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Dom Robinson reviews

Blade Runner: Director's Cut

Distributed by

Cat.no: D 012905
Cert: 15
Running time: 112 minutes
Year: 1982
Pressing: 1999
Region(s): 2, PAL
Chapters: 36 plus extras
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
Languages: English, French, Italian
Subtitles: 10 languages available
Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Panavision)
16:9-enhanced: Yes
Macrovision: Yes
Disc Format: DVD 5
Price: £15.99
Extras : Scene index (almost!)

Director:

Ridley Scott

1492: Conquest of Paradise, Alien, Black Rain, G.I. Jane, Legend, Thelma and Louise, White Squall

Producer:

Michael Deeley

Screenplay:

Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples

"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

Philip K. Dick

Music:

Cast:

Rick Deckard: Harrison Ford

Air Force One, American Graffiti, Clear And Present Danger, Devil's Own, Force 10 From Navarone, Frantic, The Frisco Kid, The Fugitive, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Legends of the Fall, The Mosquito Coast, Patriot Games, Presumed Innocent, Regarding Henry, Sabrina, Six Days Seven Nights, Witness, Working Girl

Roy Batty: Rutger Hauer

Blind Side, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eureka, The Hitcher, Hostile Waters, Ladyhawke, The Legend of the Holy Drinker, Salute of the Jugger, Split Second, Surviving The Game, Voyage, Warlock, TV: Lexx, Merlin

Rachael: Sean Young

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dune, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Fatal Instinct

Pris: Daryl Hannah

Awakenings, The Best Intentions, Dune, The Exorcist 1 & 2, Flash Gordon, The Gingerbread Man, Judge Dredd, The Seventh Seal, Until the End of the World

Blade Runner is the occupation given to Harrison Ford, who plays Rick Deckard, assigned to track down and 'retire' genetically-made criminal replicants, although their only crime is wanting to become human. After bumping off many of them, including the acrobatic Pris (Daryl Hannah), he's set to meet his match in the finale against Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).

It's November 2019 and when he's not partaking of the noodles in the Chinatown district of 21st Century Los Angeles, Deckard goes in search of the truth and meets Rachael (Sean Young, on a par with Lorraine Bracco for "Worst Actress Ever"), for a real flesh-on-metal experience.

This director's cut changes a few things from the original, released in 1982, most notably removing the voiceover from Deckard throughout the film (although it would've been nice to see Warner include this as an audio commentary track!), it loses the upbeat finale, enhances the romance between Deckard and Rachael and includes a new "unicorn" sequence which lends weight to the theory that Deckard, himself, may be a replicant.

Sumptuous visuals and expert direction from Ridley Scott call for a perfect, artifact-free anamorphic picture. Well, we got halfway there. It's anamorphic, but looks grainy throughout with artifacts. Also, as Warner like to underscan the ratio of their widescreen titles, it looks wider than it should and I'm left with black bars all round the picture, with no chance of zooming in further to lose these.

Like the video though, it is presented in the original widescreen ratio of 2.35:1 and this is the only ratio in which any UK home version of this title has been available, unlike the pan-and-scanned TV broadcasts which look really dreadful. The average bitrate is 5.11Mb/s, occasionally peaking over 7Mb/s.

The sound is presented in the original Dolby Surround soundtrack - the same as the Region 1 release before you rush out to check - but why wasn't the opportunity seized to remastered a new Dolby Digital 5.1 version? The Vangelis soundtrack is ethereal and would normally send a shiver down your spine, but on this disc it's way too quiet with no explanation why.

Extras :

Chapters :

One of Warner's strengths is the number of chapters. Here we have 36 over the near-2hour running which is perfectly adequate. However, what isn't is the chapter selection scene which gives you nine choices, requiring you to seek out the rest yourself!

Languages/Subtitles :

English, Italian and French in Dolby Surround. Subtitles are available in ten languages: English (and for the hard of hearing), Italian (and for the hard of hearing), Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Romanian and Bulgarian.

Menu :

A static and silent menu with nothing but the Warner Brothers logo, plus selections to choose the language or visit the laughable scene selection screen.

Blade Runner: Director's Cut is a missed opportunity. There's so much that the cast and crew should have to say about this film, but not a jot is included here. Avoid for now and hope that a collector's edition is released eventually.

If you must buy this, get it second-hand.

FILM CONTENT 		: ***½
PICTURE QUALITY		: **½
SOUND QUALITY		: **½
EXTRAS			: 0
-------------------------------
OVERALL			: **

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000.

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