Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageBlade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)
Director: Ridley Scott
Movie review
From Time Out London
Granted a brief theatrical showing prior to its all-singing-all-dancing DVD release (the perfect Christmas gift!), ‘The Final Cut’ isn’t, content wise, radically dissimilar to 1992’s ‘Director’s Cut’ (ie no narration, no happy ending, hello unicorn), but the overall effect is astounding. A critical and commercial failure back in 1982 but hugely influential on two generations of filmmakers, video directors, and ad men, Scott’s masterpiece has, thanks to exemplary restoration work, never looked or sounded this good. Backgrounds are denser, colours richer, effects have been digitally cleaned and corrected, with newly shot footage of Joanna Cassidy replacing the stuntman in a wig who crashes through the shop window after Deckard (Harrison Ford) shoots Zhora in the back, and the blue sky that Batty (Rutger Hauer) previously released the dove into at the end now overcast and rainy. Dialogue has been tweaked too, fixing at least one major narrative inconsistency, while Sean Young’s voice sounds less metallic, more human than before. Ignore Scott’s perplexing insistence that Deckard’s a replicant in this version, and give yourself up to the film’s visual splendour. Bold, bleak and still brilliant.Author: Mark Salisbury
Time Out London Issue 1944: November 20-26 2007
User reviews of this film
-
- benjamin ross said...
- Posted on Oct 06 2008 19:51 i love bladerunner.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Magmabulle said...
- Posted on Jun 08 2008 19:32 The best science fiction ever made in my opinion; Ridley Scott has created a great atmosphere in the dark and constantly raining Los Angeles.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Dariush said...
- Posted on Jan 30 2008 15:19 How wonderful to be given an opportunity to see this on the big screen again. Moving, gripping and beautiful, watch it if it's playing anywhere near you.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- G Melody said...
- Posted on Dec 09 2007 20:00 Because ambiguity's where it's at.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- D Muller said...
- Posted on Nov 27 2007 17:24 Why is Scott's insistence that Deckard's a replicant perplexing?
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Michael Deeley
Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, James Hong, Joanna Cassidy full cast
Duration: 117 mins
UK Release: Nov 23 2007
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
The ultimate 'Harry Potter' crib sheet
Our resident potter professor, Wally Hammond, offers the ultimate introduction to 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'
Bruno is here!
Sacha Baron Cohen hits the streets as Austria's premiere gay fashionista in 'Bruno'. Read our review of the film plus see the pics from our cover shoot
Lars von Trier's 'Antichrist': joke or masterpiece?
Dave Calhoun invites seven experts to watch Lars von Trier's latest and share their reactions
Classic Film Club: 'Smiles of a Summer Night'
Each week Tom Huddleston watches a classic film he's never seen before. The rules are simple: each film must be considered a masterpiece and each must be completely new to him.
Has Michael Mann lost it?
Adam Lee Davies mourns the passing of a major Hollywood talent as Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' sees the great director running on empty
Why 'Ice Age 3' is really for adults
Tom Huddleston takes a look at a selection of films which bring adult problems to a pre-teen audience
Is this Summer 2009's best film?
The French filmmaker Claire Denis speaks to Dave Calhoun about her new film, '35 Shots of Rum', a tender portrait of a father-daughter relationship in Paris
Outdoor film screenings in London 2009
Derek Adams offers a guide to the best places to see films outside in London this summer
50 essential sci-fi films
With 'Star Trek' making serious waves, we thought it would be a perfect time to select 50 must-see sci-fi films
What do you think?
Post your review now