BladeRunner - is like they wrote the screenplay based on the excellent source novel, then cut most of the ideas out, leaving only things that make no sense. Rick Deckard is a terrible detective, and only wins the final confrontation because Roy Batty… just gives up? I recently decided that my teenage self might have been wrong and rewatched it… nah, still terrible.
The directors cut/final cut does improve the plot line but admittedly the original movie is more vibes than substance. I think a lot of the “neo-tokyo” cyberpunk aesthetic we take for granted had tropes which originated in this film.
I’m pretty sure my recent rewatch was the director’s cut. The theatrical release must have been indecipherable.
I hear what you’re saying about the cyberpunk aesthetic - the visuals were the best thing about this movie. I would thoroughly recommend scifi buffs reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - it’s an excellent (and not overly long) dystopian novella that has so many layers and themes (that Blade Runner largely omitted).
I think the best way to experience a blend between the two is either the graphic novel of “Do Androids Dream […]” or the Blade Runner PC adventure game, which fleshes out the story.
BladeRunner - is like they wrote the screenplay based on the excellent source novel, then cut most of the ideas out, leaving only things that make no sense. Rick Deckard is a terrible detective, and only wins the final confrontation because Roy Batty… just gives up? I recently decided that my teenage self might have been wrong and rewatched it… nah, still terrible.
The directors cut/final cut does improve the plot line but admittedly the original movie is more vibes than substance. I think a lot of the “neo-tokyo” cyberpunk aesthetic we take for granted had tropes which originated in this film.
I’m pretty sure my recent rewatch was the director’s cut. The theatrical release must have been indecipherable. I hear what you’re saying about the cyberpunk aesthetic - the visuals were the best thing about this movie. I would thoroughly recommend scifi buffs reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - it’s an excellent (and not overly long) dystopian novella that has so many layers and themes (that Blade Runner largely omitted).
I know we’re dunking on a beloved classic, but it would be fair to state this even more harshly.
I felt like there’s really barely even a scrap of
Do Androids Dream of Electric SheepinBladeRunner.I think BladeRunner is cool, and I’m thankful BladeRunner 2049 actually at least has some ideas from the book.
But I can’t help but regret that BladeRunner has kept us from ever getting a proper
Electric Sheepmovie.Honestly, I really just want more people to get all the amazing Turtle-on-its-back jokes done with Bender in Futurama.
Edit: And how does a movie skip over the
Huge Spoiler for the Book - Don't click if you haven't read it yet.
The electric spider?!
That would have made a fantastic movie ending to roll credits on.
I think the best way to experience a blend between the two is either the graphic novel of “Do Androids Dream […]” or the Blade Runner PC adventure game, which fleshes out the story.
Oooh, there’s an Androids graphic novel?!
There is!