"Wake up! Time to die!"

It’s 2019 and after a series of unfortunate events replicants (androids) have been declared illegal on earth. However, a small group of the most advanced type, Nexus-6, have hijacked a shuttle and returned to earth with one thing on their mind – to meet their maker! Deckard is a retired Blade Runner - a policeman who hunts and retires replicants. Reluctantly he is forced back from retirement and tasked with tracking down the rogue replicants and soon he begins to question his own humanity as well as those he hunts. The replicants have split up and infiltrated normal life in order to try and get to the genius Tyrell who designed their minds and holds the key to the one things these seemingly perfect machines crave - longevity.

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."


skyjude review
What I love about this classic piece of sci-fi is the fact that you can almost see yourself in this world – it’s just not that far away from the environment we live in today in 2006. This is an outstanding achievement considering its original release date. Visually it still packs a punch in a grungy, dark way that absolutely drips with atmosphere right from the opening scene – a stunning night time vista of LA in 2019 complete with pyramids and flaming oil refineries. This is one of Ford’s finest performances. His character is no hero – just a seemingly regular guy who happens to excel at catching and retiring rogue replicants. There are strong performances from all the cast but Rutger Hauer almost steals the show from Ford with his portrayal of Roy Batty. The climax of the fight between Deckard and Batty is one of Hauer's finest acting moments. There are two versions of this movie – the original released version featured a 70’s style detective program voiceover from Ford. This was apparently due to the test audience not being able to understand the story. Ford is rumoured to absolutely hate it but I actually enjoy the original version as much as the directors cut that is sans the voiceover and features a slightly different ending. This movie is a great reminder of how good sci-fi was before all the CGI and big budgets got in the way.

Top 5 Reasons for Watching Blade Runner

[5] Musical score
This is hugely atmospheric and compliments the movie. In particular I love the scene where Deckard and Rachael are at his home and the music almost takes the place of dialogue.

[4] Stunning visuals
The opening shots of Los Angeles in 2019 is perfect.

[3] Harrison Ford
Who would have thought this guy would be starring in Hollywood Homicide some 20 years later???

[2] Rutger Hauer
A chilling performance as Roy Batty.

[1] “Let me tell you about my mother”
Leon blows away a blade runner who interviews him. At this point in the movie (even the original cut) you are still not sure about who is who and it really grabs your attention.


Blade Runner quotes

Bryant: I need ya, Deck. This is a bad one, the worst yet. I need the old blade runner. I need your magic.

Deckard: They don't advertise for killers in the newspaper. That was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-blade runner. Ex-killer.

Deckard: The report read "Routine retirement of a replicant." That didn't make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back.

Deckard: She's a replicant isn't she?
Tyrell: I'm impressed. How many questions does it usually take to spot them?
Deckard: I don't get it Tyrell.
Tyrell: How many questions?
Deckard: Twenty, thirty, cross-referenced.
Tyrell: It took more than a hundred for Rachael didn't it?
Deckard: She doesn't know.
Tyrell: She's beginning to suspect, I think.
Deckard: Suspect? How can it not know what it is?

Holden: You're in a desert, walking along in the sand when all of a sudden you look down.
Leon: What one?
Holden: What?
Leon: What desert?
Holden: It doesn't make any difference what desert - it's completely hypothetical.
Leon: But how come I'd be there?
Holden: Maybe you're fed up. Maybe you want to be by yourself. Who knows? You look down and see a tortoise Leon. It's crawling toward you.
Leon: Tortoise? What's that?
Holden: You know what a turtle is?
Leon: Of course!
Holden: Same thing.
Leon: I've never seen a turtle. But I understand what you mean.
Holden: You reach down and you flip the tortoise over on its back Leon.
Leon: Do you make up these questions Mr. Holden? Or do they write 'em down for you?
Holden: The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping.
Leon: What do you mean I'm not helping?
Holden: I mean you're not helping! Why is that, Leon?
Holden: They're just questions Leon. In answer to your query they're written down for me. It's a test, designed to provoke an emotional response. Shall we continue?

Leon: Nothing is worse than having an itch you can never scratch!

Holden: Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about your mother.
Leon: My mother?
Holden: Yeah.
Leon: Let me tell you about my mother...

Tyrell: The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And you have burned so very, very brightly Roy.

Deckard: You're reading a magazine. You come across a full-page nude photo of a girl.
Rachael: Is this testing whether I'm a replicant or a lesbian Mr. Deckard?

Rachael: May I ask you a personal question?
Deckard: Sure.
Rachael: Have you ever retired a human by mistake?
Deckard: No.
Rachael: But in your position that is a risk.

Deckard: I have had people walk out on me before but not when I was being so charming.

Batty: I've done questionable things.
Tyrell: Also extraordinary things. Revel in your time.
Batty: Nothing the God of bio-mechanics wouldn't let you in heaven for.

Deckard: I don't know why he saved my life. Maybe in those last moments he loved life more than he ever had before. Not just his life, anybody's life, my life. All he'd wanted were the same answers the rest of us want. Where did I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got? All I could do was sit there and watch him die.


Production companies: Blade Runner Partnership, The Ladd Company