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Blade Runner 2049
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Genre: Science fiction
Rating: 15+
RUNTIME: 163 Mins
Harrison Ford made a name for himself starring in a trilogy of sci-fi films in the late 70s and early 80s – you might have heard of it – but it was actually another film in the same genre that he deserves more recognition for.
Whilst not having the obvious mass appeal of Star Wars, 1982’s Blade Runner stands as a classic and arguably the best pure sci-fi film ever made.
Despite its before-its-time visuals and intriguing existential musings, its thematic complexity and neo-noir sensibilities meant it wasn’t easily accessible, especially for the younger generation.
Time has been kind, though, as have multiple director’s cuts from mastermind Ridley Scott, which have straightened out the original’s flaws. Now, 35 years later and to the disbelief of most fans who never thought they’d see the day, a sequel is finally here.
I’ll cut to the chase: if the first is one of the best films ever made, then this is one of the best sequels ever made. The Godfather of science fiction, one might say.
Up-and-coming filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has taken on the herculean task of directing this sequel, a feat that seems nearly impossible to pull off considering the reverence with which fans hold the original, and the contempt with which most reboots, remakes and unnecessary sequels are held in the current market.
Ryan Gosling takes centre stage here as Agent K, a Blade Runner working the rough and tough streets of dystopic Los Angeles some 30 years after the original film. His mission remains the same as Harrison Ford’s Deckard’s was back then: Track down and ‘retire’ any renegade humanoid androids (aka Replicants).
The film opens with K in the middle of one such investigation, as he interrogates a potential Replicant. Is this latest target human or isn’t he? And what does that mean to K? You’ll have to watch the film to find out, though the through line of Blade Runner 2049 asks an even bigger question: Does it really matter anymore who’s a Replicant and who’s not?
Roy Batty’s violent escapades on Earth did not mean the end of Replicant kind; no, the Replicants and the humans around them have just adapted in the years since then. The result is a line between human and Replicant that is even more blurred than it was the first time around, and the effects of that blurring bear a heavy emotional weight for the characters and the viewer.
And that’s as far as I’ll go with the plot, as this is a film best enjoyed going in blind and simply enjoying the ride. It is long, though, so I’d recommend tying a knot in your bladder before you go in. However, it needs to be this long to tell the story it sets out to tell; not a single minute, scene, or even camera shot feels wasted.
Villeneuve (along with his screenwriters Hampton Fancher, back from the original film, and Michael Green) has made the kind of movie that seems almost impossible to pull off these days: a big budget extravaganza that’s more art film than cookie-cutter action spectacle.
Shot by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, every image in 2049 is gorgeous and dripping with colour, life and feeling. Not only have Villeneuve and Deakins successfully recreated the world of the original Blade Runner, they’ve also expanded it beyond the confines of Los Angeles to farms, the Nevada desert, and city-sized junkyards.
Even while a huge neon Atari sign and wisps of the Vangelis soundtrack from the 1982 film keep us anchored in Deckard’s film, the sight of a giant, living holographic billboard accompanied by new music by Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer puts Agent K front and centre in this brave new Blade Runner world.
As for Deckard, and Harrison Ford for that matter, it takes a while to get to him, but the infamous mystery surrounding the character and the events of the 1982 film are the mountain that 2049 builds upon. And, when Ford finally does show up, it is well worth the wait.
This is not phoned-in Ford or my-agent-told-me-I-should-do-this Ford, or even I-could-play-this-classic-character-of-mine-in-my-sleep Ford. No, this is Ford the legend, who brings a quiet, sort of gut-wrenching interpretation to Deckard and what he must’ve gone through in the past three decades. His best performance ever? I’d say so.
Gosling, meanwhile, plays K like a private eye who’s had a bellyful of pain in his tough life, and he and Ford work off each other perfectly. Which isn’t to say that the two necessarily like one another; a fantastic scene of conflict between them amid a malfunctioning holographic casino show has to be seen to be believed, not just for the visual dazzle that Villeneuve achieves but also for the back and forth between old dog Deckard and the young gun K.
Perhaps one of the greatest fears fans had about a Blade Runner sequel was that it would simply replicate (sorry) the innovative and influential visual style Ridley Scott established in that film, while filling it with some kind of standard good-vs.-evil Hollywood cop tale.
It’s a huge relief to see that Villeneuve and his team are well aware of what the original film was about and show enormous respect for it. Instead, 2049 plays off of the themes, plot, and characters of the 1982 movie without cannibalising it or negating or retroactively ruining any of those elements. Rather, it organically expands and grows what came before. It’s a deep, rich, smart film that’s visually awesome and full of great sci-fi concepts, and one that was well worth the 35-year wait.
If I could give this film six popcorns, I would. Please see it now … although make sure to catch the original first if you’ve never seen it!
Now showing in: Cineco, Seef II, Saar, Wadi Al Sail, Mukta A2
KRISTIAN’S VERDICT:5/5
