BLADE RUNNER 2049: Review

Blade Runner 2049 is director Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction noir, Blade Runner. Based on the 1968 Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Scott’s initial Blade Runner adaptation was by no means a box office hit but its unique aesthetic and philosophical quandaries surrounding consciousness and singularity cemented itself as a cult classic to be staunchly revered by cinema buffs and ultra-nerds. I can certainly understand the appeal of the original Blade Runner; its visuals are still impressive by today’s standards and deserves credit for spawning the whole neon-techno-city-in-the-rain “look” that every show/film/anime HAS to cram into their grandiose sci-fi dystopian epic. Wish I could give similar praise for its script, though. I rewatched the original before going to see 2049 and I’m still not 100% certain about what exactly happens or how female jackets with football-length shoulder pads will come back in fashion come 2019, but it’s still a entertaining work of cinema with meaningful questions about artificial intelligence. I didn’t know what to expect for 2049 but somehow director Denis Villeneuve’s managed to craft a sequel that not only matches the original “look,” but surpasses Blade Runner with a superior story and cinematography. This is by far one of the best science fiction features I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing on the big screen; leaving me physically exhausted but cognitively enraptured. 

Taking place 30 years after the events of Blade Runner, 2049 stars Ryan Gosling and his body-by-Zeus ass as “K,” a LAPD cop, a replicant, and the film’s titular Blade Runner; who tracks down bioengineered runaways and “retires” them with bullets. Without spoiling the rest of the story, the plot hits all the same “beats” as the original 1982 film. K gets sent out on a mission to “retire” yet another self-prolonged replicant that kickstarts an elegiac journey in a corrupted technology-addicted world much like our own that leads to dark truths and self-discovery. In line with its detective-noir genre 2049’s chock full of twists, turns, and dead ends that K must endure as he gradually make sense of his “life” in a world that resents and needs him; all leading up to a strong cautionary tale of what can happen when an all-powerful system of incredulous technocrats reigns supreme over an irreverent society of working class ditizens forced to fight amongst themselves while the powers at be continue to grow in unchecked wealth and power. Also Harrison Ford’s in it and is implied to be the father of the robo-messiah or something, I’m not exactly sure. 

There’s a-LOT of information to process in this 2 hour and 44 minute picture but that’s how I like my hard, ultra-meditative science fiction movies with blurred lines of morality that toe the line between saudade and pretentious; like so many other philosophical sci-fi films audiences  either love (to an almost obsessive degree) or hate, (to an almost psychotic degree). But if you’re cut from the same cloth as I and would go out of your way to see Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm for the umpteenth time, then I’m positive you’ll enjoy Blade Runner 2049. If, however, you prefer your science fiction lacking in the brains department but action-packed and “fun,” then stick to the new Star Wars sequels and Green Lantern. This is by far the most visually-captivating work of modern cinema I’ve seen since George Miller’s 2015 opus, Mad Max: Fury Road. Roget Deakins mouth-watering cinematography is beyond opulent with a wide array of ambitious settings and set pieces that not only sync with the look of Blade Runner’s retro-future aesthetic but gives so much depth to the world of 2049. This, hybridized with director Denis Villeneuve’s use of visual storytelling makes for a spectacular ballad of technological spiritually. Ryan Gosling’s performance as K is subtle but evocative; managing to convey thoughts and “emotions” with little to no dialogue. Ana de Armas as Gosling’s holographic lover Joi was also beautifully haunting and was one of the strongest characters of the entire film. I’ve never seen an on-screen relationship between an android and a hologram before but their chemistry was so unique and “human” that it not only spoke volumes for their characters but also called to attention the social prejudices of their world. 

The effects were flawless with an appropriate blend of digital and analog technology that gave the film a more “realistic” tone than most other effects-crazed sci-fi blockbusters that are shot primarily on green-screen. Hans Zimmer’s sound design deserves props for crafting the appropriately cacophonous atmosphere for 2049’s commercially acrid civilization. Jared Leto as the blind technocrat Niander Wallace was MUCH better than his portrayal of the Joker in David Ayer’s 2016 afterbirth, Suicide Squad. Oh yeah, and Harrison Ford, the original Blade Runner, is back and he’s fine, I think? I mean, he’s given a whole lot more to do than his Han Solo counterpart in The Force Awakens, but I can never tell if he’s playing a grumpy character who doesn’t want to be there or is legitimately just a grumpy actor who wants to finish up his scenes so he can go back to flying his planes. 

I should also confess that even though I enjoyed 2049 there were more than a few scenes that confused me and I can’t tell if the fault was on me or the film. As I said before, there’s a lot of information you’re expected to absorb and not all of its explicit so you may get caught off guard if you’re not paying attention. I also think there might have been one-too many call backs to the original film. They don’t detract from the main plot but for a film that’s almost three hours long, every little moment adds up. To the film’s credit, however, it takes the themes and ambiguities of Scott’s 1982 neo-noir and expands upon them in such a way that the original’s improved upon it; making for a duology that’s, as a whole, a stronger work of food-for-thought entertainment when viewed in succession. This is one of the rare occasions where the symbiotic relationship between two movies is so strong and crucial for each other that you essentially need one to understand the other and vise-versa. As a whole, Blade Runner 2049 is one stellar looking thought experiment on what it means to be “human,” that’s perfect for new audiences and fans of the old. I’d highly recommend seeing it in on the largest screen available after a quick viewing of the original; though be sure to give yourself several hours to recuperate afterwards. You’ll need it.