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[Nuu]

Is this the version with the terrible narration?

 

[Chichikov]

Go for it, I personally think the theatrical cut is the best one, and generally I don't think it's that huge of a deal.
You can have an interesting discussion about which one works best, but generally, I don't think it's very likely that your general impression of the movie is going to be all that different regardless of the version you watch. I mean, I see people on the internet all the time saying that this version is horrible and that version ruin the film, I see them in this very thread, but I don't really think that this is something most people have to worry about all that much.

Edit: oh and my 2 cents on the film, I absolutely adored it when I first watched it, I think I was 15, and I have long listed as one of my favorite films, I have rewatched it when it was re-released at 2007 and wasn't nearly as impressed. I still think it is worth checking out though. Here's a post I made about it years ago. Reading it make me think I might have been a bit too harsh with the film, but I was quite disappointed at the time.

 

[User 479360]

I watched Blade Runner: Director's Cut as my first viewing. That just occurred within the last year, too. I'd never seen it before, even though I bought the Blu-ray when it was first released.

Now, I kind of wish I hadn't and that I still had that money.

Blade Runner is not a bad movie, but it's not this amazing thing that it's cracked up to be. It looks nice, has its moments, but is kind of boring too.

 

[blame space]

that wrestling gif owns

 

[Timeaisis]

Yeah, just watch it.

Keep in mind, this is the version that caused such a cult following in the first place. For over a decade, this is what people meant when they said they liked Blade Runner.

The movie is like, 95% the same as the Final Cut. People who consider the theatrical "bad?" I don't get that. It's more or less the same movie, with the same performances, and the same pacing. The voiceover isn't great. It's also not so diminishing as to significantly drag down the rest of the film's quality down to a level where using words like "bad" could apply.

Plus, if you're like a large number of its fans that I know, it doesn't matter what cut you watch for the first time, you're gonna need to rewatch it like, twice before it starts to actually work on you.

(twice I've had to say this today, too - Workprint Cut is best cut)

Here, here. I fell in love with the original and there isn't anything wrong with that. Theatrical cut haters confuse me.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

that wrestling gif owns

Doesn't it?

Okay, I'll watch it tomorrow and report back.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Crazy that people are calling this movie boring!

Also, any cut is worth watching, if you love it you'll seek out the other cuts. It's not something like Kingdom of Heaven where the different cuts change the film completely.

 

[Ushojax]

The theatrical cut has an atrocious ending that deserves to be erased from history. Still a great movie but the ending came from the executives, not Ridley Scott. Final Cut is the best.

 

[Ashhong]

My favorite movie is 2001.

Now there's a movie that put me to sleep

 

[Korgill]

It's basically a less polished Director's Cut, but without Ridley Scott's shoving in his stupid "Deckard might maybe be a Replicant" shit.

Makes the film feel a little more ragged. Gives it some extra energy, without losing the ambiguity, or gaining Ridley's confused bullshit.

Just watch ANY cut of Blade Runner if you can. And then watch one of the others. And then one of the others. Somewhere in there, it's gonna get its hooks in you. But it (in my experience) rarely happens the first time - no matter which cut it is you're watching.

I have the awesome HDDVD collector's edition with 5 versions. Plus I believe a later Bluray release had 6 versions with an extra deleted scene.

Only have seen Final Cut and the Workprint version which I liked better:

Disc Five
WORKPRINT VERSION
This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Batty (Rutger Hauer) and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more.

 

[Dr.Acula]

That reminds me, I still have to watch the WP and FC versions.

 

[Chichikov]

The theatrical cut has an atrocious ending that deserves to be erased from history. Still a great movie but the ending came from the executives, not Ridley Scott. Final Cut is the best.

I don't think it matters that much to be honest.
If you watch both versions side by side you will most likely have an opinion about which ending works better, it might even be a strong opinion, but if you never seen the movie, I don't think you'll have a different reaction to the film overall regardless of the cut you're watching.
The movie works (or don't work) pretty much the same with either ending.
I wouldn't stress over it.

 

[jabuseika]

Is this the version with the terrible narration?

Yes.

It's the worst version imo, but I would still watch it.

Then watch the director's cut and it will make sense.

 

[kinoki]

Watch it. It's the version I first saw and fell in love with.