At the risk of receiving hundreds of threatening e-mails, I will go on record stating that Ridley Scott's dystopian vision stands as one of the most unjustifiably praised films since the invention of sound. While technically marvelous and full of visual invention (it does use noir influences effectively), the story drags on endlessly and the characters, especially Ford's, remain aloof, uninteresting, and frustrating. As an exercise in style, it has undoubted appeal, but it must be heavily criticized at the screenplay level. When a story is in service to the visuals, it reflects a lack of confidence at the narrative level. I have never found Ford to be an appealing actor (he is far too bland to be a commanding leading man), but at no other time has his character been so devoid of passion or insight.