4K Review: Blade Runner – “A beautiful and brutal sensory overload”

It’s 2019, 35 years ago. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner, who’s task it is to hunt and destroy four replicants – androids that are so technologically advanced that they pose a threat to human life.

We follow Deckard as he pursues the replicants through a futuristic LA, meandering his way through the urban decay and swathes of intense rainfall – presumably caused by the rise of pollution. The people are as dirty as the streets and the environment is as mesmerising as the stellar performance of Ford and artistic vision of Scott.

Without the need to delve into the plot so much, the mere mention of Blade Runner is synonymous with sci-fi royalty, and rightly so. Ridley Scott’s interpretation of futuristic dystopian landscapes, sprawling urban metropolis and vision of what happens when technology and the human world collide are bolted together in this landmark moment of cinema set production.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Blade Runner has reaped the benefits of today’s cutting-edge technology in video refinement. The sumptuous 4K edit – that’s available to buy now – is like a chasm, you get sucked into the wide landscapes and closer to Scott’s vision than ever before, in what becomes a beautiful and brutal sensory overload, which makes it even more magnificent considering it was made 35 years ago.

Obviously, the relevancy and timing of this release correlates to the sequel fronted by Ryan Gosling, Blade Runner 2049, so it’s perfect for fans of the original and newcomers alike.