In the distant future of 2019, mankind has perfected artificial intelligence and made humanoid robots to do manual labor deemed too dangerous for humans. These replicants are so identical to humans, a special task force called "Blade Runners" must do a test in order to tell them apart. However, the replicants are stronger, faster and smarter than a normal human, though they only have a 4 year lifespan. In Los Angeles, 4 replicants escape from slavery and begin seeking their creator, killing anyone who gets in their way. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a retired Blade Runner called back into business after a fellow Blade Runner is killed by one of the 4 replicants. He meets with Dr. Edwell Tyrell, the maker of these replicants and to test out the latest model, Rachel. Events set into motion as Roy Batty, the leader, wishes to extend his and his fellow replicants lives. Rachel meets with Deckard, distraught that she is a replicant and he attempts to comfort her but fails. Meanwhile, Roy and another model, Pris, befriend a geneticist who works for Tyrell. Batty meets with Tyrell and kills him once he finds out that his life cannot be extended. Deckard makes the connections and kills each replicant one by one until Roy is left. The two play a game of cat and mouse, with Roy having the upper hand by injuring Deckard. Deckard attempts to escape by jumping over to another building, but nearly falls. Roy saves Deckard and gives the best speech in movie history then dies. Deckard returns to his apartment and escapes with Rachel, only to be hunted by another Blade Runner.
The Good:
This is a great movie. It's part film noir, part sci fi, and part action. Harrison Ford is a great choice for the movie and plays Deckard well. Same goes for the other actors who played the replicants. You feel their pain and support Roy Batty wanting to have a longer life and understand his actions. He's an excellent villain. The sets are amazing as well, making you feel like you're in the 2019 version of Los Angeles wanting to escape the constant rain and darkness to a better place. Everything feels futuristic, yet old and used. Also, I mentioned the best speech in movie history, I can't do it justice by talking about it so, I'm going to show you it:
The Bad:
Not much, since this is such a great movie, but are some things that bother me. Why make replicants so identical to humans if there used for slave labor? Why not just make them look more robotic? Then you wouldn't need such a difficult test to tell the difference. Deckard comes off as rapey in one scene with Rachel. The set up: Rachel runs away from Tyrell and visits Deckard after she finds out she's a replicant. Deckard begins to come onto her and she rejects his advances, and tries to leave. However, Deckard forces himself onto her making her say things she doens't mean. This is supposed to be romantic? Or is this just showing us that even the good guys aren't that good? Anyways, it's hard to get behind a man who forces himself on a woman, even if she's a robot.
Overall:
Blade Runner is a great movie. The story, the characters, all of it. It's dark and gritty and it's done well. The story still holds up better than most movies that have come out today. It's definitely worth checking out. Even if you have seen it, maybe it's time to sit down and watch it again. (Side note: Watch the director's cut. It's much better and there's no silly voice over.)
Rating: 5 tears in the rain out of 5.
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