#97: Blade Runner

Finally a movie I have seen that my girlfriend has not, it is about time we came around to watching Blade Runner.  First off Blade Runner is not about running with scissors (hahahahahahahaha I am so funny), it is a sci-fi, or should I say sy-fy, thriller and I am a nerd and love sci-fi and fantasy movies and books.  Any ways lets get on with the review.

Blade Runner did not see success at the box office but it has since become a cult classic.  I am not really sure what makes something a cult classic though, I assume it is a fringe movie that is very popular for its genre or a movie that bombed but then sees later success, but I am not sure.  I have always been a little foggy on the definition but here is a video of other cult classics takes from different lists found on the internet:

I am still confused how movies like this can do so bad while in theaters and then years later make a huge comeback and become culturally relevant.  It has even helped shape modern sci-fi with sources saying the creator of the new run of "Battlestar Galactica".  This movie did not win any Oscars but was nominated for Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Visual Effects.

The all-knowing internet has these rating for the film:
IMDB = 8.3 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes (Critic Rating) = 92%
Audience Rating (Audience Rating) = 89%
These scores are a little low but that can really be all summed up by the fact that this movie is a cult classic.  It was not adored nationally or critically acclaimed.

There were so many characters in this movie that I will not touch on all of them but just the ones that stood out to me.  First off we have Edward James Olmos playing a character who I found to be extremely interesting.  I wish we knew more about him, but then again if we did the mystery would be gone.  It was also weird to see EJO so young and skinny.  Next we have Sebastian a character who is so likeable, awkward, and meek.  This character was well acted and because of that I was very sympathetic towards this character.  Now we have Pris, played by Daryl Hannah.  I don't really like Daryl Hannah or the character, I don't know why but I just don't.  With that said she is one of the images that stands out to me from this movie.  The character of Rachel was another character I just didn't connect to.  She was a good character and the acting was there but something about her just didn't interest me.  The bad guy of this film, Roy, is fantastic.  The acting is superb and the character makes you challenge the idea of is he really a bad guy.  Should we arrest him or sympathize with him?  Fantastic!  Then we have Harrison Ford being a BAMF but he always is.  I love Harrison Ford in nearly everything he is in.  The character is awesome and Harrison Ford is awesome.  For me this is another stand out movie of Ford's and a character I will always remember... though there are some weird parts:

The movie started with a text prologue, which all good sci-fi movies need I guess, and we are introduced to the future, which is only five years from now.  I love when you watch old movies to see what they think the future would be like and then as we get closer to it you know it won't be like that.  Anyways the movie itself moves at a very slow pace and this slow pace easily could have lead to it not be popular when it was first released.  The slow pace does however allow for the environment and atmosphere of 2019 develop and this is my favorite part of the movie.  I actually feel the movie is more beloved for art direction then the story itself, which I personally do not think is anything special.  I could be wrong and the nerds of the internet may get angry but the story doesn't do much for me.  It is not bad but it isn't fantastic either.  That does not mean that there is nothing to learn from it though:
#1: I want to make my own midget friends
#2: Asians will rule the world
#3: Product placement will be all the rage in the future
#4: Retire=death
#5: In the future its night time a lot
#6: Replicants be crazy
#7: Daryl Hannah should be an Olympic gymnast

Now the thing I love most about this movie is the environment.  I mentioned earlier about how the movie was slowly paced, I feel that this slow place allowed the film to showcase the new world it has created for this story to take place in.  I love it!  The buildings are awesome, the atmosphere the set up is great, the mix of new and old is fantastic.  I love it all.  From the huge building with all the lights to the technology the use like the photo enhancer:

The key to making this atmosphere seem so awesome was great art direction as well as special effects.  The music is also fantastic I love the techno sound they use.  I don't know if I can say enough how much I love the atmosphere of this movie so here is a video of clips of the movie (no spoilers) and the music played during the credits:

In conclusion I like this movie, despite that I feel the story isn't that interesting or that it moves slow, I still love it for the atmosphere and vibe of the 2019 future we get to see.  I think it is a must watch for any one who loves sci-fi or just enjoys art direction in film.  I give this movie a B.