I am going to be careful with this review because basically the main plot is a spoiler of some sorts and I do not want to sabotage your decision on going. I will say this if you are hesitant on wanting to see this movie or anticipating this movie: GO SEE IT, however, see the first movie (the final cut) so you can cover the basics because this movie has details from the 1982 movie.
Ok, how many years later? 35 years. Did we really need a sequel to the divisive classic, Blade Runner? No. But, we all know that it is a sci-fi classic because of a cult following. It was not instant because people, critics, fans, professors study the movie as to what Ridley Scott and Philip K. Dick are saying with that murky world with a simplistic plot. You can have many interpretations. But, when I heard about they were making a sequel, I thought and asked, "Are you kidding me?" However, when I heard Denis Villeneuve, the director of Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival, was involved, I was happy because he is the perfect director to combine his approach with the dark tone and a complex plot. I will say this: he was becoming one of my favorite directors and now with this movie being seen, Villeneuve has established himself as one of the ambitious and best working directors to date. This is one of the great sequels and possibly one of the best ever made.
It is 30 years later in Los Angeles as society and its environment has been worse. It is the same set-up as the original as K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner in the LAPD, is set to task to find other Replicants that were older models from the defunct Tyrell Corporation. But, when K makes a discovery that would change the course of evolution, he needs to set out and find the missing Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to uncover all of K's questions and discovers as to what came to be of that discovery and ultimately, his answer to his investigation.
That's it. That's all I need to say about its plot because if I go too specific, I'd probably leak a little detail that would derail your experience. But, even though it has the same approach like Arrival, it is a slow-burn sci-fi noir that buries you deep into its investigation. I felt that the main story was more dense and emotional than the original because the movie interprets and leads to one answer but while processing and thinking about it while watching and after watching the movie, you start to pinpoint exactly what has happened to a few main characters and a few small characters involved in this investigation and one scene starts to become real emotional as one person faces a certain character from his past, but the whole scenario is seeming artificial as its future will become more bleak as to what the corporate villain is trying to attempt to do to build up sales.
This 164-minute movie bolsters and transports you into another dimension and world on the big screen like it is some sort of virtual reality except you are not wearing the glasses. This is the second movie this year attempting that vision successfully (first one being Dunkirk). I hope that Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, gets his first and overdue Oscar for this movie because this is the most visual and majestic palate of colors I have ever seen in a science fiction movie. There is a good depth of emotion in certain scenes within that cinematography and within its production design. The score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch do a great job of not simply copying Vangelis' score from the 1982 movie but providing a new synthetic flash of suspense within the investigation and also providing some nuance into traveling all over Los Angeles and Las Vegas that immerses you into that world again.
I thought Ryan Gosling gives one of his best performances of his career as he evokes that familiar stance from other movies that might seem cliched but it works well in this movie as he has to capture some emotion when finding out pieces of the puzzle. Ana De Armas has great chemistry with Gosling that I did not feel that the romance was unnecessary. I thought it was quite nice as it is some sort of sub-plot to both their characters as it gives both of them more range. Sylvia Hoeks is a standout as the bad-ass assistant or hench-woman to seek out both Gosling and Harrison Ford. I know this may be an uphill battle for a campaign, but I think Ford should probably get a Supporting Actor nomination for his performance because he balances humor, gruff tiredness and sadness into his character that you empathize with him. Robin Wright is great as the stern lieutenant and Jared Leto, who I predict will probably divid people, thought he gives a good performance as the hidden corporate figure illustrating his plan of where the company and the world is heading.
Like I said, Denis Villeneuve is one of the best directors working today, maybe the best. He has an eye for certain details of story, character, tone, visuals and theme that makes it more compelling to watch. I felt that the plot in Blade Runner was more simplistic than this movie as the mystery unwinds and twists you into a certain direction without knowing what the end may be. You will not figure it out until about 20-25 minutes to go. The action sequences are great, including an awesome and well-choreographed scene in the Las Vegas ballroom, there is a love scene that is reminiscent of the movie, Her, that is somewhat unique and beautiful and the theme of humanity and identity is tied a bit more well in this movie than the original because you are rooting for this character to figure one self out. This is a meditative and mature science fiction film that will also be discussed over time as we decipher certain scenes and themes and interpret its meaning. Blade Runner 2049 is a surprisingly well-crafted, tragic and mesmerizing experience. This is one of the best movies of 2017.
****
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