Blade Runner 2049 review

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Rnnning time: 163 minutes


The original Blade Runner would comfortably fit into my top 5 movies of all time, despite its admittedly laborious pace, relatively thin story and characters, It's a masterpiece of cinema that will forever stand the test of time. So I really couldn't see the point in making a sequel when it was first announced, and feared that it would be one of a number of classics that have been brought back to life for cynical reasons. So it's to my delight that I was mistaken, not only is Blade Runner 2049 a great movie, it's a worthy sequel.

Set thirty years after the original, our story begins with K (Ryan Gosling), a Blade Runner who retires old replicants of the past. On one of his assignments he uncovers the remains of a replicant who appears to have died while giving birth. Knowing that this could change everything, he is ordered to find and kill the child.

**

Blade Runner 2049's visuals are just as immersive as its predecessor, the cityscapes and neon lights are instantly recognisable. But on this occasion the world feels even more dirty and grittier than it has previously, it's a perfect continuation from what we saw over thirty years ago, and believably feels like a return to it.

In most big budgeted blockbuster movies, CGI is generally used as either impressive wallpaper or a function of a character action. In Blade Runner 2049 the visuals are a function of the world's aesthetic, in other words, everything has a purpose to the narrative.

While the story can be a bit slow paced, I never once felt that it was a slog, it was engaging from the first minute to the last. And there's an interesting mystery at the heart of it that's easy to follow until the last moments of the third act.

If you haven't done so already I would highly recommend that you watch the original 1982 Blade Runner to get a better grasp of the movie's backstory.

Characters from the original do make an appearance, as you would have seen from the posters, Harrison Ford returns as Deckard, but much later in the story than I'd expected. In terms of the new characters, Robin Wright plays the tough lieutenant Joshi, Jared Leto is the mysterious but suspicious Niander Wallace, Ana De Armas as Joi, an advanced but commercial hologram who can be anything her owner wants her to be. And lastly, Sylvia Hoeks, who plays Luv, a deadly replicant who works for Niander Wallace.

The characters aren't fleshed out much, but they serve their purpose within the story, and the performances are decent without anyone really standing out.

**

Vangelis's soundtrack in the original was masterful and gave the movie an extra layer of depth to coincide with the visuals. The soundtrack in this is bigger in scale but less subtle and lacks a certain finesse, as electronics have replaced the saxophone. But I think this has more to do with the fact that the darker side of the world is explored even further.

**

Although I loved the movie, I can't give it a perfect score, because it does have minor problems. In fact it shares similar problems with the original but without any defining moment, and while it asks legitimate questions about consciousness and belonging, it does so only on surface level. And there's one minor plot point towards the end that comes and goes at the drop of a hat.

With that said, Blade Runner 2049 is an outstanding achievement and a science fiction movie you just have to see on the big screen. It's refreshing to see one that makes you think about it after the end credits have rolled.

4.5/5