Blade Runner 2049

This is a review I wrote in 2017 for Blade Runner 2049 - the much awaited sequel to the hauntingly spectacular original directed by Ridley Scott.

Whilst Denis Villenueve has forged his own path with the second instalment of this futuristic tale of humans and replicants, there were certainly enough nods to the original to ensure that this was indeed a close relative if not 'brothers'. The cinematography was visually amazing - the USA of the not too distant future depicted awash with red dust, almost post-apocalyptic deserted cities and given recent political shenanigans in the real US., possibly not surprisingly, a great deal of Russian influence in the style and culture of the remaining social and architectural landscape.

Gosling provides us with the dour yet stoic 'K/Joe', our titular character as the Blade Runner, tasked with rounding up remaining old-style replicants from an Earth which has pretty much been destroyed by humans, most of whom have since elected to live 'off world'. The few remaining humans carry out their day to day life amid a society which is largely occupied by modern replicants who seem to have found their own level or semblance of 'life'.

The normally delectable Jared Leto could be criticised for his performance as blind creator of the replicant civilisation, Wallace, but I would disagree. His jarring, slightly wooden and emotionless depiction of one of the highest placed humans in terms of social and economic stature, cleverly illustrates that the most inhuman being in this dark world is in fact made of flesh and blood.

The ever-present driving rain makes even the broadest vista seem strangely claustrophobic as our hero makes a life-changing discovery and invites the viewer to question their own life, it made me ask 'what kind of human am I?' 'Am I all that I can be?' Whether intended or not, I feel the message is that life, in whatever form it has been presented, is a gift and it is up to every single being to make sure that it isn't wasted.

All in all a stunning film that although may never match the raw emotion of Rutger Hauer's final 'tears in the rain' soliloquy, it offers a simple yet age old message that is creatively delivered and stylishly told.

With great acting, great screenplay, incredible cinematography Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best sequels ever made!

It is 2049, 30 years after the events of the previous movie. K is a Blade Runner, a policeman who tracks down and terminates replicants (androids) whose model are viewed dangerous to society. K is himself a replicant, but has been programmed to be beneficial to society. One day he tracks down and terminates a replicant that has managed to evade detection and capture for over 28 years. In his garden are found the remains of a female replicant. Shockingly, the woman died during childbirth and the baby appears to have survived. Replicants cannot reproduce. If word gets out that they can, the human-replicant hierarchy will forever be disturbed. K must find the child, quickly. Also after it is Niander Wallace, a billionaire whose company makes replicants and whose main interest is in changing the world order.

An intriguing and engaging movie, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Incendies, Sicario, Arrival) and co-written by Hampton Francher, who co-wrote the screenplay for the original Blade Runner. Good plot with some great twists and turns. Some clever manipulation of the viewer too, as you are funneled down one way of thinking, only to have things turn out in another direction. This unpredictability, and requirement that you use your brain, makes for some intriguing viewing.

Great special effects, without being too show-offy and gratuitous. Great action scenes too.

While I have seen the original Blade Runner (in all three forms), you don't have to have seen it in order to enjoy, or even understand, this one. It works fine as a standalone movie.

Solid performances by all involved.

On the negative side, the plot is not entirely water-tight. There are a few key moments where things take a turn for the implausible and contrived. The end result ultimately justified these turns, making me less critical of them, but the writers could easily have developed the plot around those moments more, in order to make them less loose and clumsy.

Though I thought it was going to be, the running time of 163 minutes is not an issue. The movie never drags and the time just flies by.

Great movie - certainly not your average sequel.

'Blade Runner' is a masterpiece and a favourite of mine. It is still to this day a genre and film landmark, and ties with 'Alien' as Ridley Scott's best film, despite being disliked at the time it has rightly gained its reputation as a classic.

Hearing that there was a sequel over thirty years later left me with intrigue, with a great cast (Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford), one of the best cinematographers in the film industry today in Roger Deakins and with an equally great director on board (having liked to loved Denis Villeneuve's previous films), but also nervousness considering (with notable exceptions) the general reputation with sequels. 'Blade Runner 2049' turned out to be well worth the wait, it is easy to see why it will alienate some with its very long length (can understand the overlong criticism) and slow pace but it is even easier to understand the acclaim the film has received.

Is 'Blade Runner 2049' better than 'Blade Runner' or on the same level? No. Is it nearly, or shall we say just, as good? Yes. To me it is one of Villeneuve's better films along with 'Sicario' and 'Incendies' (my least favourite of his is 'Arrival' and despite being an understandably divisive effort to me it was still good) and one of the exceptions to the general reputation of sequels. A sequel that treats its predecessor with respect (including some thoughtful and cleverly done nods to it, including quotations from the original score, even Ryan Gosling's name is a nod to the original author Phillip K Dick) and also its audience with respect. Despite its faults, it's also one of my favourite films of the year, and this year has been very hit and miss for films so this is saying quite a bit.

Sure 'Blade Runner 2049' is not without its flaws. Can totally see where people are coming from criticising the length, most of the time it was not a problem but some of the time there was a sense that the length was too inflated, 20 minutes could have trimmed with no problem at all. There are a few implausibilities and contrivances here and there towards the end and much more could have been done with the underdeveloped character of Jared Leto (the only weak link in the cast, he doesn't have the presence to pull the role off and doesn't look comfortable or interested).

However, 'Blade Runner 2049' does a huge amount right. It looks amazing, it's impeccably and imaginatively designed with some of the best special effects seen in a long time. It's Deakins' cinematography that particularly stands out, darkly gritty, gorgeously fluid and beautifully audacious Deakins shows that he is fully deserving of being considered one of today's best cinematographers. One cannot praise 'Blade Runner 2049' without mentioning some of the best directing Villeneuve has ever done in a contender for the best directed film of the year (well between him and Nolan for 'Dunkirk'), he is absolutely the right man for the job and shows himself to be not only completely at ease with the material but also tailor made for it. Once again there is a beautiful darkness but also a hard edge and sense of wondrous awe.

Another big standout is the synthetic music score by Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer, so well done and fitting that one doesn't miss Johann Johannsson that desperately. Though imagine what the film would have been like with his involvement, from my understanding he was originally meant to do the music but was fired for reasons that are a mystery to me and Wallfisch and Zimmer were parachuted in and did marvellously with big shoes to fill. It's appropriately hauntingly discordant, heart-pounding and tension-filled, with seeming echoes and quotes to the original's score. The sound effects are clever and thrillingly authentic, like for example the replicated wolfhound.

When it comes to the writing and story, 'Blade Runner 2049' also triumphs, even if the story is not perfectly executed. The action-oriented scenes and conflicts are filled with tension and suspense as well as ingeniously choreographed, a fine example being the masterful prologue which has to be one of my favourite opening sequences of 2017. The science fiction elements are positively awe-inspiring, often making my jaw drop, while the philosophical ones are incredibly thought-provoking and never heavy-handed (many films have made a hash with this aspect, it was refreshing to see a film doing it well). Despite being a long and slow film, a vast majority of the film was richly rewarding, with a delicious quiet tension and absorbing mysterious elements.

Excepting Leto, the acting is great. Best of all being Harrison Ford as a suitably world-weary Indiana Jones-like Deckard, that and the 'Apocalypse Now'-like meeting with Ryan Gosling providing a nostalgic element, and a deliciously cold-hearted Sylvia Hoeks (her character and performance being what Leto's character and performance should have been). Ryan Gosling also plays it straight to great effect.

All in all, despite imperfections this jaw-dropping, richly rewarding, very respectful and visually stunning follow-up is just as good, if not quite as, as the 1982 masterpiece and one of my favourites of the year. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox

It's 2049 Los Angeles. K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner hunting for old Nexus 8 replicants under LAPD Lieutenant Joshi (Robin Wright). After the 2022 blackout, most records have been erased or corrupted. Tyrell is out of business and replicant production had been outlawed until Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). Wallace is producing a new obedient replicant. Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) is his replicant henchwoman. K hunts down an old Nexus 8 and in the process, he discovers a surprise which leads to Deckard (Harrison Ford). Joi (Ana de Armas) is K's holographic computer girlfriend. Mariette (Mackenzie Davis) is a prostitute.

This is pure cinema although I can see some object to the length and dark depressing sensibilities. For the most part, the action is not intended to be fun. Some people will feel the long running time more than others. An easy test is whether the person likes the original or any cyberpunk sci-fi anime. This takes the original's visual mastery and adds a more compelling detective mystery. Any BR fan will undoubtedly love this unless they are some nitpicking fanatic. Non-fans may find this more appealing... or not.

The original's detective story and pacing are its major flaws. This sequel has a real detective story with a real mystery. The writing is impeccable. The designs take the original vision and dives right in. Roger Deakins' work is beyond beautiful. Villeneuve is at the top of his game. Gosling is a more effective lead. Ford comes in during the second half and is a more fun Deckard. Ana de Armas is a gorgeous vision of girl perfection. Sylvia Hoeks is an amazing villain. The movie tackles all of the ideas without hitting one over the head. This is a great film although I'm not sure if popular modern audience will take to it. The opening box office certainly does not suggest that.