I have an absolute fondness for the Blade Runner universe. Its sheer beauty; its glittering neon tones and heavy rain; its connection with the human mind in a world that seems so lost in thought; so lost in what it means to be alive, in a world that looks so dead and forgotten.
I remained sceptical of Blade Runner 2049's production quality once it had been announced. Worried that the congested world of sequels and mediocre cash-grabs of famous and original films of the past would claim yet another victim. Its cast was particularly worrying at first, although I had faith in the brilliance of Dennis Villeneuve as a director and filmmaker having seen his previous works, which I cannot praise enough.
Blade Runner 2049. It's an achievement, for sure. It's a sequel that successfully expands upon a story that was otherwise complete; it manages to answer questions that never really needed an answer, but with such excellence that you can't help but appreciate it. This film has done every possible thing right.
Cutting in at almost three hours, Blade Runner 2049 follows Officer K, a blade runner ordered to retire previous model replicants. Being a replicant himself, K lives a normal life with his artificial intelligence girlfriend, who frequently tells him he's special.
Caught up in believing he is something special, K finds himself unravelling a much larger mystery; one that suggests that a replicant successfully gave birth to a child, and such a miracle has resulted in unwanted attention from the Wallace Corporation, owned by a dangerous blind man hell-bent on being a God, on taking Tyrell's achievements a step further himself. Believing he is that child after numerous puzzle pieces suggest so, K goes on an adventure to uncover his reality. To be special. To find reason behind his existence. This slowly brings such unwanted attention towards Deckard, who has been hiding for years.
K isn't special. K is just another replicant. K is not the replicant son of Deckard; he's been led down a false path of hope. K is nothing.
These turn of events are done in such perfection, in such a manner that the previous statement isn't apparent until it wants the viewer to know. Up until then, we're taken down a path of mystery and loneliness alongside K, taken for a ride through the neon lights.
Dennis Villeneuve's cinematography is astonishing in the film. He does the Blade Runner universe so much justice, and it's clear that he was forever destined to take up the job of filming this sequel. Everything fits so beautifully together. You can quite literally visualise the script working alongside Villeneuve's directing. As each shot displays a subtle beauty, no matter how empty the background is. This film is evidence that there is still art within blockbuster filmmaking.
With almost three hours of sheer beauty, Blade Runner 2049 is filmmaking at its finest. It's a sequel produced by some of the best within the film industry, and was made so clearly with the fans at heart, rather than the sheer potential returns.
It's one of the few cases I feel where the sequel is actually better than the original, I'm a Denis Villeneuve fan though, love all his work!
I've seen a few people around saying the same thing. I'm stuck on the fence as to whether I enjoy it more or not; it's a very tough decision for me.
It's an amazing movie. The cinematography is astoundingly good.
I noticed at one point I felt a little bored, but I quickly reminded myself of what this film was, and what it was showing me. Immediately fell back in love with it.
This is by far one of my favourite films of all-time. It's so beautifully made, and so clearly made by true fans of the first film.
I really liked your review of Blade Runner 2049, when I heard that Dennis Villeneuve would be the director I was worried but not because of his direction, i worried because of the great responsibility of continuing telling this great science fiction story, Dennis did not disappoint in anything, one of the best movies of the year.
Dennis Villeneuve is a remarkable director; but I was so worried of how the cast would turn out as it was being announced. Especially after the Suicide Squad drama with Jared Leto.
Blade Runner fans certainly dodged a bullet; one filled with the poisons of modern cinema.
That's true, many friends told me that this was an unnecessary sequel but when we left the cinema we did not stop arguing and talking about how well everything was done
I am a big fan of the original 1982 epic film; it is good to know that its sequel lives up to the original
It's totally worth setting aside a day to spend watching it.
Ok. I think I need to do that.
Hope you enjoy it!
2049 is a rare example of nostalgia ridden sequel well done. The memory building concept is quiet frightening.
I loved how it managed to be nostalgia ridden without feeling like it wasn't just showing us what we've already seen; it had a whole lot of new things to show us.
Unfortunately, sequels fail to do this these days. Just look at Star Wars.
Force awakens is all nostalgia, I buy it, but IMO The last jedi moves forward the myths and deconstructs them.
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I just watched this last night and found it extremely boring and utterly long for such a small amount of story behind it.
That's Blade Runner.
It's a film that is supposed to be long, because it isn't just about the narrative. There's a whole other story out there in the background, in the cinematography. It's atmospheric, and to be atmospheric in the best way possible, typically that means really spacing the story out.
If you re-watch it and consider its depth as a film about what it means to be alive, and take in the additional touches of colour, music, and its shots, it's utterly beautiful.
It's not a film that's there to fill in a void with action and cool science fiction elements; those parts are often scattered throughout the film, slowly and subtly.
The best thing I can say about this sequel is that I believe Philip K Divk would approve.
I often think about how cool it would be to show the sci-fi authors of history the technology we have today. Even the fictional tech in film.
Yes. We have so much that was foreseen many decades ago. Amazing where tech has gone.
Bladerunner is my second favorite movie after Jaws. I was also worried about the sequel. I saw it twice on opening weekend. I really enjoyed it and I hate to say anything negative about it but I will. The only problem is that it was to clean compared to the lived it universe of the first. Something about Bladerunner and Alien. They both have that look that has never been replicated.
That image of K is a call back to another favorite of mine. Chinatown
Yeah, I was so worried that this would end up as yet another failed sequel; or one that isn't terrible, but offers nothing new and simply carries the previous film's successes on its back. I was definitely surprised, especially after hearing the praise from critics.
The more I watch it the more I like it. VFX, cinematography, script, color correction (the palette), the score (with motorcycle sounds) and the acting is fantastic. I really like Denis Villeneuve vision and style
One thing that stands out so well in the film is the fact that it manages to show the sheer density of a futuristic city, yet also the emptiness and lack of multiple colours outside of those dense areas that have more or less been reclaimed by nature.