Product Description

Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh Director: Ridley Scott

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #676 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-12-03
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
To call this cut of Blade Runner ‘long awaited’ would be a heavy, heavy understatement. It’s taken 25 years since the first release of one of the science-fiction genre’s flagship films to get this far, and understandably, Blade Runner: The Final Cut has proved to be one of the most eagerly awaited DVD releases of all time.

And it’s been well worth the wait. Director Ridley Scott’s decision to head back to the edit suite and cut together one last version of his flat-out classic film has been heavily rewarded, with a genuinely definitive version of an iconic, visually stunning and downright intelligent piece of cinema. Make no mistake: this is by distance the best version of Blade Runner. And it’s never looked better, either.

The core of Blade Runner, of course, remains the same, with Harrison Ford’s Deckard (the Blade Runner of the title) on the trail of four ‘replicants’, cloned humans that are now illegal. And he does so across an amazing cityscape that’s proven to be well ahead of its time, with astounding visuals that defied the supposed limits of special effects back in 1982.

Backed up with a staggering extra features package that varies depending on which version of this Blade Runner release you opt for (two-, four- and five-disc versions are available), the highlight nonetheless remains the stunning film itself. Remastered and restored, it remains a testament to a number of creative people whose thinking was simply a country mile in advance of that of their contemporaries. An unmissable purchase. --Jon Foster

DVD Description
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of iconic sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner, director Ridley Scott has gone back into post production to create the long-awaited definitive new version. Blade Runner: The Final Cut is spectacularly restored and remastered from original elements and contains never-before-seen added/extended scenes, added lines, new and improved special effects, director and filmmaker commentary, an all-new digital audio track and more.

Other versions released at the same time:
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (2-Disc Special Edition)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut (5-Disc Ultimate Collectors' Edition)
Blade Runner: The Final Cut [HD DVD]

Synopsis
It is 2019 and genetically made beings known as replicants exist as slaves and prostitutes in the off-planet colonies. Despite possessing such human traits as intelligence and virtual emotion, they are limited by a four-year life span which forces them to question their mortality. Four escaped replicants, led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer, THE HITCHER), arrive in Los Angeles to confront their designer, Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel). Hot on their trail is world-weary assassin--or 'blade runner'--Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford, INDIANA JONES), who has come out of retirement especially for this case. His objective is to hunt down and liquidate the four renegade androids before they have a chance to exact revenge on their cruel human oppressors. In the course of his search, Deckard becomes romantically entangled with Tyrell's lovely assistant Rachael (Sean Young)--who may not be all that she seems--and a dramatic face-off with Batty is inevitable. Director Ridley Scott's hauntingly prescient vision of the not-too-distant future is a stark revelation: a dark, polluted, overcrowded dystopia dominated by cloud-piercing buildings and looming neon billboards, the air dense with acid rain and flying traffic. Based on the novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? by Philip K Dick, BLADE RUNNER boasts astonishingly rich art direction, juxtaposing ingenious technological gadgetry with yellowing photographs and fetishist objets d'art as it touches on questions of time, memory, identity, and mortality.

Customer Reviews

A near perfect version of BladeRunner.
I watched this on my 52" 1080p set so I could see the detail and I was continually laughing with delight. It looks stunning now. The production team have completely restored the print and the FX shots such as the opening sequence and the Spinner flight over the Tyrell Corporation building are pure and show a level of detail that I didn't even realize existed in the shot. Bear in mind I've seen a cinema version of this film in the old Director's Cut format and I can assure you that this is order of magnitude from that. All of the FX problems have been corrected: no wires lifting the Spinners, no stunt-woman's face on the dying Zhora etc. It's really interesting seeing that contents of Deckard's apartment for the first time. The clarity of the print reveals objects in his room that I'd not noticed. Some minor dialogue has changed but for the better and only in inconsequential places such as the description of the Nexus-6 team in Bryant's office. The audio is now 5.1 and much improved. The new version of the film is near perfect. It has been adjusted in such a subtle way that it is really just a superb restoration rather than a major change and yet a lot HAS changed. It's a tribute to Scott's team that the casual observer would barely notice.
I'm VERY impressed and delighted.
However, as has been stated by other reviewers there is a 5 disc set easily available from the US, region free and with great extras for little more than this offering. You might want to consider it but be quick because it's limited(ish).

A masterpiece, truly worth of the 1080p format and vice versa
Finally a film that makes the most of the 1080 progressive lines and 1920 pixel width, delivered without artefact in all the glorious depth of field that an anamorphic lens offers together with the rich tapestry of colour and mood that only both Scott's or Kubrick can really pull off. This film was born to be on High Definition.

This cut is great, but like the other reviewers I cannot help feel cheated by the UK distribution being limited to one cut. To add insult, Ridley's commentary at the beginning title sequence states "I hope you enjoy all five cuts", so it would seem fair to assume that he was obviously intending this final cut (or as he puts it until 25 years time) to be a 5-disc inclusive experience.

Aside from the CRT displays used throughout, its one of the only films that I think can still convince even 25 years on. Digitally re-mastering it on to HD has made a wonderful film zing with lustre.

Let's hope some other greats from Abyss to Zulu get the HD treatment.

MadMaxMel

The US Blu-ray is region free
The 5-disc US Blu-ray release of this movie is a region free title and will play in UK Blu-ray players, including UK PS3s.
Source: http://bluray.liesinc.net/

So, why not import it from Amazon.com and take advantage of the current exchange rate.