What does it mean to be human? This is the central theme of this film, with both humans and robots pondering that question. One character reflects on the imminent “death” of a robot, and says, “It’s too bad she won’t live – but then, who does?” These kinds of philosophical questions surface during this at-times slow-moving film. Although most of the replicants, or robots, are considered dangerous, one robot who causes harm does an about-face and saves a human, which is another theme hinted at in the movie. Human behavior, or in this case robot behavior, can be surprising and unpredictable.

When Harrison Ford isn’t on screen as detective Rick Deckard, the film really drags. The special effects are very good and in some scenes there are updated special effects, supervised by director Ridley Scott. I did notice a computer monitor that had the old dark green text lettering and it was one of the few things which gave the time frame away of when this film was made, namely in 1982. One other thing which reflects the date is the very young version of Harrison Ford we see in the movie. The film is atmospheric and dark, revealing a shadowy futuristic period in November, 2019. Sadly, there is some nudity in the film and strong language, in addition to some bloody violent scenes, and we cannot award our Dove Seal to the film as a family-friendly movie.