Blade Runner 2049 - movie review

Blade Runner 2049

Plot: A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Certificate: 15 (strong violence, language, sexualised nudity)
Runtime: 2hrs 44 mins
Release Date: Thursday 5th October 2017

2017 has been a decent year for film as we draw into the final months. There have been a few shining stars that rank among the best, some truly awful motion pictures that you wonder how they even got greenlit but as for most of the movies released this year, 'the middle of the road' has been a term I've found myself continuously repeating. Giant summer blockbusters have been entertaining but not at the same level as previous years as have the smaller indie flicks. Most, I feel, have been playing it safe. Some films like Baby Driver, Dunkirk and a couple of others are exceptions but, if I'm honest, I've found 2017 a tad underwhelming so far. That was, however, up until I saw Blade Runner 2049. If you've been following my recent reviews, you'd know that I watched the original Blade Runner for the first time literally half an hour before seeing the sequel and you'd also know that it left me fairly lukewarm. I was impressed by the effects and overall world created but the narrative let me down. Well, having seen the sequel and taken a few days to really think and allow the film to marinate, not only is Blade Runner 2049 the film I was hoping for, it's also leaps and bounds ahead of the 1982 original and one of the best films I've seen this year. Films like Blade Runner 2049 is why I love all things movies.

The Statue of Liberty had seen better days.

Without question, Denis Villeneuve is one of the greatest living directors making films in the present day. It is astonishing to comprehend that with his already extensive filmography, Villeneuve has yet to make a film that is anything less than incredible. Prisoners. Incendies. Enemy. Sicario. Arrival. He's a master filmmaker and somehow incapable of titling a film with more than one word. Well, Villeneuve has broken even that mould as he has given unto the world what I would consider as his crowning glory. Blade Runner 2049 is a glorious piece of filmmaking that I don't think contains a single flaw. The immaculacy and attention to detail to produce a science fiction epic that will undoubtedly become a classic, is why I found myself well and truly blown away for all of those 164 minutes. Not only was this a visual splendour but, it did what a sequel should do. It built up on the lore of the original, increased the scope of the story and ramped everything else up a notch. One of the glaring factors that this would be an undeniable success is a quote from Villeneuve himself when asked why he chose to direct the sequel knowing the pressure that would come with it, his response was "I didn't want anyone else to fuck it up". That right there shows the determination that Villeneuve would do all in his power to make this film nothing less than perfect. First and foremost, even with Villeneuve sitting in the director's chair, this sequel still would not have worked if you didn't have the appropriate talent in front of the camera. 

Harrison always had a knack for the element of surprise.

Bringing back Harrison Ford was an obvious choice because, as seems to be the trend nowadays, Ford loves to revisit his classic characters from his heyday and see what's happened to them years on. He did it with Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Now, Ford is back as Rick Deckard, a character whom I did not connect with at all in the original Blade Runner. Deckard was an agent that would hunt down and retire malfunctioning replicants. Now, years later and with the replicant problem seemingly being fixed, Deckard has now disappeared and, for the sake of avoiding spoilers, that's as much as I'm saying about that. The plot alone of Blade Runner 2049 is a spoiler filled so if you feel as if I'm tip-toeing around circumstances in this review, it's for the sole purpose of making sure you go into this film knowing as little as possible. As for Ford's performance, it's been a long time since I've seen a raw and emotional turn for the steely, stone faced actor. It's clear to me that Ford has a deep admiration for the character of Deckard and obviously loved revisiting the Blade Runner world. I'm not saying he disliked working on The Force Awakens but the passion Ford depicts this time round is some of the best I've seen from him and through his performance, and the script itself, the film subverted my opinion of Deckard so now, I lean on the side of liking him. However, even with Ford working at the top of his game and reminding us all (not that we needed reminding) why he's one of the all time greats, Ryan Gosling swipes this film from underneath him. It may have something to do with that fact that Gosling has far more screentime than Ford but it is also due to Gosling giving a very emotionally complex performance that we haven't really seem from him before. His performance as Officer K is reserved and controlled but, as the film progresses, watching K unravel and come to shocking realisations, allows Gosling to reach heights we've yet to see from him. This is another reason as to why I believe this sequel surpasses the original and that's the beating heart inside of it all. The original Blade Runner, visuals aside, was fairly cold and emotionless. Thirty years later, Villeneuve and Hampton Fancher have peeled back the visual cortex and discovered a heart and soul to the Blade Runner franchise that I thought was desperately lacking. Through the characterisation of Gosling's 'unique' Officer K and the emotional tie-ins involving Deckard, I felt myself finally feeling the fascination that so many others had when they first saw the original Blade Runner, whichever cut they deem the official.

Why burst through the wall? The door is right there!

FACT: David Bowie was Denis Villeneuve's first choice for the role of Niander Wallace, but passed away before the start of the shooting.

Even with Gosling and Ford leading the way, the fantastic performances don't stop there. Ana de Armas gives an endearing performance as Joi, the romantic interest to Gosling. Their dichotomy is a great factor to the success of this film but Armas does also stand on her own two feet in a role that may see her popping up in many more films to come. Her character also relies on a fair few visual effects and provides some technical ingenuity that cinema has yet to see. In another star-making role, Sylvia Hoeks stars as Love, an assistant to Jared Leto's bizarre and unorthodox, Niander Wallace. Love is likely to become an iconic character in the years to come. She is a no nonsense, badass and ruthless character that, whilst at first glance doesn't seem intimidating, poses a tremendous threat to all that come in her path. If, in this universe, Ryan Gosling is the futurist equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, Love is a Replicant Terminator. She is awesome. As for the other stars in the film, no one gives a bad performance. It just so happens that some are more memorable than others. Dave Bautista makes a brief appearance as an out of date replicant but despite the small amount of screentime, Bautista never fails to make an impact no matter the role. The same goes for Leto too. He may be a very exuberant and strange character (that's applicable for both Leto and his character in this film) but there is no denying that he gives 110% in the role and always makes an impression. In this case, Wallace doesn't feature prominently, but when he does appear, the sense of psychological intimidation is through the roof.

I don't think a Band-Aid is going to be much help there.

However, there is one star that I've purposely left off for now and I have done so with good intention. This person is someone whom some of you may not have heard of. He has been an undeniable talent to the film industry for decades now and yet, hasn't won a single Academy Award. He is also someone who you won't see in front of the camera yet, he's responsible for showing you everything. Roger Deakins. He's worked with Villeneuve on Sicario and that was a beautiful film through and through and very deserving of an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Unfortunately, it just so happened that it was going up against The Revenant in the same year. Now, for Blade Runner 2049, I cannot think of another film that could steal the Oscar away from Deakins. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Blade Runner 2049 is the most beautiful film I have ever seen. Deakins has crafted a work of art with every single frame seeming like a painting you'd find in the most prestigious of galleries. The use of colours, the symmetry and the positioning of the camera make this film an orgy of beauty. I lost count of the number of times my mouth dropped in awe from the elegance provided by Deakins. If he doesn't win the Oscar for this, I will ensure that I see The Last Jedi, in public, wearing only my Star Wars underwear. So, for the sake of my pride, dignity and criminal record, let's hope and pray that Deakins wins. I could go on for days and days about my love for the cinematography in Blade Runner 2049 but that's not the only technical aspect that is working at full force. Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch have taken the work of Vangelis and given it even more of an epic tone. I think I keep saying this every time Zimmer supplies a new score but this might be some of his best work yet. It suits the overall tone of the world perfectly and acts as an integral component to the film rather than just a stereotypical, by the numbers score. Consider me definitely adding this to my Spotify playlist. But, the most important aspect going into this film, for me, was that the narrative needed to be on point. Seeing as the original didn't deliver on that aspect, I had the hope that Villeneuve and Fancher would pull something phenomenal out of the bag, and they certainly did. It's a very emotional story that makes you think and reflect upon the hypothetical suggestions that the world of Blade Runner is known for and with that being said, I'm now going to shut up about the plot in fear of giving too much away.

How waking up for 9am lectures feels and looks like.

I am in love with Blade Runner 2049 and despite my reservations with the original, watching both together in a short space of time makes for a terrific double bill. Gosling and Ford shine in their respective roles, as do the supporting cast and it improves upon the original tenfold. However, the film belongs to Villeneuve and Deakins. Together they have crafted one of, if not THE most beautiful film, not just of this past year, not just of this past decade, but of all time. There's a Twitter account called One Perfect Shot that tweets out some of the best examples of cinematography and let me say, they are going to have a field day with this. Fans of the original will love this. Those that haven't seen the original will likely enjoy it too so long as they understand that it isn't your typical gung-ho sci-fi film. It's methodical, artistic and without a doubt, an experience that I will never forget. See this now and thank me later.

My Verdict: 10/10

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