Director: Dennis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright
Set 30 years after the original Bladerunner, Officer K is tasked with uncovering the mystery of a replicant that was able to give birth. His search uncovers some surprising clues and ultimately leads him to seek help from the retired bladerunner Deckard, who has been missing since the events of the previous film.
It’s safe to say- and I think plenty of people would agree- that this is the best film I’ve seen all year. As it’s a sequel I was understandably skeptical, however it really doesn’t feel like a sequel for the sake of a sequel (i.e. more money at the box office) but is simply a really solid film with a plot that pretty much stands on its own and is worthy of the hype by itself, and not because it’s attached to the original cult classic.
I went to see this in IMAX 3D and it was totally worth the exorbitant ticket price of £23 (ouch). I knew that I had wanted to see this in IMAX because the original is so well known for the visuals, and this one lives up to that- actually, I would say the visuals in Bladerunner 2049 are better thanks to improved technology today compared to the 1982 original. LA is suitably claustrophobic, and the deserted city where Deckard has been hiding is also done really well. You could happily watch this movie just for the cinematic experience alone, and it showcases perfectly what can be done with film from an artistic perspective.
Now, Bladerunner 2049 is a whopping 164 minutes long. However, I struggle to to think of a scene that wasn’t integral or relevant to the plot, and so the whole film absorbs your attention. It’s a slow burner for sure but it leaves the audience plenty of time to think about and ponder what’s going on. You get plenty of films nowadays that easily reach the two hour mark, but with this one I felt that it was made to be so long so that the viewer can really appreciate it as a film with a story to be told and considered, rather than just a blockbuster with action sequence after action sequence for modern audiences with short attention spans (The Avengers films spring to mind…). There are also a lot of characters, but again each one is important and adds something to the plot, even if it’s just to add characterisation for someone else. It’s refreshing to have a film made nowadays because someone truly wants to make a great film that can be appreciated as just that, not because they want easy money at the box office.
The one tiny, minuscule issue I did have was that the end kiiiiind of leaves it open for a sequel. Like I say, this is just a brilliant film on its own and it doesn’t need another one just for the sake of it. That said, this one is a sequel itself so by no means will another sequel be bad, but it’s been 35 years since the original so if another sequel were to come soon I wouldn’t be able to avoid the thought that they’re just cashing in on the success of Bladerunner 2049.
This is an excellent film and I absolutely recommend it to people who want something a bit different to the usual mindless blockbusters we get nowadays. Furthermore it’s just a beautiful film to look at, regardless of the plot. Fans of the original will obviously enjoy it, but I went with a friend who hadn’t seen it (and also isn’t really into sic-fi) and she loved it too. Basically, however you are, go and watch this film.
5 stars
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