Good Guy Deckard

TLDR: Some Blade Runner fans might not like it, but IMO this is the best version, full stop.

It's been a hot minute since I've seen the original or any fanedit for that matter. It was nice to watch the story with a fresh eye. From a technical/editing standpoint, I always look at it from a "did anything take me out of the film" point of view and I'm happy to say no.

Furthermore and in that regard, it's what is truly great about this fanedit. The tightness and precision really drives the story.
Now all visual and audio cues make you focus on the story in front of you. I actually noticed little things I hadn't before or at least I payed more attention to them. No voice over, no dates, no dream, etc. This is the right way to tell the story. It's a detective story after all and part of what makes it fun is detecting.

It's all there to drive the story, to explain the world and the characters, all without spoon feeding you like the theatrical cut did. It's a less is more approach that this kind of story and film thrive on. You watch it once and are blown away, then you come back and soak up the little things more and more.

Anyway, that's my two cent take on this fanedit. Thank you Wakeupkeo for your great fanedits and looking forward to watching more.

Nothing of consequence was cut, in my opinion.

I've always liked the apparent good movie hidden underneath Bladerunner. The general trend in Riddley Scott's movies seems to be to have great aesthetical ideas that COULD mesh well together with the themes if those themes weren't either bogged down by bloat or additions to the movies. I would summarize Scott's achiles' heel as being unfocused.

This edit by Wakeupkeo brings that focus, as fanfixes tend to do, with what in my opinion is thematic clarity. The big selling point of this is the removal of the abuse scene between Deckard and Rachael. Not just a comfortable removal for more modern eyes, editing this out refocuses the narrative on the messaging, and there is a similar editing refocusing on the replicants with regards to their quickly kindled friendship with Sebastian that likewise makes them, if not "good", at least not morally unscrupulous. The original Bladerunner is pretty deep into a noir aesthetic with all characters being more or less assholes, but never not being an asshole. To me it feels oddly gratuitous and indulgent – another way to sum up Scott's general issues, for that matter.

And indulgent is how I would characterize the abuse scene, just to linger on that note a bit more. I don't think the point that comes across is necessarily that Deckard is an abuser, but that this abuse is necessary for Rachael's grasping of freedom, and as such it just feeds into pretty nasty stereotypes rationalizing partner abuse. Being a woman, I'm pretty biased in this reading, but to be clear I'm not against showing abuse in movies itself, but I think the implied idea that abuse leads to liberation is a pretty unhealthy messaging that just detracted from the core narrative about the replicants' struggle for liberation. "He hits you because he cares/likes you" is a trope I'd rather just not make excuses for why they should be included, and therefore I think this edit really has a substantial effect on the movie itself, rather than just being a censoring of uncomfortable content - in the sense of censoring profanity, that is, and not censoring speech. I will say, however, that the abuse scene is historically interesting and a good conversation starter if nothing else.

Bladerunner isn't just a movie about social themes, however, and I think Wakeupkeo has done a good job bringing that ambient, slow and dreamy experience that originally drew me to the movie (and which I thought Bladerunner 2049 did better, in the end) by abstracting elements in the movie. Even small things, like removing the date markings, help this, but I also enjoyed the removal of the unicorn passages, as it puts more focus on the world and the aesthetic. This means that it's a pretty lousy Philip K Dick adaptation, with his recurring themes about identity dissipation, by definition. But then again, Bladerunner never really was an adaptation to begin with.

There are a few editing hiccups that other reviews have made me aware of, but nothing that anything but really keen eyes would notice.

In conclusion, this is pretty much an edit that does EXACTLY what I wanted, and is perfectly in line with my tastes. I actually went hunting for a Bladerunner edit without this scene because I find the replicants relatable to things going on in my own life currently, and was delighted when the editor had also done other editing choices that I was interested in seeing! I fully recommend giving this a watch, whatever your opinion on the abuse scene is.

I've seen all of the official releases of "Blade Runner" and have approached the multiple fan edits with equal amounts of dread and curiosity (how does one mess with a classic?) and I think I've watched them all, including the b/w noir version.

THIS RENDERING is by far above and beyond all the rest; it is like watching the film for the first time.

Is it the sound (emphasis and music significantly rearranged)? The changeups in plot points (now a fuller/deeper immersion)? Those were the questions I was asking myself while watching this in complete awe. Clearly, it's not any one particular thing that elevates this fanedit to what now should be considered the "Blade Runner gold-standard experience" other than recognizing the holistic insight and artistic skill of this one faneditor himself.

YES, watch it and become immersed unlike any version before it -- headphones highly recommended -- and I sincerely hope that those who were involved in the creation of the original(s) will find their way to this version and be likewise amazed.

I have watched this movie in various edits over the last 40 years. I can honestly say that this is the first time that I have ever ENJOYED the movie. I have finally finished this movie not feeling like I have missed something.
I love how all of the edits were seamless and I was never pulled out of the movie. Wakeupkeo had me invested with all of the characters and situations. I never felt like something didn't fit. I could feel Deckards' agony over some of his decisions. I felt Rachael's sadness at finding out her true story. I had sympathy for Roy's desire for life. I finished the movie completely satisfied for the first time.
I will not get into the technical parts of the editing because if I am that absorbed in a movie then the editing speaks for itself.

Great job!! This will definitely be my go to edition of the film!! Thank you!

Great edit. Excellent use of deleted scenes and alternate takes to give some scenes a bit more breathing room. My favorite in particular is Leon's entrance on to the street where Roy is with the large neon sign backlighting him. Great stuff. Good sense of pace to the edit, really brings Deckard's noir mystery story in focus.

Only nitpick would be a lack of any atmos/foley over the first part of the rescored scene where Rachel plays piano and takes her hair out. Adding that "Deckard apartment ambience" back in would add a lot to it I think. Great work, otherwise.