Within any given genre of film, there are a
few movies that have acted as the new benchmark. For war there's "Apocalypse
Now" and "Saving Private Ryan," for gangster movies there's
"The Godfather" and "Goodfellas," and for horror there's
"The Exorcist" and "Silence of the Lambs." Then there's
science-fiction which has three that changed the landscape of the genre as a
whole. First there was "2001: A Space Odyssey," a polarizing but
thematic movie that has since been listed among the best movies ever. Second
was "Star Wars: A New Hope," one that we all know and love that would
launch one of the most popular franchises of all time. And finally, there was
"Blade Runner." Released in 1982, "Blade Runner" was
directed by Ridley Scott and was based off of the novel "Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep." The movie followed Deckard, a police officer known as a
Blade Runner who is tasked with tracking down rogue replicants (a type of
android that occasionally lose their mind and become dangerous). Noted for its
visuals, music, acting, themes, and story, "Blade Runner" has become
a classic and is considered one of the most influential films of all time;
personally, I'd go so far as calling it one of the best movies ever made. After its release, there were talks about a sequel for years but nothing ever
panned out. Finally, after years of pre-production, the sequel founds its
director and would be made. But the question remained, "do we
really need a sequel to one of the greats 35 years later?" Many called the
movie unnecessary, and that if it was anything less than exceptional it would
tarnish the legacy of its predecessor. It would just be another useless sequel
from made to make some money. Well the final product is finally here, and I am
delighted to say that it does its predecessor proud.
"Blade Runner 2049" takes place 30
years after the events of the original, and the world isn't any better than it
was. K is a cop that works for the Los Angeles police department, and works as
one of only a few Blade Runners. One day while on a mission to retire an old
model replicant he discovers something strange at his home. After examining it
back at the station, he and his commander realizes something is very off. K is
ordered to follow the clues and see what's at the bottom of the rabbit hole;
but if it is what they think it is, it could shake the foundation of the world
order.
Making a sequel is hard, making a good sequel
is harder, and making one of the best sequels ever 35 years after the original
was released is something that should be impossible; but somehow "Blade
Runner 2049" does just that. "2049" surpassed my expectations,
what I thought would be a good movie turned into one of the best we've seen in
2017; and considering this was a film that actually topped the list of my most
anticipated of the year I am so damn happy that it's as good as it is. So let's
just get into it. First off all the credit in the world needs to go to the
director Dennis Villeneuve. Going into this movie I already believed that Villeneuve
was the best director currently working, but this film only proves it; and he
has a serious chance at being considered for the Oscar this year. It's clear he
had a vision of what this movie needed to be, a modern take on the source
material that pays respect to its predecessor. It doesn't change too much,
keeping the tone and style, but it changes enough that it keeps it fresh. It
helps because the pace is a bit faster than the original (which is undeniably
slow). While the pace does drag in a few parts during "2049," and as
a whole the movie is a bit longer than necessary, I was never bored or
disinterested with what was going on. What I always liked about the original
film was that it was an interesting mashup of genres. A sci-fi neo-noir film,
which is a type of movie we don't see very often. "2049" keeps that
interesting mash-up while introducing a fascinating mystery, that keeps you
guessing till the very end, while being centered on a very engaging plot. What help
would be the several memorable and layered characters that feature throughout.
Considering how iconic some of the characters were in the original, it's good
to see the new ones continue to be interesting. It helps that every actor in
this movie does a great job. From the leads Gosling and Ford, to minor
characters like Leto and Wright, there is no weak link in this chain.
What so many remember regarding the first
"Blade Runner" was how it looked. It was gorgeous, with impressive
special effects and world design that put most films to shame; and
"2049" honors the original by continuing the legacy. "2049"
is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. Roger Deakins
cinematography is gorgeous to say the least, the CGI and special effects are
impressive and almost feel real at times, and the design of everything is just
stupendous. It's obvious that the production design is simply top notch, with a
lot of money put into an incredible amount of detail. The design of the world,
costumes, technology, cars, weapons, buildings, streets, and just about
everything else is incredible. The world feels real, tangible, and alive.
"2049" is just beautiful, no ifs, ands, or buts. And accompanied by a
creative score and it cements "Blade Runner" as one of the most
fascinating film worlds ever made. "2049" reminds me a lot of “Mad
Max: Fury Road," it feels like the movie that the directors of their
predecessors wanted to make, but are no longer constrained by budget or
technology; and that's a good thing. And of course, the screenplay for "2049"
is great, as to be expected. The writing and dialog is well done, it's
intelligent and thought provoking, and touches on a variety of themes. But with
that comes the film's greatest weakness, in that it's not the original
"Blade Runner."
When "Blade Runner" first came out,
a lot of people didn't like it. It took years before people began to admire it,
and years before it began to influence the genre. The reason is because it was
doing things that we weren't seeing in other movies, and by being so different
people had trouble appreciating it. The problem with "2049" is that
while it does everything well, it doesn't necessarily do anything new. I feel
that 35 years from now, it would be considered as ground breaking as its
predecessor. Now this isn't anything new, this is something common with
sequels; but it's an issue that kept rattling around in my head even while I
was watching it. It's an inevitable issue that likely couldn't be avoided; but
even so, it doesn't take away from what this movie really is. And what it is,
is great.
"Blade Runner 2049" is an incredible
piece of cinema, and one to be admired. It flips the concept of a modern
blockbuster on its head by not pandering to the common movie goer, but by
trying to be something more. Is it as good as the original? I don't know. We're
going to have to wait a few years before we can look back and judge it fairly.
All I know is that it is the sequel I wanted, and one that I think any fan of
the original wants as well. "Blade Runner 2049" is one of the best
movies of the year, and one the best the sci-fi genre has seen in a long
time.
Pros: Visually
stunning, gorgeous cinematography, impressive CGI and special
effects, exceptional performances, memorable characters, great
writing and dialog, intelligent and thought provoking, touches on a variety of
themes, top notch production design, creative costume and world
design, Oscar worthy directing, creative original
score, impressive level of detail, engaging plot, mysterious and
keeps you guessing, interesting mash-up of genres, pays respect to
original, one of the best sequels ever, faster pace than original.
Cons: Still
slow at times, little longer than necessary, not as ground breaking as the
original.
5/5 Stars
