Can you believe there’s another version of Blade Runner out there? When it was announced that Warner Brothers would release The Final Cut, there was some trepidation that maybe this was too much messing with a good thing. Let’s be honest - the original version was spectacular even with the lame voiceovers and weird ending and when those ‘issues’ were corrected by the Director’s Cut, the film became a masterpiece. What more could be done? You’ll be amazed. Remember a few years back when George Lucas went back to the original Star Wars and added a few special effects and even scenes? Ridley Scott has done something similar to Blade Runner but his work far surpasses Lucas’. Where the tinkering with Star Wars was a little too apparent, especially in the scene with a cartoon-ish Jabba, the alterations to Blade Runner aren’t just seamless, they feel like they’ve been there all along. Watching Final Cut is like seeing your favorite movie for the hundredth time and realizing that it’s even better than you thought the first 99. They say you can’t improve upon perfection. Final Cut proves that theory wrong.

So, what’s new? As great as it was, there were a few little continuity errors in the previous versions. For example, Bryant (M. Emmet Walsh) told Deckard (Harrison Ford) in previous versions that 1 of the 6 escaped replicants had died, leading to much speculation about the missing baddie (because Deckard only chases down four in the rest of the film). The dialogue has been fixed to 2. The dialogue during the scene when Deckard speaks to Abdul about the snake skin never matched with Ford’s mouth so Scott actually went and shot footage with Gabe Ford, Harrison’s son, who’s the same age that the star was when he made Blade Runner and inserted the footage over Harrison’s face. If you hadn’t just read that, you’d never know it. You’d just think the dialogue finally matched up.

Even Joanna Cassidy returned to shoot new footage of her character, Zhora, crashing through the windows after she gets shot. In previous versions the stunt double was far too apparent. It wasn’t enough to ruin the moment, but now it’s stronger because you’re not as aware of the stunt double. Other little changes, like brilliantly changing a line of Batty’s from "f**ker" to "father" and finally correcting the ill-fitting blue sky behind the released dove add more to the final product than you can imagine reading it. Unlike Star Wars, every nip, tuck, and alteration works to make the film a more complete experience. And all that talk about Deckard being a replicant? The Final Cut makes a much more clear cut argument. We wouldn’t dare spoil it by telling you if it’s pro or con. Check it out for yourself.

There’s another Ridley Scott movie opening on many more screens this weekend called American Gangster. Maybe you've heard of it? While that film’s worth your time, Blade Runner is something altogether different. The Final Cut isn’t just a good option for the weekend, it’s one of the best experiences you’ll have in a theater. Ever. And when it’s released on DVD in a five-disc package in December, it could be enough to make you finally give in and buy a high definition player. The only baffling thing about Blade Runner: Final Cut is why it isn’t getting a wider release. With Nightmare Before Christmas: 3-D breaking the top ten in its first weekend of release, don't you think The Final Cut would do the same? You may have to look harder to find it than American Gangster or a number of other releases this weekend, but it's worth the effort. You may have seen Blade Runner before, but it's not only better than you remember, it's better than it's ever been.