MovieMantz Review: ‘Blade Runner: The Final Cut’

Time to Die? Hardly!

by Scott Mantz

“Blade Runner: The Final Cut”
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer
Directed by: Ridley Scott

“It’s too bad she won’t live. But then again, who does?” – Gaff (Edward James Olmos), “Blade Runner”

With those haunting words, “Blade Runner” came to a rather uneventful close, ending its less than spectacular run at the box office. Actually, that’s putting it mildly. Grossing just $14 million during its initial theatrical release in the summer of 1982, the film cost more than twice that, making it an expensive flop, especially when compared to the other sci-fi blockbusters that filled movie theaters around the same time – specifically, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Poltergeist” and, of course, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.”

So perhaps it’s not surprising that “Blade Runner” got lost in the shuffle. Where those films were straightforward, entertaining and fun, director Ridley Scott’s stylish adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s classic novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” was ambiguous, dark and confusing. It left many moviegoers (and critics) scratching their heads, and its brooding antihero, played by Harrison Ford, wasn’t nearly as likable as Han Solo or Indiana Jones.

“Blade Runner” could have gone away, but thanks to its release on home video, it caught on. It found an audience. It gained a loyal cult following comprised of film buffs (and, more importantly, filmmakers) that were influenced by its visually dense, ominous portrayal of Los Angeles in the year 2019. Through repeated viewings, fans were able to dissect, absorb and appreciate its unique blend of different styles and genres – film noir with sci-fi, eastern culture with western civilization, technological advancement with urban decay.

That dystopian depiction of the future proved to be groundbreaking, as a number of films that followed borrowed their look – and even some of their existential themes – from “Blade Runner.” Among them, “Strange Days” (1995), “Twelve Monkeys” (1995), “The Matrix” (1999), “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001), “Minority Report” (2002) and, most recently, “Children of Men” (2006). Not bad for a film that, on the surface, followed a cop (a “blade runner”) named Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he sifted through the dregs of society to hunt down 4 killer androids (called “replicants”) that were seeking to extend their limited lives.

After 25 years, not only is “Blade Runner” still a relevant masterpiece that asks poignant questions about what it means to be human, but it also looks like it could have been made today. And for all intents and purposes, it was. That’s because after 4 existing cuts that surfaced over the years – the 1982 “Original Cut,” the little-seen “Workprint Cut,” the more violent “International Cut,” and the 1992 “Director’s Cut” – Ridley Scott (who also directed “Alien,” “Thelma and Louise” and “Gladiator”) has gone back into post production to create the definitive version of “Blade Runner,” dubbed “The Final Cut.”

All I can say is, if you’ve seen “Blade Runner” before, then see it again. But if you haven’t seen it, then see it now – and see it on the big screen while you can (it’s playing in limited release in New York and Los Angeles). For the most part, “The Final Cut” is very similar to the “Director’s Cut” – Harrison Ford’s uninspired narration from the “Original Cut” is gone, as is the so-called “happy ending” that Scott reluctantly tacked on after the film’s distributor, Warner Bros., insisted that it needed a more upbeat conclusion.

But in every other way, the film has never looked or sounded better. The famous musical score by Vangelis has been remastered, and the special effects have been digitally enhanced. The wires that suspended the flying spinners have been removed, and some of the more gruesome scenes from the “International Cut” have been restored. Deckard’s controversial vision about the unicorn (which suggested that he, too, was a replicant) has been tweaked, and Joanna Cassidy – who played the replicant Zora – returned to film her death scene, since it was obvious that a stuntwoman was used in the original version.

This complete overhaul was done to celebrate the upcoming 25th Anniversary release (on December 18) of “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” on DVD – a 5-disc set that will include all 5 versions of the film, 45 minutes of deleted scenes and a documentary about its notoriously troubled production. It’s bound to be one of the greatest DVD releases of all time, and the film certainly deserves it. But nothing compares to seeing it on the big screen, which makes Rutger Hauer’s final words as replicant leader Roy Batty all the more profound: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.” You know it, brother.

VERDICT: SEE IT!