite to the main characters growing need to change and rid himself of old prejudices, and becomming a true hero with human weaknesses. I highly recomend getting the naritive copy to see the inner struggle, and triumph, over the human weakness dwelling in the hero of this story.

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: This movie is now some 20 years old. On viewing it again however it is one of the reasonably rare science fiction films which have not dated. Its special affects are still impressive and the plot is totally original.

The story is about four Androids who travel to earth in the search of a way to prolong their lives and the police officer who hunts them down. The picture of a polluted over populated Los Angles is a back drop to a film filled with noir elements.

This release is different from the original cinema release in that it drops an annoying and tedious voice over and drops an artificially happy ending. The plot of the film is easy to pick up and the inclusion of the original voice over was due to film executives underestimating the intelligence of the viewing public.

The chase towards the end is one of the most gripping sequences in any film let alone a science fiction film. This is deservedly a classic.

Rating:
Summary: Better but not perfect
Review: The first time I saw Bladrunner was at a studio sneak preview in Denver. The film was unfinished, having gaps in the titles, music, and certain scenes. What it lacked was the awful narration that drug down the theatrical edition. I'm sure the studio believed audiences weren't intelligent enough to understand the story, hence the need to add ridiculous explanations. The film also didn't have a happy ending which seemed tacked on, and didn't fit the world as it was portrayed. Yet it was the best version I've seen yet of the film. How many versions have been released to date--6? This version is closest to Scott's original vision and to that first viewing. How many versions will yet come out remains to be seen. Ford is inspired in this futuristic decopauge, showing grit and humanity in an uncertain world. And he is nicely pitted against Rutger Hauer, a villain you can fear and feel for. Forget everything else--this movie is about them.

Rating:
Summary: Classic sci-fi, bad dvd
Review: 2002 marks the 20th anniversary of this landmark film's release, and I echo the previous reviews' sentiment about the need for a definitive dvd version - preferrably with commentary by both the director and the stars, Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. The plot I'm sure you know by now after some five hundred reviews ...I won't repeat it. As far as the director's cut, by and large it's an improvement (doing away with the original voice-over) on the theatrical release version, with the exception of the somewhat incongruous unicorn dream sequence. The real star of the movie remains, for me, after twenty years and many repeat viewings, the jaw-dropping set design of a futuristic Los Angeles. An indisputable all-time sci-fi classic.

Rating:
Summary: New DVD version is needed
Review: Actually, in the general spirit of 'Blade Runner' greatness, anything even peripherally related to the movie gets about 10 stars. But this transfer is no improvement upon the VHS director's cut, and it's depressing that they couldn't manage to provide at least one of the alternate versions (original theatrical?), some production/background info, interviews, etc. Nevertheless, the director's cut is the only way to go--a notable improvement upon the original, VHS or DVD. Without the voiceover, you can more deeply immerse yourself in the synthesis of spectacular, eerie visuals and the masterful soundtrack by Vangelis. Furthermore, Scott clipped out some unnecessarily bloody parts that were not in the original theatrical release, but can be found on the unrated VHS version from years back. Great performances all around due to some excellent direction--Sean Young's portrayal of Rachael is particularly memorable. The moral quandaries presented by this movie might come sooner than you think--despite Japan's current economic woes, in 30 years or so you should be able to purchase a 'pleasure model' from Honda or Sony. Or maybe your boss will be of some robotic persuasion. If you're monied, you'll be halfway there yourself, with a mechanical heart, cochlear implants, a microchip under your skin, and god knows what else to keep you awake and alive!

Rating:
Summary: Another Disappointing Transfer
Review: This DVD is a terrible video transfer. I hope some time in the future this great movie gets the attention it really deserves - A DVD set with BOTH versions of the movie, some good extras, directors commentary, and a decent transfer. This is a very poor presentation for an extraordinary movie.

Rating:
Summary: Why no original cut on DVD?
Review: Did it ever occur to anyone that without an original cut available to compare to a director's cut, then that director's cut simply becomes THE cut?

Yes, like most people I prefer the director's cut... but what is there to compare it to anymore? How are we supposed to know its superiority to what the film execs did if we can't, in fact, watch it? It hasn't been available to purchase since the early 90's and on inferior VHS at that?

80 bucks for 1 DVD and some lobby cards? Surely you jest.

We get it Mr Scott. They ruined your vision yada yada yada. But you'd really be able to gloat if we were able to see these 2 cuts side by side in the same vain as the Brazil box set. Talk about a butchering. What they did to that movie is nothing compared to what was done to Blade Runner. And yet Mr Gilliam and Criterion have released a 3 DVD set that includes the horrid 'Love Conquers All" version for us to compare to his original vision. And it's only 50 bucks.

Some of us are nostalgic for the original cut of Blade Runner we saw in the theatre 20 years ago and it is a true testament to excellent directing and storytelling that it could still be enjoyed even with the voiceover and different ending (It's also a testament to the original cut that VHS copies of the original cut go for 40 plus bucks on auction sites). If the movie hadnt have been that good you wouldnt have even been able to re-release theatrically 10 years later.

Am I right or am I right?

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing DVD of a Sci-Fi masterpiece
Review: Initially, I was glad this DVD was not the version of Blade Runner containing the Harrison Ford voice-over, which I feel ruined the film when it was originally released in theaters. I dislike the voice-over version, and the version minus the voice-over is one of my all time favorite films. Rumors were that the emotionless voice-over Ford gave, he gave intentionally because he disapproved of it. Done properly, it might have worked, but Ford's served only as a simplistic explanation of the storyline for the viewers, treating them as children, rather than giving the "Marlowesque" feel supposedly originally intended. This is probably due to the fact that the voice-over was finally added only after participants in test screenings complained of being confused by the storyline. The omission of the voice-over, leaving the events in the film to tell the story, allows the film to be the visual masterpiece it deserves to be. However, given Blade Runner's reputation for visuals, I purchased this DVD expecting to be able to view Blade Runner in widescreen or letterbox format. I never considered that someone would release this visual classic on DVD and not include a letterbox format for conventional TV monitors. But this DVD is only in "anamorphic" format. This apparently means you can't view the film in widescreen unless you own a widescreen TV, because the image or picture is stretched to fit your TV screen. For me, this makes the DVD a major disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: "Blade Runner" better than ever
Review: The director's cut of "Blade Runner" is definitely an improvement over the already-fine version that was originally released to theaters. When one finally sees it without the tacked-on voice-overs, which were added by the studio to make it easier to understand and supposedly to give it more of a film noir quality, it becomes clear that the film's visuals are totally capable of conveying the story on their own -- and watching the film is much more enjoyable when we are allowed to interpret the action ourselves. In addition, there is now more evidence that Deckard may be a replicant himself, a notion I scoffed at before but now see as an element that makes the film much richer thematically. A new sequence which shows Deckard dreaming of a unicorn gives the ending (Deckard finds a small origami unicorn in the hallway outside his apartment as he and Rachel begin their escape) added resonance that is lacking in the original version, in which the voice-over narration actually detracts from the film's meaning. Missing from the director's cut is the tacked-on happy ending showing Deckard and Rachel happily cruising north in his flying car as he explains that Rachel's lifespan is unlimited, unlike that of the other replicants. The film now ends as it should, with the two entering the elevator and the door closing abruptly to leave the screen black for the credits to roll, allowing us to wonder what will become of the fugitive lovers as we ponder the mystery of whether or not Deckard himself is a replicant. Something to look for in both versions -- Gaff's (Edward James Olmos) origami creations (chicken, person, unicorn) always convey his feelings at the time, and as the film progresses we see him develop a grudging respect for Deckard, until at last he says to him "You've done a man's job, sir" -- the ultimate compliment to bestow upon a replicant.

Rating:
Summary: If movies were in a Museum, this would be Mona Lisa
Review: This is probably one of the most stunning movies ever. Not the best action of all time, and not the best science fiction movie of all time. It just, in its own way, explains the beauty of life, and how precious we all are.

At first, I thought the movie stunk, because there really is just one action scene in the entire movie. But now, when I "saw between the lines" as it were, I discovered the fragilety in each of the characters. Whenever the characters start to fade away, such as the replicants tend to do (robots that they are (one played by brilliant Rudger Hauer)), the music of Vangelis does the rest of the job. The music, the dark of theme of the movie, the great but not overdone acting, everything is at it should be for a good science fiction flick.

George Lucas seemed to misunderstand that fact with the new Star Wars 1 movie ey? They don't make them like they used to, plus this version doesn't have the annoying Harrison Ford voice over in the ending, and doesn't have that "chipper" ending that seemed "finished in the last moment." You earn it to yourself to get this movie, and appreciate life in all its glory, and sometimes also downside.