Blade Runner: The Final Cut
5-Disc Complete Collector's Edition HD-DVD Review

For my first review of 2008, I've chosen a great DVD set that came out a few weeks ago, and it's taken me most of that time to put this review together. It's the longest review I've ever written, so for those of you who think I write too much normally, you might want to read something else...

I love me a comprehensive DVD set. When the comprehensive set in question is one of my favorite movies, Blade Runner, I love it even more. And when the set is also on HD-DVD, with one of my favorite films in High-Definition, I can hardly stand the wait.

On December 18 th, Blade Runner: The Final Cut was released in many different versions. The holy grail of these versions is the five disc set, released on DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disc. Here, I'm reviewing the five-disc HD-DVD set. The first two discs of this set are available on regular DVD as the two-disc Final Cut. Discs one through four are available as the four disc set on DVD, and all five discs are available of DVD in the special Deckard Briefcase memorabilia item. The five disc HD-DVD and Blu-Ray sets are available in regular packaging or in the briefcase form. So basically, each disc covered in this review is available in your format of choice.

You might want to make some popcorn for reading this, because there's a lot to cover....

In all its various forms, Blade Runner is the story of Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) on the hunt for four rouge 'replicants. These Replicants are made to do Mankind's dirty work, acting as soldiers, laborers and sex servants, and they're given implanted human emotions and memories to make them seem more realistic. But those emotions eventually become troublesome as, over time, the Replicants begin to develop real consciousness and identities of their own. Because of this, they're also given limited, four-year life spans before they simply deactivate. But when they become aware of their own "mortality," some Replicants grow desperate, choosing to run and hide in the shadows of society, in the vain hope of saving themselves... or at least understanding the meaning of their brief existence. When they do, it's Deckard's job to find and destroy them before they hurt the humans around them. He's the Blade Runner.

In all forms, Blade Runner is a tale of what it means to be human. Does it matter if you are artificially created? Are feelings limited to those who are deemed safe to have them? This is a deep, haunting question, and as such, this is a deep and haunting film. Every scene can be analyzed on many metaphorical levels, and few films from the eighties show what it means to be human more realistically and emotionally.

The film is grounded in reality by two phenomenal performances. Harrison Ford, as Deckard, gives what just might be the best performance of his long career. We know this guy in and out by the time the finale rolls around. On the other end is Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty, leader of the renegade replicants. Batty is searching for a way to extend his own, already decided lifespan. While he does some things that we consider simply evil, we come to find that he is as human as the rest of us, and this would be impossible without the brilliant performance of Hauer. The rest of the cast is pitch-perfect all around.

Under the direction of Ridley Scott, the film draws you into the future with such force and apparent ease that you forget it's all a film. The visuals are spectacular throughout, and little touches that you don't consciously realize enhance the futuristic feel of the film throughout. The musical score by Vangelis (Chariots of Fire) even feels futuristic; the instrumentation and arrangement is absolutely perfect, and generates feelings of sadness, excitement, calm, and love throughout.

All versions of the film share these qualities, but the five presented in this set are all a bit different.

Disc One: Ridley Scott's Final Cut (HD-DVD)

Film Grade: A+
Video: 8.5/10
Audio: 9/10

A note about HD-DVD Reviews. Because HD-DVD offers a picture resolution six times higher then normal DVD discs, and because the two formats could not be graded on the same scale, HD-DVD's will be reviewed on a 1-10 scale. A DVD, on this scale, could never achieve more than a 4 or 5 out of ten, so DVD's will continue to be reviewed with an A-F scale. Assume that if an HD-DVD I am reviewing is on Blu-Ray Disc, all technical ratings would be the same on both formats.

In 1992, Blade Runner was released in a brief theatrical run, and on home video, as a "Director's Cut." Fans of the film are probably most familiar with this version, as it was, up until recently, the only version of the film available on DVD. In this version, Deckard's annoying narration was removed, as well as the extremely silly happy ending, and other small shots were put in to suggest the Deckard may be a replicant too. But Scott was, by and large, not involved with this version of the film, beyond suggesting the removal of narration and the happy ending.

In 2001, the process got started on creating one final, definitive cut of the film, with direct supervision by Ridley Scott himself. Extensive restoration was done on the film, and crates full of archival footage was dug up and restored to be utilized in the cut. The result? The best possible version of this film that could ever exist. One of the only movies I would ever consider giving an A+ to.

Most of the changes are quite subtle, but enhance the narrative quite a bit. First off, many of the effects and shots have been tweaked slightly. Don't worry; this isn't like the Special Editions of Star Wars, where every shot has become a CGI-fest. For instance, the wires supporting the on-set Spinner vehicles have been removed. In a couple of street shots, members of the production crew accidentally appeared in the edges of the frame - they're gone now. Various matte lines have been erased, and detail that was lost due to image degradation has been restored. When Deckard has the old Chinese lady examine the scale he found, the ID number she reads doesn't match the ID number on the computer. Now, it does. Most of the tweaks are little things like that.

There are three big, noticeable changes, however. First off, I'm sure fans of the film remember the scene in all prior cuts where the replicant Zhora (the sex model) falls through various panes of glass. In this shot, it was obviously stunt double in a really terrible afro-wig. This really took the drama and realism out of the scene, for me at least. For the Final Cut, actress Joanna Cassidy, who played Zhora, was brought back in and re-shot the scene. Her head was then superimposed on the image, and now, the scene is absolutely flawless. You would think they shot it that way, and best of all, it brings the realism and drama back to the scene.

There's also a scene when Deckard is talking to the snake dealer, Abdul Ben-Hassan, in which his lip movements didn't match the dialogue. This was unintentionally humorous in other cuts, and again, took some drama away from the film. Harrison Ford was unavailable due to scheduling issues, so his son Ben was brought in correct this. Ben was shot on an effects stage from exactly the same angle, wearing exactly the same chin scar (via make-up) that his father has, saying the correct lines. His mouth was digitally inserted over his father's seamlessly.

Finally, there's a shot at the end where Batty releases a dove he had been holding, and it flies away. In other cuts, the dove flies past what looks like a dingy warehouse on a back-lot, into a bright blue sky. Of course, this scene happens at night, and we haven't seen a blue sky in this film yet. Again, this little error took drama away from the most dramatic scene of the film. A new, flawlessly rendered CGI skyline has been put in, based closely on other skylines in the film. It's perfect, and adds the drama back into the scene.

All these little visual changes really do enhance the film, but without changing it substantially or insulting what the original effects artists did. Really, it's just clean-up work that always needed to be done. Scott also utilizes some alternate takes, as well as new street shots (like the Geisha dancers in hockey masks seen previously in the Workprint) as well as all the added violence from the international cut. I'm not a violence junky, but it makes some scenes more powerful.

The result of all these tweaks is a great film brought to a whole new level. This is absolutely the definitive cut, the one we've all been waiting for. I find it absolutely stunning, after seeing the film many times myself, to find so much new here. If you love Blade Runner at all, this version is quite a treat.

Along with the changes came an extensive restoration, and in Hi-Definition, the restoration simply shines. Considering the film is 25 years old, this is a stunning HD image. Colors are sharp and vibrant throughout, and the slightly blue tint is definitely apparent here; this is how it was always meant to be scene. Blacks are deep and well rendered, and contrast across the board is well done. The most impressive thing here may be the level of detail retained in dark, shadowy scenes. These were not fun to watch on DVD, because you could never really tell what was happening, but the HD image definitely clears this problem up. Because of the film's age, you still won't see the same level of detail you see in brand new HD images, but I guarantee you'll be blown away by this image. Seeing the beautifully realized futuristic L.A. in so much detail is fascinating. Plus, there isn't a scratch or speck to be seen anywhere.

The audio is equally good. When needed, dialogue takes center stage and is clear and easy to hear. The brilliant score by Vangelis has never sounded better, and sound effects are clear and sharp. When the low bass sounds roll in, your whole room might shake. This is a great audio track.

On disc one, we are also treated to a short but sweet introduction by Ridley Scott, where he tells us that this is his favorite version of the film. He also provides audio commentary. The second commentary track features co-screenwriters Hampton Fancher (also an executive producer) and David Peoples, along with producer Michael Deeley and production executive Katherine Haber. The final commentary includes legendary futurist Syd Mead, production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special effects supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer. I haven't had time to listen to these, but most people say they're all worth a listen.

Whew....I'm tired already, but we've barely even begun. Four more discs to go...

Disc Two: Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (Standard DVD)

Film Grade: A
Video: B
Audio: B+

One of the things I look forward to most in a really good, comprehensive DVD set is a good documentary on the making of the movie, and "Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner" goes above and beyond what most documentaries even try to achieve. Culled from interviews with over 80 participants, and utilizing never before scene alternate takes, deleted scenes, outtakes, and on-set footage, "Days" will answer any question you could possibly imagine about Blade Runner.

It traces the project from its early origins to the release of the film, and on to the creation of the 1992 Director's Cut. Comprehensive doesn't even begin to describe it. The documentary, which runs at 214 minutes, is something that seems hard to watch in one sitting; however, it draws you in from the very beginning and brings you right back to 1982 and the creation of the film.

There are some real gems here. Ridley Scott participates quite a bit, and gives you phenomenal insight into his filmmaking process. He actually comes off as a bit of a jerk early on, but you realize that he is gruff and tough to get the best out of his crew, because he knows it's there.

Production Designers talk about all the influences that went into the sets and such. One of the most interesting bits here is learning about how one of the Japanese Kanji Symbols that keeps appearing on signs actually means "Origin." This sign is visible in the film when Deckard is introduced, as well as when Batty is introduced. Really brilliant stuff.

During the post-production part of the documentary, much time is spent talking about how they tried to make the movie more commercial for theatrical release, and Harrison Ford explains why he disliked the film at the time. They go in-depth talking about the narration, and Ford discusses his severe hatred for it. You even get to hear him recording the narration and making fun of it while he does so. This is great stuff all around. Guillermo Del Toro (director of Pan's Labyrinth) talks about how much he loves the narration, while Frank Darabont (director of The Shawshank Redemption) explains how it nearly ruined some of his favorite scenes.

This documentary gives you so much insight into the creative process, and just as Ridley Scott pulled us into a futuristic world with such force and amazement, documentary director Charles de Lauzirika pulls us into the past to show us what making a film in the early eighties was like. Not only does this documentary show how they made the film, it goes the extra mile in providing commentary on the themes, and even criticizes aspects of the film.

No matter what format you buy this set on, Dangerous Days is presented on a regular DVD in standard definition. The picture is perfectly fine; not remarkable nor terrible. It's just what it needs to be for the purposes of a documentary. The sound is clear and easy to listen to throughout.

Any fan of the film owes it to themselves to see this documentary.

Disc Three: Archival Version (HD-DVD)

Film Grades:
U.S. Theatrical Cut (1982)- B+
International Cut (1982)- B+
Director's Cut (1992)- A

Video (all three): 8/10
Audio: 8.5/10

On disc three of this set, we are treated to three archival versions of the film. First off is the 1982 Theatrical Cut, the version shown in the original theatrical run. Before this set, I'd only ever seen the 92 Director's Cut, so this was a new experience for me, and to be honest, I can see why Blade Runner didn't catch on with the public in 1982.

For starters, this is the version in which Deckard narrates many of his actions, trying to emulate a noir feel. This really takes you out of the film; the narration isn't written in a noir style at all, and Ford is obviously bored with it, probably because the narration is so poorly written. Both Ford and Scott objected to the narration being in the film, but that's the studio system for you. This version also left out the Unicorn Dream Sequence, which suggests Deckard may be a replicant. Because of this, the film's biggest philosophical point is gone. Finally, the "happy ending" in which Deckard and Rachel escape is just a giant middle finger to the audience. We've followed these characters through a dark world where nothing goes right, and those who are different are hunted violently. And now these two characters are happy as can be, driving through a nice mountain range. Not only that, Deckard's narration in this scene completely contradicts what we've been seeing for the last two hours. What the hey?

The international cut is just the Theatrical Cut with uncut violence and some added shots. My complaints about the theatrical cut are shared with this cut.

The version to go with here is the Director's Cut, but it's fairly useless considering its just the Final Cut minus all the effects enhancement. Don't get me wrong; I love the Director's Cut, but if you're preferred version of the film is the Final Cut, you'll never watch this one again. This is a brilliant film, much better than the other two versions presented here, and I enjoy having it for completion's sake.

I have to commend the producers of this set for including all these versions, because anyone can buy it and choose which one is their favorite. It also gives great insight into how drastically editing can change a film.

Each version has an introduction by Scott. Each runs about 45 seconds, and he does a good job of telling you what you're about to watch, and puts it all in context, in a short amount of time.

Disc Four: Enhancement Archive (Standard DVD)

Video: B
Audio: B
Extras: A+

Think you got all you needed to know about the film from Disc Two's Dangerous Days documentary? Yeah, I thought so. Then I popped in disc four....and I have to tell you, the obvious amount of work that went in to putting this single disc together is absolutely staggering. There's enough on this one disc to keep you occupied for weeks.

Everything on this disc is featurette based. No four hour documentaries here, which is a good thing if you feel you don't have four hours to spend.

The extras are sorted into three categories. Inception, Fabrication, and Longevity (all terms that deal with Replicants). There's also an "Access" option that allows you to play all featurettes in order.

Inception is all about Philip K. Dick, author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" the book that inspired Blade Runner. The first featurette here is called The Electric Dreamer: Remembering Philip K. Dick. It runs 14 minutes, and will definitely appeal to fans of Dick, not just fans of Blade Runner. It has archival interviews with the author, as well as interviews with friends and family. Next, the 15 minutes featurette Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel Versus The Film compares the themes, tone, and plot of the film and the book. I've never read the book, but this featurette definitely intrigued me to do so.

Inception also features Philip K. Dick: The Blade Runner Interviews. This is a collection of audio clips where Dick talks about the book and the film. They were recorded before the film's release. There's a lot of audio here, and I only sampled it, but if you have time it's definitely an interesting and worthwhile feature.

The second major section is "Fabrication," which talks about aspects of production that the documentary didn't go too in-depth on. As such, some of this feels a tad bit repetitive, but it's all worth your time, especially for die-hard fans of the film. First is Signs of the Times: Graphic Design. It's a 14-minute featurette that focuses on the work of the production illustrator and other artists involved in the film. You see tons of sketches, drawings and photographs of the various logos, props, signs, magazine covers and other objects that help make the world of Blade Runner so detailed and believable, and you'll learn how they were created. You'll even see stuff that didn't appear in the actual movie.

The 21-minute Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling discusses, as you may guess, the costumes and makeup of the film. Many actors, as well as Ridley Scott and the costume designer and make up-artist, weigh in here, and there are interesting stories and points of view. Harrison Ford even explains how he came up with Deckard's hair cut. Good stuff.

Next, casting director Mike Fenton introduces a 9-minute featurette entitled Screen Tests: Rachel & Pris. This is the original audition footage of Nina Axelrod and Stacey Nelkin, neither of whom actually appeared in the final film, and we get to listen to them talk about their brushes with the production. This is a really cool look of what might have been, if casting had gone in a different direction.

The Light That Burns: Remembering Jordan Cronenweth featurette runs 20 minutes and is just what it sounds like. Various friends, admirers, protégés and colleagues discuss the work and legacy of Blade Runner's legendary director of photography, including many of those who worked with him on the film. This is a moving tribute to man who was essential to the creation of Blade Runner.

But the highlight of this portion of the extras, as well as the 5-disc set itself, is the Deleted and Alternate Scenes. Now, I am not a fan of deleted scenes. In fact, I usually hate them; deleted scenes are a cheap way to pad out an extras section, because when something is deleted, it's usually for a reason. So you can imagine my amazement when I watched these and found them to be my favorite extra on this entire set, right up there with the Dangerous Days documentary. They really did something special with this, and I have to say that these deleted scenes are worth the price of the set on their own. No joke.

It runs 50 minutes in length, and opens with an alternate opening credits sequence. I would have to say I like this sequence better than what they actually used in the film. Then it jumps in to the scenes, and plays like its own mini version of the film. We've seen most of this before, but not like this. It's all culled from alternate takes, with true deleted content also present. Best of all, everything here is set to alternate music cues by Vangelis (very, very cool) and alternate narration by Harrison Ford. Remember me saying how much the narration brought down the quality of the theatrical cut? Well, this narration actually helps move the plot along; this is the stuff they should have used. It's really cool to hear.

Of note in these scenes is a scene where Deckard visits Holden, the agent who got shot in the first scene. Holden sets up a lot of plot points that the rest of the film rides on; this is really cool to see. We also learn that Deckard had a wife, who left him to go to the off-world colonies. We even see a picture of him and his wife standing on what looks like the same porch Rachel and her mom stand on in Rachel's picture. Imagine the meaning behind that. One of my favorite things here is a scene after Batty has killed Tyrell, and he gets back in the elevator, obviously disturbed by his actions. A computerized female voice begins to talk, and he says "Mom" in this frightened, child-like voice. Hauer is at the top of his game here. There's also two alternate "happy" endings, both of which are much better than what was used in the theatrical cut.

I'm actually a little disappointed that some of this was left out of the final cut. There's so many subtle character moments here that would really enhance the film. I implore any fan of the movie to set aside an hour of time, sit down, and watch all 50 minutes of this. You can watch the scenes individually, but that's not the fun way. They really but a lot of work into making these flow as a sort of sixth version of the film, so just hit play all and enjoy. This is by far the best extra on the disc, and maybe on the whole set.

But we're not done yet. The Longevity portion of the extras starts with a trio of vintage promotional featurettes from 1982, including On the Set (14 minutes), Convention Reel (13 minutes) and Behind-the-Scenes Outtakes (9 minutes). Shot on film, they're in so-so shape, but they've all got a very retro feel and they're cool to see.

Next up are a series of six trailers and TV spots for the film, including the 1981 teaser trailer, the 1982 theatrical trailer, a 1982 TV spot, the 1992 Director's Cut trailer, the 2007 Dangerous Days trailer and the 2007 Final Cut trailer.

Wrapping things up on the disc are three more, brand new featurettes. The first, Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art runs 10 minutes, is all about, as you might have guessed, creating the poster art, and contains archival sketches and alternate posters. The 10-minute Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard featurette examines one of the key questions of the film. Various fans, as well as its cast and crew members, weigh in with their opinions. The "unicorn" scene is discussed in depth, as are the various clues offered in the different versions of the film. Ridley Scott, rather bluntly, weighs in with his opinion, as well as many others, all with different yet similar interpretations. Finally , Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers is a 22-minute piece that offers more interviews with many of the same directors seen in Dangerous Days, as well as additional filmmakers, the editors of Heavy Metal and Rue Morgue, and other longtime fans. Each talks about the impact the film had on them. Good stuff all around.

Like I said above, the amount of effort and care that went in to putting this disc together alone is simply staggering, especially the Deleted Scenes section. No matter what version you buy, this disc comes as a standard DVD. Almost all features are in anamorphic widescreen, except for exclusively 4:3 features.

Well, we're almost there. Just one more disc to go...

Disc Five: Workprint (HD-DVD)

Film Grade: B+
Video: 5.5/10
Audio: 6/10
Extras: A-

The final disc in this set contains the fifth version of the film, the workprint. This is the version shown in test screenings to judge audience reaction back in 1982 (readers may enjoy learning that this version was originally screened here in Denver). Of all five versions, this might be the most drastically different.

Basically, this version has many alternate takes, all of which are fun to see. There's no unicorn scene, but, thankfully, there's no tacked on, upbeat ending. It simply cuts to black and says "THE END," and is followed by two minutes of previously unheard Vangelis music. For fans, this is certainly a treat to see. It gives really good insight into how a film can change in post-production.

The producers of the DVD set found the most cared for print of this cut in existence, but it's still in poor condition. Despite remastering efforts, the film still looks very rough and dirty throughout. Although the cut is presented in hi-definition, it rarely looks better than a very good looking DVD. Colors are not as vibrant, contrast is rather poor, and there's plenty of dirt and scratches. Still, it's quite a treat to have this version here at all, and since the workprint is a completely unique element, it's a blessing it looks as good as it does. Audio is fairly rough as well, but complements the image nicely enough.

As far as bonus material goes, the workprint offers another video introduction by director Ridley Scott. It also features running audio commentary by Paul Sammon, who is widely considered to be the ultimate historian and expert on all things related to Blade Runner. Sammon offers tons interesting details, trivia and other minutia related to the production, and in particular notes the differences in the workprint to all the other versions.

The final bonus feature in this extensive five disc set is the featurette, "All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut." This is definitely a great bonus. Running at about 28 minutes, it first discusses the different versions, then spends 25 minutes detailing the creation of the final cut. It provides great insight into the work done on the cut and how much care was put into it. Definitely a great finale to a great set.

So, that's the Blade Runner 5-Disc HD-DVD. Whatever format you choose to purchase it on, you won't be disappointed. This is easily the best DVD set of the year, on any format, and one of the most comprehensive sets in ages. Every single disc is the culmination of months, and perhaps years of work. It achieves my absolute highest recommendation.

At the top of this page, in the pictures section, I've compiled pictures and price guides for all available versions of the Complete Collector's edition.

Overall Grade: A+