Blade Runner 2049

Score:  B

Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Starring Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Harrison Ford
Running time: 163 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel coming thirty-five years after the original sci-fi classic.  Directed by the incredibly talented Villeneuve, the sequel is quite faithful in style to the original (too much so when it comes to characters and story - in my opinion) and executed with the highest quality.  Gosling does well as the lead, but beyond the stunning visuals there is too little to occupy you over the exceedingly long running time.  Must-see if you're a fan of the original; otherwise, proceed with caution.


In a sci-fi future, humans share the world with replicants, or androids.  One replicant, known as K (Gosling) is a blade runner, which hunts and "retires" (eliminates) rogue replicants.  In the process of retiring one such replicant, K finds the remains of another replicant hidden on its property.  Analysis at the LAPD reveals that the replicant was a woman who died during child birth - a revelation, as it was believed replicants were not able to reproduce.  Fearing global turmoil at the news, the LAPD tasks K with destroying all evidence of it, including the child.  K's mission brings up similarities to his own implanted memories, and he struggles with yet is increasingly intrigued by his personal connection to the situation.  But his time is short, as word of the news has gotten out, and soon there is a race to get to the bottom of this mystery.

In continuing and expanding the unique world of its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 relies on a fairly small cast to bring it to life.  Ryan Gosling is the lead as replicant/blade runner K, and he does a very good job in the role, even as the role itself proves limiting.  K is not human, which is made clear by Gosling's mostly impassive expressions and minimal yet efficient physicality.  Yet he also experiences emotion to some degree and has limited memories, and the actor shows this well (as does the camera, so frequently focused on him) through subtle reactions.  As intriguing as this performance is, there is simply not much, well, character there in the first place and so a sense of connection to this central figure is lacking.  Ana de Armas plays something even less human - a program that can take holographic form, named Joi, which serves as K's "girlfriend".  Ana does an impressive job with the ostensibly human yet very artificial role which is, of course, shallow, yet also visually innovative (more on this later).  Harrison Ford, the main character from the original, shows up only late in this one.  There are a few good moments with him and K, but his role is really mainly a plot device and Ford didn't make much of an impression on me.  Smaller supporting roles include Sylvia Hoeks' Luv, a menacing nemesis replicant, Robin Wright as a strong, stern yet good LAPD officer, and Jared Leto as a very creepy main villain.

Blade Runner 2049 is an ambitious and creative work by one of today's most talented filmmakers, one that is faithful to the original - enough so that it suffers from the same flaws, too.  Blade Runner, and now its sequel, are primarily driven by two elements - a vision of a vast and desolate future Earth, and much more intimate stories about these human-like "replicants."  Although it's implied that the world's population has ballooned, both films feel startlingly lonely, even empty, leaving much space for the central characters to act as symbols for this strange new world.  Like the original, however, those characters are simply not up to the task; the impressions of interesting drama is there but it's all shadows, swallowed up by the gloomy tone and indulgent (to me, tedious) pace.  The plot here had the potential to be significantly more interesting than the original's, but it's stretched over such a long running time - and advanced in such subtle fits and starts - that it's too easy to lose track of what's going on.  Still, there is much to be said for the filmmaking, which retains the style of the original - from the lighting to the dark, synth-y soundtrack to the dialogue - yet improves just about everything in it.  If anything keeps your interest through the lengthy film, it's the visuals, from the many haunting and caringly crafted locations to the atmospheric cinematography.  And the Joi "character" is amazing, flickering oh-so-faintly but obviously to constantly remind you she is a hologram, and at one point even "melding" with another human being.

***

The score I've given to Blade Runner 2049 - a "B" - reflects a combination of my simply not caring for the style of film that this (and its predecessor) is, and my admiring the quality with which it was made.  More and more, I prefer my sci-fi films to be on the lighter and energetic side (Star Wars), while this franchise is very much on the darker and slower end.  Perhaps my opinion would be improved if the characters and stories were interesting, but they are mediocre at best, to me (granted, the sequel is a significant improvement here).  Of course, if you loved the original, likely you will love this one, too - in fact, you'll probably like it even more than the first.  So why did I see this sequel if I didn't like the original?  I thought the original had some potential that could be built on, but far and away the top reason is because of the director, Denis Villeneuve.  He has made tremendous - and unique, creative - films in Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival, and is one of my very favorite filmmakers working today.  His talents are very much apparent in Blade Runner 2049, and for a sequel true to the original, this is frankly probably as good as it could be.  If you're a sci-fi fan, this is worth seeing (and obviously essential for Blade Runner fans); otherwise, maybe Netflix it sometime if you're curious.



By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51893608