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| Image source: Collider, Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment |
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto
35 years ago, a film where artificial life live among the actual living beings was released. From memorable cinematic palettes of futuristic skyscrapers that are dripped in tainted neon paint to ideologies of what it takes for one to be human, it has since become a cinematic masterpiece, and a step forward to the future of film that was a lot more than a giant leap. 35 years later, a sequel that one would never have thought to have existed all those years ago; steps into the foray for a new generation to enter its immersive world of Replicants and Blade Runners.
Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the original, where in the year 2049, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) discovers a harrowing discovery in the midst of a mission, leading his investigation to Rick Deckard, a former Blade Runner whose whereabouts are unknown.
Ryan Gosling's new Blade Runner, Officer K, is really something to behold. While K can be suave, he is so much more than an action hero. When he investigates something that changes his perspective on life, he becomes trapped in his own inner demon, battling what he believes is real and what is not. It's one of Gosling's stronger performances, and one to remember for years to come. Along with him is Ford's Rick Deckard, and what a welcome return it was, as his return to the sequel becomes a lot more than just a nostalgic aspect, but also a vital and emotional part of the story.
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| Image source: Cinema Vine |
Blade Runner 2049 when simply put, is spectacular, on every single level. Like its predecesor, Blade Runner 2049 is an atmospheric story that makes sure that the audience is fully immersed in the world they've created. And what a hell of a world it is. It's a neon dystopian world with bright lights and grim shadows, like a dark alley that's lit with bright graffitis. Once we're there, it's impossible not to be invested in this futuristic metropolitan that's so bright yet so grim. That is the world that Blade Runner has created, and one that 2049 has expanded beautifully. As we're immersed in that world, we eventually become invested and warm-up to their world until we know it like the back of our hand. After all, that's the beauty of cinema, it brings us into an entirely different world. There are some that manage to bring us not only in their story, but also in their world to experience the visceral wonder on the world they have to offer. Blade Runner 2049, like Dunkirk before it; is one of them.
Blade Runner 2049 brings a lot of surprises to the table, hence why its plot is mainly shrouded in secrecy. And that is a good thing, because once one goes in without knowing much about the plot, there's a lot to be discovered when one sees the film itself. It is as if 2049 was a birthday present that's wrapped in a box and the content is unknown by the birthday girl until it is opened. 2049 has plenty of surprises, and what's more, it's investing. There is so much to be taken in, particularly in the form of its ideas, yet it knows how to utilize it well in its runtime and take its time with it, so that once we're received a particular arc or story point, there's time for us to make sure that it seeps in before it moves on to something else. This could be a problem for some, especially if one isn't fond of slow films, because 2049, with all its visceral cinematography and gritty action; is a slow film that builds upon layer after layer, which is actually one of 2049's strongest elements.
In a way, Blade Runner 2049 is the film that this year's live action Ghost in the Shell should have been, or tried to be. Blade Runner 2049 is thought-provoking, both as a visual spectacle and as a story. 2049 can be many things in terms of its approach to story and ideas, but one thing is certain: it is anything but hollow. What if an artificial being can feel human? It's a frequent question when it comes to films that touch upon subjects of the artificial life. Blade Runner, in both its predecesor and sequel, approaches this subject on a different light: What if they could be more than that? What if an artificial being is more human than an actual human? Its ideologies of humanity and whether a machine could truly be human brims poetically and adds something truly different that makes Blade Runner stand out from other films that tackle the subject of artificial intelligence. In addition to that, 2049 is as immersive as it is intriguing, bringing an otherworldly feel that not only captures a grimy neon world in great spades, but also fill it with a great amount of substance and insight into its world and the characters that live in it.
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| Image source: Collider, Warner Bros and Alcon Entertainment |
Perhaps the highest compliment goes to the cinematography. Roger Deakins' spectacular cinematography is not only worth an Oscar nomination, but also an Oscar win. It is viscerally gorgeous and worthy of being witnessed on the biggest screen possible. When the camera pans over to a wide shot of 2049 California, accompanied by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch's blissfully synth score; it doesn't feel as if we're in the cinema anymore, instead we're there in 2049 California, immersed in its bright lights and grim palette. Impressed? The film has a lot more to offer than that.
Continuing the story and legacy that its predecesor has so greatly achieved, Blade Runner 2049 is a worthy sequel that absolutely deserves to be there, to exist as an expansion of Blade Runner's already immersive world. It's an investing story that adds a lot of the dynamic from the first Blade Runner whilst standing on its own feet, placing homages without it being too invested in turning itself into a full nostalgia trip. Most importantly, it's grand in its emotional depth as it is on scale. Blade Runner 2049 has a beating heart that beats soulfully from beginning to end. When a character comments "You're fine without one, a soul", it's an ironic quote in the film, in which above all things, actually has a soul.
Stars: 4.8/5
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