Saturday, April 12, 2014

AFI 97 - Blade Runner

So.  Blade Runner.  (I really dig this version of the poster)



I am conflicted.  On the one hand this movie is iconic.  Ridley Scott on top of his game.  Young Harrison Ford at his apex.  Gritty Future Noir; deep, dark, conflicted.  Sean Young before she faded away.  Rutger Hauer being legitimately threatening and then giving his famous creepy monologue at the end.  Gorgeous set design (some inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright).  Intelligent, inventive sci-fi based on a Phillip K. Dick novel.  What's not to love?



Well. For whatever reason, I never really connected with this movie.  When everyone onscreen gets all angsty about What It Means To Be Human, I shrug and reach for my popcorn.  I've seen this movie at least three times (the original theatrical release on VHS, the Director's Cut version on DVD, and the Final Cut on Blu-ray) and I can tell you that is an impressive film beautifully wrought, and I just don't care.

(For the record, the Final Cut version was, in my opinion, the best version.)

Anyway, I don't think anything is wrong with this movie, I'm not going to call it overrated or anything.  Though it contains lots of things I should like, I just don't.  I'm going to say that in this case, it's me.  Much like Steven Soderbergh's movies can be beautiful and brilliant, they usually leave me cold.

I"ll give this movie a B, and I may change my mind later.

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