Review of Blade Runner (1982) by Keanex — 09 Jan 2022

As a huge Cowboy Bebop fan, it hit me about 1/3rd of the way in that this movie was potentially a huge inspiration for Cowboy Bebop. By 1/2 way through it was clear, and reading some interviews, it was confirmed. It turns out, not surprisingly, that it had a huge impact on sci-fi and anime in general. For that, it made it a fantastic watch.

The film itself didn't jive tremendously with me. There were some moments that stood out, but above all, it was moreso the concept and pacing that were key. The "tears in the rain" scene with Roy on the roof was the highlight of the film for me. An AI being driven by fear of mortality was highly impactful for me. It retroactively painted their actions in a different light.

Often times media that is inspired by originators of concepts build on those concepts and make them "better," and as a huge Cowboy Bebop fan, I feel that it accomplished this in a roundabout way. I feel that Cowboy Bebop took the building blocks, added its own flair, and expanded on the mood and pacing of Blade Runner. Obviously a different overall concept, but very clearly built off of the backbone of it. The similarities are probably what pulled me away from loving Blade Runner, but boy do I respect it.

Excellent movie, and I can see why it was highly impactful in the sci-fi genre.