35 years ago, Blade
Runner hit theaters and became a
cult hit later on video after failing at the box office. In the process, it
became one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. Now,
Director Denis Villeneuve along with original
Screenwriter Hampton Fancher, (as well as
co-writer Michael Green), present Blade Runner 2049, a sequel that takes place 30 years
later. Does 2049 live up to the first
film’s legacy or does it find a way to surpass it?
I’m not going to delve into the plot of
this one, because I don’t want to give anything away. All you need to know is
that Ryan Gosling plays a new
Blade Runner—a cop that hunts down synthetic humans known as Replicants. During
the course of a case, he makes a discovery that could shake the foundations of
society. You’ll definitely enjoy this film much more if you’ve seen the
original—there are several different cuts available, but it doesn’t really
matter which you watch—but it’s not necessary to see it before watching 2049. The new film stands well enough on its own and
presents a far more compelling story than the one found in the original film.
I’m a big fan of the original Blade Runner. Yes, the story is kind of lacking, but I
enjoyed the performances—especially of Rutger Hauer—and absolutely loved the world that
Director Ridley Scott created.
The look of Blade Runnerhas been imitated in
so many different forms of science fiction, it becomes easy to forget where the
dystopian metropolis look originally came from. With Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve and his team expand on
everything that made the original great and improve upon it. It looks like a
natural extension of how that world would look thirty years later. The
attention to detail is astonishing and Villeneuve never over-explains anything.
Certain things, like the condition of the environment are not explained, they
just are and the audience can make their own inferences as to what went wrong.
Another area where the world-building feels natural is in the case of the
Replicants themselves. The artificial humans have gone through their own
evolution and become a more docile slave class thanks to industrialist Niander
Wallace (Jared Leto). The film really
delves into the themes only touched upon in the original film, about the
Replicants and what exactly classifies a human as human. It’s smart science
fiction, which is rare to find in Hollywood these days. There’s plenty of
action, but Villeneuve is more interested in immersing the audience in the
world of Blade Runner as opposed to
making the film a non-stop action fest. This may lead some audience members to
become bored over the film’s two hour and forty-five minute runtime. However,
you’ll be well-rewarded by the cinematography of Roger Deakins, who should
finally get that elusive Oscar for the work he’s done here. See this film in
IMAX, where Deakins’ photography completely sucks you in. The pictures he
composes are absolutely gorgeous. That also goes for the film’s score composed
by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch. The score
evokes Vangelis’ work on the
original film, but expands on it, as the film itself expands on the world and
concepts. Most thought that a sequel to Blade Runner would
be impossible, but despite all odds, Denis Villeneuve has delivered another
classic, taking his place as one of the modern greats.
The cast is fantastic. Gosling is an
intriguing lead and his arc throughout the film is great. Ana de Armas is a ray of
sunshine as Joi, Gosling’s love interest. She and Gosling have great chemistry
together and their relationship is very interesting to say the least. Robin Wright is tough
and no-nonsense as Gosling’s boss, Joshi. Not as calculating as Claire
Underwood, but her performance is just as strong as her work on House of Cards. Jared
Leto’s performance is definitely eccentric, but that makes sense for his
character, Wallace, the man who basically controls the world. He’s also quite
menacing. His right-hand woman, Luv, is played to devious perfection by Sylvia Hoeks. She’s so
badass, it’s nuts. Mackenzie Davis is also
really good as Mariette, a Replicant “pleasure model” that crosses paths with
Gosling. I was also impressed with Dave Bautista’s performance.
He’s been good as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy,
but as Sapper, he finds new levels of emotion to tap into. Check out the short
film 2048: Nowhere to Run to
get a better look at Bautista and his character. And then there’s Harrison Ford, reprising his
role as Rick Deckard from the original film. Even though I have loved seeing
Ford and Gosling’s great interactions and camaraderie in their press
interviews, I’m in the camp that believes Ford’s role should have been kept
under wraps. It would have made his reveal that much more surprising and
powerful. Ford knocks this performance out of the park. He has been accused of
looking like he doesn’t care in many of his movies as of late, but you can see
he gives his all here. It shows that if given the right material, Harrison Ford
will show up and deliver. Don’t be shocked if he gets a Best Supporting Actor nod
at the Oscars. He may be a long shot, as sci-fi is generally ignored by the
Oscars, but it’s a definite possibility.
Here’s the long and the short of it: Blade Runner 2049 is better, yes better, than the
original. The original Blade Runner will
always be a classic touchstone for science fiction fans, but with a superior
script and a deeper exploration of the themes of what makes us human, Blade Runner 2049 is superior in every way. It’s
an extremely beautiful film about an ugly world that demands to be seen on the
big screen. It is long and some may find it
boring at times, but I say you take those opportunities to drink in the
spectacular visuals. It’s one of the best films of the year and in a year like
2017, that’s saying a lot.
Rating: A
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