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(Note: This review is for the movie "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" (2 disc special edition) released in 2007.)

This movie is based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (1968) by Philip K. Dick (1928 to 1982).

This movie depicts a dystopian (opposite of a utopia) Los Angeles in the year 2019 in which genetically manufactured beings called "replicants" (visually indistinguishable from adult humans) are used for dangerous and degrading work on Earth's off-world colonies.

Following a small replicant (also called a "skin-job") uprising, replicants become illegal on Earth and specialist police called "blade runners" are trained to hunt down and "retire" (kill) escaped replicants trespassing on Earth.

Besides the plot, this movie seems to forecast important concerns of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries such as overpopulation, globalization, climate change, and genetic engineering.

The plot of this movie is simple.  Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a semi-retired blade runner who's after four ruthless replicants illegally on Earth named Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), Leon (Brion James), Pris (Daryl Hannah), and Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).  Deckard accidentally develops a romance with the more sophisticated replicant Rachael (Sean Young).

I watched this movie ("The Final Cut" which is essentially the same as the rushed "The Director`s Cut") with a friend who did not see the original theatrical release that had Deckard's voice-over narration.  Guess what?  My friend could not follow the story!!!  I could since I'd seen the original release but I found that I still missed Deckard's voice-over.

I especially missed the voice-over when the Roy Batty replicant "dies" at the end of the movie.  This key scene was not as emotionally appealing with the voice-over absent.

I think I deduced the reasons why the voice-over is so important to this movie:

(1) It allows the viewer to follow the action
(2) It provides the human and emotional touch to counterbalance all the technological and visually-stunning special effects
(3) It adds a "retro" feel that reminded me of old-time detective movies
(4) The story drags without it.

Thus, the obvious question is, "Why wasn't there an option to have the voice-over?"  Answer: I don't know but it may have to do with marketing.  By having such an option, those who feel the voice-over is integral to the movie would have been satisfied.

The ending of the final cut, I felt, was too abrupt.  The original ending gave the feeling that Deckard and the replicant Rachael would have a future together.

The special effects that highlight the steel-and-microchip jungle of twenty-first century L.A. and the background music provided by Vangelis are still fantastic and exhilarating.

The final cut has about a minute more of extended scenes and never before seen special effects than the original theatrical version and the director's cut.  The entire movie has been digitally restored making the images clean and crisp.  The audio is excellent.  There is a thirty second introduction by director Ridley Scott and three audio commentaries.  The second disc has a three and a half hour documentary making it perhaps the "definitive" documentary for fans of this movie.

BOTTOM  LINE:

Without the voice-over narration, this movie (The Final Cut) loses its magnificence and emotional impact.

RECOMMENDATION:

Get the four or five disc "Collector's Edition" where one disc has the original theatrical released version (that easily is a five-star movie) with Deckard's voice-over narration.  This will, unfortunately, cost you more money.

(1982;  2 hr;  wide screen; 2 discs; 36 scenes)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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(Note: This review is for the movie "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" (2 disc special edition) released in 2007. )

This movie is based on the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? " (1968) by Philip K. Dick (1928 to 1982). This movie depicts a dystopian (opposite of a utopia) Los Angeles in the year 2019 in which genetically manufactured beings called "replicants" (visually indistinguishable from adult humans) are used for dangerous and degrading work on Earth's off-world colonies. Following a small replicant (also called a "skin-job") uprising, replicants become illegal on Earth and specialist police called "blade runners" are trained to hunt down and "retire" (kill) escaped replicants trespassing on Earth. Besides the plot, this movie seems to forecast important concerns of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries such as overpopulation, globalization, climate change, and genetic engineering. The plot of this movie is simple. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a semi-retired blade runner who's after four ruthless replicants illegally on Earth named Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), Leon (Brion James), Pris (Daryl Hannah), and Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). Deckard accidentally develops a romance with the more sophisticated replicant Rachael (Sean Young). I watched this movie ("The Final Cut" which is essentially the same as the rushed "The Director`s Cut") with a friend who did not see the original theatrical release that had Deckard's voice-over narration. Guess what? My friend could not follow the story!!! I could since I'd seen the original release but I found that I still missed Deckard's voice-over. I especially missed the voice-over when the Roy Batty replicant "dies" at the end of the movie. This key scene was not as emotionally appealing with the voice-over absent. I think I deduced the reasons why the voice-over is so important to this movie:

(1) It allows the viewer to follow the action
(2) It provides the human and emotional touch to counterbalance all the technological and visually-stunning special effects
(3) It adds a "retro" feel that reminded me of old-time detective movies
(4) The story drags without it. Thus, the obvious question is, "Why wasn't there an option to have the voice-over? "  Answer: I don't know but it may have to do with marketing. By having such an option, those who feel the voice-over is integral to the movie would have been satisfied. The ending of the final cut, I felt, was too abrupt. The original ending gave the feeling that Deckard and the replicant Rachael would have a future together. The special effects that highlight the steel-and-microchip jungle of twenty-first century L. A. and the background music provided by Vangelis are still fantastic and exhilarating. The final cut has about a minute more of extended scenes and never before seen special effects than the original theatrical version and the director's cut. The entire movie has been digitally restored making the images clean and crisp. The audio is excellent. There is a thirty second introduction by director Ridley Scott and three audio commentaries. The second disc has a three and a half hour documentary making it perhaps the "definitive" documentary for fans of this movie. BOTTOM  LINE:

Without the voice-over narration, this movie (The Final Cut) loses its magnificence and emotional impact. RECOMMENDATION:

Get the four or five disc "Collector's Edition" where one disc has the original theatrical released version (that easily is a five-star movie) with Deckard's voice-over narration. This will, unfortunately, cost you more money. (1982;  2 hr;  wide screen; 2 discs; 36 scenes)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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