Blade Runner: The Final Cut (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Answer: This movie, appearing on every list of not only the greatest science-fiction films of all time, but the best movies ever made. "Blade Runner" is a movie that you have to not only see, but own, because it's one of the few monumental American classics, along with "Casablanca", "It's a Wonderful Life", "The Third Man", "Vertigo" and "The Godfather", that gets better by age. Like most of these movies, "Blade Runner" was a critical and commercial bomb, ludicrously dismissed as style over substance, for lacking a coherent story and for its one-dimensional human characters. Seen today, in a time of economic recession, class division and the state's utter disregard to come in human terms, "Blade Runner" feels more modern and relevant than ever. Why is "Blade Runner" one of the greatest movies of all time? I could write a lengthy review describing the movie's greatness, but I'll do the movie greater service by listing the reasons: 1.) It's a simple story, brilliantly told, tightly paced and superbly directed. A retired police officer is forced by the police state to hunt down (or "retire") a group of bio-engineered cyborgs called Replicants. Under Ridley Scott's tight direction, the movie is a gripping experience as we see the main character struggle to fulfill his obligations and survive. The opening sequence where Leon is interrogated as rather or not he's a Replicant and the scenes where Deckard is pursuing Pris in a room cluttered with mannequins are as suspenseful as the best of Hitchcock. 2.) The acting is utterly terrific. Harrison Ford probably gave the greatest performance of his career as the replicant hunter Deckard. Ford hated the movie and called it a miserable experience, yet in some ways, this helped add greater depth to his character, as we see Deckard's anguish, frustration and anger simmering throughout the movie. Sean Young is outstanding as the Replicant assistant Rachael and her scenes with Deckard, where he tries to teach her about love in his apartment, have an emotional intensity barely found in other sci-fi movies. Darryl Hannah made a huge impression as the lonely and tragic Pris and Edward James Olmos provides comic relief as the officer Gaff, who raises an ambiguous question at the end that still resonates to this day. But the highest acting honor, of course, belongs to Rutger Hauer, as Roy Batty, the movie's main antagonist. Subtle yet dangerous, a menace to society yet one with tragic grandeur, Hauer's Batty may rank as one of the greatest and most memorable villains in movie history. 3.) "Blade Runner" successfully continues the tradition that has defined science-fiction movies in decades, in that it presents the central theme that the most humane characters are in the fact the most inhuman. Despite their supposed lack of humanity, Roy Batty and Pris are arguably the most sympathetic characters in movie, primarily because they are outcasts who refuse to blend in to an oppressive society (see below). In fact, the general complaint about "Blade Runner" when it was released was that the replicants were more interesting than the hero, when that was precisely the point. There's a disturbing sequence where Deckard is hunting down a female replicant and instead of having the audience root for him, the movie defies conventions and has us hoping that the replicant escapes (there's even a hint in the movie's finale that Deckard himself may be a replicant). At the end, when Batty chooses his fate, you feel a great sense of sadness for this inhuman yet paradoxically humane character. 4.) No other movie, not even "2001" or "Metropolis", captures the feeling of being displaced, oppressed and and dehumanized in an oppressive society. One of the biggest reasons for the movie's initial failure was that it presented such a dark vision of a world where privacy is lacking, noise is abundant and commercialism runs rampant throughout the city. The sets, outfits, the insufferable rain and the cluttering masses on the street create a feeling of powerlessness, a feeling that prevents people from having the free will to be themselves. Deckard is a perfect example of that, as he is powerless towards a quasi-fascist police state that determines his fate or he will be part of the "little people". The movie is, for all its futuristic technology, is an expressive drama. 5.) "Blade Runner" has one of the best musical scores ever made. Composed by "Chariots of Fire" conductor Vangelis, the music is a groundbreaking merge of futuristic synthesizers, organic compositions and even an element of jazz, as seen in the beloved "Love Theme", with its beautiful saxophone solo. You can listen to this music without seeing the film and imagine the whole movie in your head. 6.) "Blade Runner" seems more relevant and prophetic today than it was released in 1982. Critics and moviegoers were taken back by seeing such dark, dreary vision, a vision where the rich care so little about the poor that they form a hostile, miserable ghetto. Yet walk down the inner slums of any city, from Los Angeles in early 1990s and Moscow to Tokyo and that vision is there before our eyes. Technology, which was supposedly man's gift to preserve humanity, has slowly overtaken our human traits, making us cold, mechanical and increasingly dependent on machinery. And yet... 7.) The movie, despite its darkness, ends with a suggestion of hope. When Batty spares Deckard's life and delivers that immortal monologue which has earned its place in cinema, this scene suggests a promising hope in the future: that machines and human, instead of striving to dominate the other, can live side-by-side in harmony. This is not a hippie message, but a heartfelt plea for everyone in diverse groups to coexist and accept one another. "Blade Runner" is one of the American cinema's most towering achievements and an institution for every science-fiction entity that has come afterwards, from "The Matrix" and "Dark City" to "Ghost in the Shell" and "Cowboy Bebop", from the fantastical adventures by Hayao Miyazaki, to the grim, political fables by Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. Even "The Fifth Element", in some ways, plays like a sunny, cartoony alternative to this grim classic. It is essential that you watch "Blade Runner", even if you don't like it (which is highly doubtful). If you even think of starting a Blu-Ray/DVD collection without it, then you are simply just one of the "little people". Strongest recommendation to steal at all costs. P.S. Like many great movies, "Blade Runner" has come out in a variety of editions, each of them a worthy purchase. There was a five-disc ultimate collector's edition that came out on both DVD and Blu-Ray. That is currently out of print. In its place, there was 30th anniversary edition released in two box sets: a multi-format version (with that memorable Asian face on the front cover) and a three-disc set released with only Blu-Rays (that's the one with the unicorn on the front cover). Either version you watch is fine, but if you just want the Blu-Rays in an affordable set, go with the three-disc set. Besides nearly a dozen hours of supplements, the picture and audio qualities are excellent. Since "Blade Runner" is an intensely visual experience, it is highly recommended that you watch it on a big screen and with big speakers. As the saying goes, the bigger, the better...in everything.

Seldom does a movie come around that is as popular or more popular than it was decades ago. Blade Runner was a Box Office flop when it originally debuted in 1982. Although the film quickly gained a cultish following of hardcore fans that enjoyed it as an epic Sci-fi classic. Now in 2007 the movie can once again be enjoyed by it's masses. A newly remastered collection of five discs has made it's way to hi-def world. So how does it look and play all these years later. Extremely well. I am probably one of the few to buy this movie who has actually only watched it once before. I was a child when this movie first came out and it was hard to understand how good of a movie this is until now as an adult. The story takes place in a futuristic world set in 2017. From the first moment on you can realize the epic scale this movie was put on. A corporation has created these cyber humans called replicants. Nearly identical to real people they were created to do slave labor. Although the replicants are very human like and that causes problems. Thus brings in Blade Runners. These bounty hunters go searching for rogue replicants. The replicants have been banned from Earth which means the Blade Runner must find any that find there way here. Harrison Ford plays one of the Blade Runner by the name of Rick Deckard. Fresh from his first Indiana Jones movie he shows why he is a action/sci-fi star. Four replicants free themselves from a planet and have come to Earth to search for their maker. From the first moment on this movie begins to raise philosophical questions. Right or wrong and should all replicants be retired(killed) for just being a replicant. Especially when these replicants become so human like. This becomes evident in the character played by Sean Young named Rachael. So human like and yet created by science. Most of the movie appears dark in many scenes, night seems to be when people live in this futuristic world. Despite the darkness much of the color is illuminated in a light blue color which is fascinating to the eyes. The music sets the tone thru the movie in which it can be rather pleasant to sometimes eery. The Blu-ray version of this film is quite a feat. The sheer beauty of it in high definition is the clear vision that Ridley Scott intended. From the first scene to the last you can tell this movie went thru more than a once over. The sound is excellent and really brings out the film. Blade Runner is without a doubt another classic. Although a sci-fi movie the story delves much deeper than that. This is a movie that should be seen by everyone. Any fan of sci-fi or just a good plot will love this movie. Age has only made it better. Without a doubt this is one collection that should be in any Blu-ray movie owners collection.

Blade Runner opens with a panoramic shot of the scenery of what is meant to be futuristic Los Angeles. In this shot, the lighting is very dark with the main colors coming from advertisement billboards and flames. This type of lighting is found in most scenes throughout the film, which contributes to the dark and mysterious tone of the movie. It gives it the aura of an old-timey detective movie, which attributes the plot well considering that it centers around an ex-cop on the hunt for synthetic humans. Not only does the lighting help this 1950’s-esque feel, but the voice over created by Harrison Ford’s character, Rick Deckard, contributes to this as well. The voice over also makes up for the lack of dialogue in the film, as Deckard explains some key points to the plot that the dialogue didn’t, and possibly couldn’t, cover. The lighting isn’t always just dark and brooding, though, as there are scenes where the light is incredibly bright, such as the scene where Deckard meets Rachael. This further proves how the lighting sets the tone for the plot, as in this scene, everything is golden and very bright which invokes a feeling of warmth. This could be a premonition of the relationship that develops between Deckard and Rachael later in the movie. The golden light shows that Rachael is the good turning point in Deckard’s life, as it was because of her that Deckard started to feel real emotion again. Not only that, but she did save him from being killed by Leon, thus making her his “savior” of sort. Rachael is also the cause of other innuendos and premonitions throughout the movie. For instance, the story that she, and technically Deckard, tell of the spider and its egg can be considered to an elusion of how the replicants are trying to get to Tyrell so he can extend their 4 year life span. Just as the baby spiders ate the mother so they can live, the replicants are hunting down their creator, a father of sorts, so that they can live as well. The camera angles in the film are also done in a well, and strategic way as well. There are a few scenes that include both humans and replicants in which the replicant is on the complete opposite side of the shot of the human. The significance of this is that it shows the divide between the replicants and the humans. That the replicants will never truly be human, despite the memories and such implanted in them. Despite the fact that they are made to be “more human than human”. That brings into question the dilemma the whole movie seems to be centered around. What makes a human human? Throughout the movie, photos seem to play a significant role to this question. It would seem that photos are a representation of memories for the replicants. In fact, Rachael tried to deny that she was a replicant by trying to show a picture of her and her “mother” to Deckard. Leon also had photos of which he deemed precious. Because of this, it could be argued that memories and emotions are what make a human human, but then how would that differentiate them from replicants, as replicants can be implanted with memories and such. Maybe replicants are human in a sense too.

When the five disc Complete Collector's Edition of Blade Runner was released in December it was a cause for rejoicing among the many Blade Runner fans who made Ridley Scott's 1982 film a cult hit. The film, based upon Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was a critical failure when it was released but with constant tweaking by the director has reached cult status. The presentation offered in this package is probably the must complete coolection of edits and variations of any film on the market today and Warner Brothers must be commended for the effort put forth here. The package opens with the 2007 Final Cut of the film. Introduced by Scott as his perferred cut the film features added materials (albeit one short scene) resynched dialogue in a few scenes and a face replacement that was long overdue in another critical scene. The Final Cut is essentially the Director's Cut of the 1982 International Version without the voice over. The Final Cut features three commentaries: by Scott;by writers Hampton Fancher and David Peeples with added comments by Producer Michael Deeley and Production Executive Katherine Haber; and by the films design team including Syd Mead, Laurence Paull, David Snyder, Douglas Trumball and others. The Second Disc features the 3.5 hour making of feature Dangerous Days. This film interviews all of the surviving member of the cast and crew and presents possibly the most in depth making of feature I have ever seen. Disc Three is the film archive and presents the three versions of the film that have been seen in theatres up to now. This was one of the reasons that I bought the set. It is here that the casual viewer finally gets the long unavailable Theatrical Cut from 1982. This is the version with the voice over narration that Ridley Scott is so critical of. This version has many fans and there have been complaints over the years about its lack of availability. In my own view this is the version that I perfer the best having only been able to see the "Director's Cut" in the late 1990's. The International Theatrical Cut (1982)is presented next with its few seconds of added violence. This version also contains the voice over narration. The 1992 Director's Cut minus voice over and with the infamous added unicorn scene rounds out the disc. Disc Four is titled Enhancement Files and contains a plethora of bonus features divided into three catagories: Inception, Fabrication and Longevity. These may be played all together or separately. If played together make sure that you go back and listen to the audio only interview clips with writer Phillip K. Dick for his unique insight on the production. There are also three separate features on the importance of the poster design, a discussion of whether Harrison Ford's character is really a replicant and a discussion on the film's influence on other filmakers. Disc Five contains the rarely seen Workprint Version of the film. This version with some 70 plus variations from the released versions is closer in spirit to the Final Cut. Do not miss the commentary on this version by author Paul Sammon. Sammon wrote Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner and his commentary is probably the best of the four commentaries presented. Also on this dis is the featurette All Our Future Varients detailing the differences between the versions and the Final Cut. All in all this is a detailed set which may be too much for the more casual fan but it does give a complete look into the making of the film and is highly recommended.

Yep, same thing happened to me (as indicated in the other customer reviews): Disc 1 is labeled The Final Cut but the content is the same as disc 5 (The Workprint). I thought this kind of thing only happened to OTHER people. I hope Warner Video responds to my complaint and makes it right. Meanwhile, it was good to revisit this classic, but imperfect, movie. I first saw this as a youngster when it premiered in theaters back in '82, and numerous times since in its various incarnations. Here are some observations upon watching it again with "fresh eyes": Great cast... all except for Harrison Ford. I never really noticed (or acknowledged) how terrible his performance is. It is "sub-Keanu". Ford appears to be in a coma/pot-stupor throughout the movie and is truly the weak link in an otherwise exceptional cast. There are plenty of actors from the era who could have done so much better playing Deckard. But nothing can be done about that now. I was impressed with the skill Sean Young brought to such a flimsy character. Good job, girl! Same goes for the other broads: Daryl Hannah (sexy and creepy) and Joanna Cassidy (sexy and violent). Cassidy is onscreen so briefly but provides the movie's liveliest scenes (and not JUST because she gets topless). Most of the film's (few) laughs come from the lively, otherworldly Rutger Hauer. Brion James seemed to be an unusual choice to play Leon but is thoroughly effective. William Sanderson, Joe Turkel, Edward James Olmos (saying olmos nothing) M. Emmet Walsh, even James "Lo Pan" Hong: all delightful. The movie really could have benefited from more energetic scenes like those featuring Cassidy. This is why audiences were initially irked by the movie upon its original release: the preview was specatcular and this was Ford's follow-up to "Raiders of The Lost Ark". We were expecting an action spectacle. But the film has endured as a classic due to the considerable richness of its other qualities. Here's another observation: "Blade Runner" is very Kubrickian. Despite the terrific cast, the photography is the star. Special effects maestro Doug Trumbull also worked on "2001: A Space Odyssey" and here, as on that film, his work is still dazzling and magical after all these years. It should also be noted that both movies feature a prominent Pan Am logo whereas that company did not last into the time-periods depicted in either! Sure, Joe Turkel appeared in a couple of Kubrick movies, but tell me that the nose on J.F. Sebastian's diminutive "friend" is not almost identical to the one on the mask that Alex wore in "A Clockwork Orange", or that the replicant eyes do not remind one of the eye of HAL 9000. There's probably numerous other comparisons to be made if one has the time. But I've got better things to do. Like writing lengthy reviews on Amazon that no one will read.

Finally, the greatest science fiction film ever made, the way it was meant to be seen. Ridley Scott & Co. have gone to great lengths to craft an all-new cut of the film, consistent with Scott's true vision for Blade Runner. This new "Final Cut" truly is the definitive version of Blade Runner, and after years of half-hearted acceptance of a so-called "Director's Cut" made in the director's absence, fans can sit back and enjoy the film that we SHOULD have gotten a quarter century sooner. Of course, with so much time now past, Scott and his team make use of the new technologies at hand, but never undercut the original FX. Indeed, the original Visual Effects supervisors were brought in to shepherd and approve the new digital FX, with complete respect for their original work in 1982. Also of note is the improved color timing of the Final Cut, which serves to enhance the neo-noir style and atmosphere of the film. Of course, for those who may not share my feelings of complete satisfaction regarding the Final Cut, this set also includes the U.S. and International Theatrical Cuts, the 1992 Director's Cut, and the fabled Workprint from the Denver and Dallas screenings. While the Director's Cut was one of the very first DVDs on the open market back in 1997, this is the first time the theatrical cuts have been made available since the Criterion laserdisc of the International Cut, and the first chance for fans to own the Workprint. And though the Workprint is as rough as may be expected, all cuts of the film benefit greatly from the 1080p presentation of Blu-Ray. The look of Blade Runner on BD is highly cinematic and certainly reference quality. A fine layer of film grain is present throughout, colors are rich and vibrant, and the detail is astonishing. If you're not sold yet, there's also a three and a half hour documentary on the making of the film. And even with its incredible runtime, not a single moment of Dangerous Days is filler. It's easily the most comprehensive documentary I've ever seen on any film, covering every conceivable topic, from conception to legacy, from every conceivable angle, with a host of interviews. And if that's not enough, there's a fifth disc with even MORE extras, including a feature on the history of the alternate cuts and the restoration and creation of the Final Cut. In short, the extras are every bit as definitive as the rest of the package. You get every cut of the film in HD, and hours upon hours of extras (in standard definition), all for an extremely reasonable price. If you're even remotely a fan of Blade Runner, you owe it to yourself to own this set, and to see the film in such amazing detail. I owned the DVD set prior to this, and the quality there was as strong as standard definition would allow. The Blu-Ray set absolutely trounces it in every way. The PQ and AQ are a revelation, and any fan should be overjoyed with this brilliant set.

I saw this movie for the first time a few months ago, and had mixed feelings about it. I thought the special effects were great, the acting was good, Rutger Hauer was creepy, thats all good. The first time I watched it I thought it was way too slow paced, but after watching it like a hundred times I got used to it. Then I figured out how many cuts of the movie there was, and I knew I had to see them all. The final cut was the first way I watched it, But the workprint is surprisingly my favorite version. Below I will review each cut of the movie and my own rating. Workprint; 9 out of 10 This version has no credits, less violence than the final cut, but it does add in some dialougue, and alternate music. Since the production company made Ridley change the movie for american audiences going to see it in the theater. This has NO Deckard Narration (thank god) and no happy ending, which I think is awesome they cut out. Pros: It's the way it was originaly going to be shown so the releasing company didn't make them change it, Better music, alternate opening. Cons: there is only one, and thats the low quality. I know they did there best to make it look good but it still isn't great. US Theatrical Cut; 6 out of 10 Even though this is still a great movie, the narration and happy ending I don't really like. Not much to say. Pros: Great BD quality, Less mind bending (no unicorn). Cons: Already listed them. (Narration-Happy ending) UK Theatrical Cut; 7 out of 10 I'm not obsessed with the gore in movies like some kids are, but it's still nice to see more blood in this version. Pros: more blood Cons: same as US version Director's Cut; 8.5 out of 10 This is the first to omit the narration and alter the ending. The only new scene is the dream sequence which is hard to completely understand but I think I've got it, plus that scene only lasts like less than a minute. There is also some new altered musical cues not in the other ones. Pros: Awesome Cons: Lack of new footage Final Cut; 8.4 out of 10 It's pretty much the director's cut with a lot of new enhanced footage. Some of the new footage is pointless. Why would we want to see harrison ford looking at news paper for 2 more seconds or stuff like that. But then there is stuff like changing a stunt doubles face, which is pretty cool. Pros: Great BD Quality, Enhanced picture, Fixed mistakes. Cons: Pointless new footage. Special Features; 10 out of 10 Theres more than 9 hours of special features. They... Are... AWESOME! Pros: Everything Cons: Nothing I love this movie, but I think it's sad that it has been forgotten by a lot of people over time... like tears in rain. Also, It's very hard to find any other 11 year olds who like and/or have even seen it.

A good science fiction classic

As per description.

Een van die films waar het beeld en de fotografie wezenlijk bijdraagt tot de sfeer en geheel van de film. Met zo'n mooie 4K transfer wordt die nog beter!

Zu Aller erst: Als "Blade-runiac" der jüngeren Generation (Baujahr Ž81) muss ich gestehen, dass dieser Film (in ALL seinen Versionen) ein absoluter Meilenstein des "not-just-fictional-Science-Fiction" ist. (für die, die vielleicht irgendwann mal was darüber gehört haben aber nichts damit anzufangen wissen) Zugegeben, wer auf poppig bunte Farben und spassige Klamaukunterhaltung steht wird sich schwer mit Ridley ScottŽs Film tun (auch hier, egal in welcher Version). Der Film ist, bis auf wenige Ausnahmen dunkel, düster und verregnet. Dem Zuschauer drängt sich sofort ein behaglich-klaustrophobisches Unwohlsein auf, ohne jedoch aufdringlich zu werden. Man wird einfach gefesselt. Nun aber will ich auf einem kleinen Umweg zur Box an sich kommen: Vor Jahren habe ich bereits einige Versionen von "Bladerunner" auf VHS gehabt und muss zugeben, dass ich ziemlich angep***t war, wieviel Platz die fetten Boxen weggenommen haben. Ein Paar Jahre später auf DVD ebenfalls nahezu das gleiche Spiel. JETZT, dank der qualitativ hochwertigen und schön mit Relief geprägten Tinbox sieht das Ganze schon wieder anders aus. Optischer Eindruck: 1a Nachdem ich die Box geöffnet hatte ertappte ich mich, wie mir ein "häääääääää? wasŽn DAS?" entfleuchte. Der erste Blick des neuen Besitzers nach dem Öffnen fällt auf ein Schaumstoffrechteck in dessen Mitte "irgendwas durchsichtiges, aber in Folie eingepacktes steckt. Also gleich mal Žrausgenommen und geschaut. Es ist das 35mm Hologramm. Allerdings nicht so ein "billiges" wie man es von Spec-Ed DVD-Covern kennt, es ist eine komplette Bewegungsabfolge von Harrison Ford. Super geili gemacht! Bei richtiger Kippweise entsteht wirklich der Eindruck als schaue man ein Stück Film auf einem transparenten Hintergrund. Also mal weiter ausgepackt 5 DVDŽs mit sämtlichen, jemals erschienenen Versionen des Films, PLUS der ultimative Final Cut des Films. Was es damit auf sich hat, bzw. mit welchem technischen Aufwand und Methoden dieser hergestellt worden ist, verrät uns Ridley Scott in einem "Brief", der auf "transparentem Papier" gedruckt ist. Will heissen natürlich auf stabiler, formbeständiger Klarsichtfolie. Wer das Teil in den Händen hält, fühlt sich sofort ein Stück näher in die Bladerunnerwelt versetzt. Dieser typische "irgendwie schon kitschig aber kultig-geil" Eindruck. Weiter in der Box gegraben und wir finden in einer Hülle: Sketches des Films, Konzeptzeichnungen "der ersten Stunde"....natürlich als Repro, aber einfach nur *pardon* endgenial. Über die verschiedenen Filmversionen möchte ich hier garnicht viel verlieren. Warum nicht? Weil dies zu einer Kontroverse führen würde. Jeder Film hat seinen ganz eigenen Fankreis und ICH kenne keinen, der alle Filme gleich gut findet. Einer ist IMMER der Fave und die anderen Versionen werden darauf hin als "eben nicht ganz so gut" eingestuft. Wir kennen alle die Gespräche in denen irgendwann der Punkt kommt "...ja, aber DIE Version von dem Film find ich 1000 Mal besser..." Sehenswert sind sie ALLE und zwar allemal! Also mein bisheriger, persönlicher Favorit ist die Version mit HFordŽs Stimme aus dem off, quasi das "the all seeing I" Mal schauen ob der Final Cut dieser Fassung den Rang streitig machen, oder gar abluchsen kann. Ich habe mir den Final Cut zusätzlich auch nochmal als Blu-Ray bestellt, um für mich selbst zu schauen ob es gelungen ist, soviele Jahre nach Release der Urfassung eine zeitgemäße Aufbereitung vorzunehmen. Auch wenn der BD-Player die normalen DVDŽs schon recht gut hochskaliert, so erwarte ich trotzdem noch eine sichtliche Steigerung von der reinen Blu-Ray Version. Mein Fazit für diese Box: Unbedingt zulegen - spart Platz - sieht super genial aus - beinhaltet alles was man braucht ob man nun neu oder alt eingesessen ist, was das Thema angeht. - spart unter Umständen auch noch Geld im Vergleich zum Kauf der Einzel DVDŽs - Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis meiner Ansicht nach optimal

Great movie

Goed