review: BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT

Warner  //  Buy from Amazon.com In celebration of Blade Runner's 25th anniversary, director Ridley Scott has gone back into post production to create the long-awaited definitive new version. Blade Runner: The Final Cut, spectacularly restored and remastered from original elements and scanned at 4K resolution, will contain never-before-seen added/extended scenes, added lines, new and improved special effects, director and filmmaker commentary, an all-new 5.1 Dolby® Digital audio track and more. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah are among some 80 stars, filmmakers and others who participate in the extensive bonus features. Among the bonus material highlights is Dangerous Days, a brand new, three-and-a-half-hour documentary by award-winning DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, with an extensive look into every aspect of the film: its literary genesis, its challenging production and its controversial legacy. The definitive documentary to accompany the definitive film version. "Blade Runner" is a film that I've watched perhaps 3 or 4 times over the course of my life, and not once can I ever say that I really enjoyed it. I have friends who swear it is the Second Coming, I've read all kinds of praise for this original, futuristic, insightful, bleak portrayal of the future/mankind/what makes up humanity/etc., and I just didn't get it - the film seemed all style, no substance, and not worth the time to watch. The last time I did watch was in about 1999, right when I was in my early/mid 20s - so young, but old enough to rub a few brain cells together (or so I thought.) 8 years later, sitting down to watch this "Final Cut" version of the film, I am a changed man, and I hereby repent all previous judgements that I have passed on this film, for it absolutely worthy of all the praise & glory it has heaped on it. Not only a visual bonanza, not only a visionary glimpse into the future, but it is so powerful in it's subtlety and insight that I actually felt smarter having watched it (how you like THEM apples!?) I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - Ridley Scott is a tour de force, and Harrison Ford has yet to steer me wrong, yet it just took a few grey hairs and a few more brain cells rubbing together to finally "get" the film. Now that I have, I will sing its praises for all to hear (or, in this case, read.) Video Unbelievable - despite the film's age, this is pretty much a reference-quality transfer. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is so incredibly detailed as to make it appear nearly high definition - I could not find a single flaw, and truthfully, I was looking, as the older DVD I have of this film has a quite UNimpressive transfer. This one redeems that previous release, and then some! Audio The included Dolby 5.1 surround mix is also superb, delivering crystal-clear clarity to all of the dialogue and sound effects, and really letting the wonderful score (by Vangelis, no less) sing out of the full surround set-up. Extras introduction from Ridly Scott 3 audio commentaries: director Ridley Scott; exec. producers & co-writers; visual futurist, product designer, art director, photgraphic effects supervisors "Dangerous Days" making of collection of featurettes (totalling over 3.5 hours!!) trailers Closing Thoughts Gorgeous transfer for the definitive director's version of this seminal film + unbelievable assortment of extras (worth the sticker price on their own!) = no-brainer recommendation to anyone with a bent for truly good filmmaking