BurtonReviews Blade Runner 2049: Flesh and Blood
(Image sourced from http://bladerunnermovie.com/)
When it
comes to revisiting the classic sci-fi movies of the 80s, it never goes
particularly well. Because of it the Terminator, Alien, and Predator series’
have all had their legacies tarnished as the good films within their respective
catalogues are now, in many cases vastly, outweighed by the bad to gosh darn
awful entries into their franchises, now forever leaving a bitter taste in
viewers mouth when they utter each one’s name. But one sci-fi classic of that
era has not fallen prey to the infectious sequelitis that has been going
around. Of course I am talking about Blade Runner, a standalone cult classic that
– what? They’ve made a sequel to Blade Runner and it’s just been released.
People should really tell me this before I start writing these intros. So, will
the Blade Runner sequel sully the reputation of its beloved original, or
strengthen its legacy?
(Video sourced from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCcx85zbxz4)
The story of
Blade Runner 2049 swaps out the grizzled human(?) veteran detective Decker,
played by Harrison Ford, for a literal younger model in the more by the books
and less alcoholic Replicant (biorobotic android) detective K, played by Ryan
Gosling. With the discovery of something that could shake the world of both
humans and replicants to nothing but rubble and dust, K must find who is
involved and retire them, permanently. And when I say retire them, I don’t mean
put them in a nice home where you can watch bingo all the live long day, more
6ft deep hole in the ground (if you’re lucky). If that plot sounds vague, then
good, because it should do, I went into the film knowing almost nothing, and that’s
really the best way to experience Blade Runner 2049, with a clean slate all the
many, many twists and turns of 2049 will hit that bit harder and trust me, that
is something you want to experience.
I should
probably get this out of the way quickly. While I know the original Blade
Runner is a cinema classic many warrant as an undeniable masterpiece, I just did
not like it. Whether I just watched it when I was too young, or I’m just dumb, I
simply found it boring, detrimentally vague, and missing a point to justify me
wading through what felt like hours of poorly paced monotony. But it did have a
damn cool visual style, and those flying cars looked insanely good.
But before
you get your critic pitch forks out and mercilessly attack me, can I just say
that the unexpected happened, and I absolutely flippin’ loved 2049. Going in I had
zero expectations, and honestly just saw the film because I was in an android
mood, you know how it is sometimes; but as the film progressed through its
admittedly strenuous 2 hours and 43 minute runtime, piece by piece, like
dominos falling, each aspect of the film shone like a shining star in the sky
as the film’s beauty and mastery of the film-making craft amazed and wowed me
again and again until the credits finally began to roll.
(Image sourced from https://www.vox.com/2017/10/3/16403178/blade-runner-2049-review-bible-gosling-villeneuve-spoilers)
The first
aspect of the film that wowed me from the very start of 2049 was the incredible
sound design and score that it employs. 2049 sounds amazing, with its
incredible score that perfectly sets the tone of the imagery being depicted on
screen. From the F1 car engine like roar that bursts through the cinema’s
speakers with any shot of the bustling neon city scape of this futuristic cyber
punk L.A. that adds a menacing and daunting tone to the busy and grimy streets,
to the monk like tones that are used whilst traversing Wallce’s (Jared Leto)
temple like headquarters as he presides over the masses in his slightly eerie,
fully douchey complex, and of course the classic synth style that perfectly
pairs with this film’s cyber punk aesthetic; the score was always pitch perfect
and instantly set the mood for the scene to come.
And on the
other side of the coin, the sound design used in 2049 is surprisingly effective.
Every gun shot, every synthetic punch thrown, every head crashed through some
flimsy dry-wall crashed into the cinema with a bang. This intense audio
exclamation makes you feel every hit and shot dealt onto the main characters
and instantly makes you feel for their palpable suffering as you can’t help but
squirm at the sound of someone’s knuckles bashing into the side of someone else’s
head, Replicant or not, that’s got to sting.
The next
domino that fell onto my head with a jaw dropping bang is how awe inspiringly
good the visual effects are of 2049. From the landscape visuals of a world
completely taken over by ugly grey blocks that reach high into the sky,
evicting any hope or sign of greenery from the planet, to the mind blowing work
the visual effects team did on holo-gram girlfriend Joi, played by Ana de
Armas, I was constantly left eyes wide at the visual trickery that was
accomplished for this spectacle. But its effects were not only to impress, the
realism that the perfectly constructed visual effects brought to 2049 sucked me
into the film, to a point where Joi’s hair reacted to a shift in the air, and instead
of thinking that it was simply the actress’ hair in the wind, I thought “oh
wow, this system can recognise shifts in the air and simulate that on the
hologram too.”
Speaking of
awe inspiring landscapes, if there is one thing director Dennis Villeneuve can
do, that’s utilise the backdrop of his work to the Nth degree. Also seen in his
previous methodical sci-fi thriller Arrival, Villeneuve brings a great and intimidating
sense of scale to his work, the structures seen in 2049 brought me a strange
sense of unease as these goliath like buildings towered over everyone in sight,
or barren vistas seemed to stretch on forever with no end in sight. This also
helped pump up the film’s high stakes as they were being set on such a grand
and epic backdrop. But when the landscapes of 2049 weren’t oddly scaring me,
they just looked damn beautiful, Villeneuve knows how to pick a location and
make it look astonishing. From cascading waterfalls of a dam, to a radioactive
neon orange wasteland, and of course the ad littered neon streets of a dilapidated
L.A., 2049’s visuals always impressed and never ever became monotonous or
generic.
While I don’t
want to say much about the story, I do want to say that the events, while at
first seem straight forward and easy to follow, soon becomes a winding stair
case of twists and reveals that leads to a final pay off that is not only
thought provoking, but wholly satisfying. Being on this journey with K,
discovering the newest clue, or unveiling the latest shock twist with him was
an exhilarating and involving ride that not only helped the story become an
engrossing affair, but also allowed for great and genuinely heart felt
character moments that asked the age old questions of who am I, and what is my
purpose in effective and emotional ways.
And what
helped these character beats be so emotional is the phenomenal acting on show
by pretty much the whole cast of 2049. Gosling was a perfect vehicle for the
audience to experience the world of Blade Runner through as you can’t help but
empathise with this duty bound android that feels a higher purpose to his life
and can’t help but explore the possibilities of said purpose. Gosling did so
much by doing so little that not only did I full believe he was a replicant,
but by the end I was fist pumping to his rebellious actions.
(Image sourced from https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/3/16412504/blade-runner-2049-final-trailer-spoilers)
Other stand
outs of the cast include Ana de Armas’ turn as Joi. Playing a hologram that is
programmed to love its owner is a hard character to not only make believable,
but also make the romance the character was literally built for compelling
enough for audience to also fall for her programming. But Armas totally did it,
many times through the movie I had to keep reminding myself that these two were
literally programmed to be in love, but I couldn’t help but fall for the lie
and root for their happiness.
And Sylvia
Hoeks as the villainous Replicant Luv was a surprise joy to watch. A character
that could have been the stereotypical badass head lady-henchman of the badguy’s
outfit, Hoek’s brings a depth to the character that both captivated and intrigued
me. Seemingly programmed to adore her master – Wallace – but through Hoeks’ performance
it felt like every fibre of her being was trying to recoil in horror from his
disgusting methods, but programming rules all in the replicant’s world that leads
her down a dark path of yearning for supremacy over her fellow androids so she
can stand side by side with her malevolent master. Hoeks’ superb acting,
combined with this interesting character arch, made for a memorable and deeply
compelling villain for 2049.
So overall I
absolutely loved Blade Runner 2049. Never thought I’d say that. From the
incredible score, impactful sound design, awe inspiring landscapes, mind
blowing visuals, twisting and compelling story, and incredible acting that has brought
to life some of the most interesting and thought provoking characters of the
year; Blade Runner 2049 completely deserves the rating of:
Blade Runner
2049 = 9/10
Why not check out my YouTube channel, BurtonReviews,
where I upload awesome gaming montages put to badass songs or scores every
Sunday. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUfnyezvQsVsDgN3TGRh1Q
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