Blade Runner 2049 Reviewed
It’s kind of hard to believe that Blade Runner is getting a sequel, but even more surprising that I was initially excited. When the first movie was released it was considered a bomb – and justifiably so –over the entire theatrical run it made $26 million, $2 million less than the budget. It wasn’t until the director’s cut came out that it became a cult classic. I saw the director’s cut while I was working overnights at a radio station and that movie is SLLLLLOOOOOWWWWWW. My job at the station was to stay awake and make sure the radio station didn’t collapse and Ridley Scott did not make it easy that night. The movie looks good, but there are a lot of low-lit shots of Harrison Ford looking at something that leaves you wondering, “Did I turn off the lights before I left the house?” So when I saw that the new movie clocked in at two hours and forty minutes I got scared.
Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the events of the original movie. The LAPD are still hunting escaped replicants in order to retire them from the population. At the start of the movie, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) finds himself after one replicant (Dave Bautista) and what he discovers at the scene leads him on his narrative path for the rest of the movie.
The best thing about Blade Runner 2049 is the look of the movie. Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins perfect the world Ridley Scott created 35 years ago. This was an important factor to get because the style of the original is what helped propel it to its revered status. In fact, this movie looks better thanks in part to modern day technology and because all the scenes aren't covered with shadows. It’s dystopian without everyone walking into unlit rooms.
This is also a better story than the original. The plot is much more engaging and makes more sense. Obviously, there is a catch-22, as the movie doesn't work without the original. You would be okay going into this movie without seeing the first, as this is an independent story. However, you will lose some of the importance of the narrative without having lived in this world before.
Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the events of the original movie. The LAPD are still hunting escaped replicants in order to retire them from the population. At the start of the movie, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) finds himself after one replicant (Dave Bautista) and what he discovers at the scene leads him on his narrative path for the rest of the movie.
The best thing about Blade Runner 2049 is the look of the movie. Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins perfect the world Ridley Scott created 35 years ago. This was an important factor to get because the style of the original is what helped propel it to its revered status. In fact, this movie looks better thanks in part to modern day technology and because all the scenes aren't covered with shadows. It’s dystopian without everyone walking into unlit rooms.
This is also a better story than the original. The plot is much more engaging and makes more sense. Obviously, there is a catch-22, as the movie doesn't work without the original. You would be okay going into this movie without seeing the first, as this is an independent story. However, you will lose some of the importance of the narrative without having lived in this world before.
But it wouldn't be a Blade Runner movie if it didn't drag in the middle, and man does it drag in the middle. There are an easy 20 minutes in the second act that can be cut out, or least done more efficiently. However, when creating a story in this universe, the tone is just as important as the story, so maybe don't buy the large Coke before going into the theater.
Ryan Gosling is great in this movie; the man can easily pull off the brooding and grimy look while still looking sexy. He's also perfect for this part because he kind of feels like the modern day Harrison Ford—handsome, serious, but with a softer side that you know would be up for watching a fire on the couch while you both sit under a blanket. Speaking of, if you’re expecting to see Harrison Ford, then strap in because he doesn't show up until about 90 minutes into the movie. But this may be for the better because, honestly, Gosling is much more engaging and less rapey than Deckard was in the original.
In order to like this movie, you’re really going to have to like the noir genre and I don't know that many people who do. Most viewers don't want to sit through a nearly three-hour movie; they got shit to do. But if you like the original and can forgive the runtime, you will like this one better, as Denis Villeneuve and Ryan Gosling are better in Blade Runner world than Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford.
Ryan Gosling is great in this movie; the man can easily pull off the brooding and grimy look while still looking sexy. He's also perfect for this part because he kind of feels like the modern day Harrison Ford—handsome, serious, but with a softer side that you know would be up for watching a fire on the couch while you both sit under a blanket. Speaking of, if you’re expecting to see Harrison Ford, then strap in because he doesn't show up until about 90 minutes into the movie. But this may be for the better because, honestly, Gosling is much more engaging and less rapey than Deckard was in the original.
In order to like this movie, you’re really going to have to like the noir genre and I don't know that many people who do. Most viewers don't want to sit through a nearly three-hour movie; they got shit to do. But if you like the original and can forgive the runtime, you will like this one better, as Denis Villeneuve and Ryan Gosling are better in Blade Runner world than Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford.
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