Blade Runner 2049

Well that was unexpected.  I thought trying to make a belated sequel to one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films of all time was a poisoned chalice, but Denis Villeneuve has done the impossible and made a sequel that is every bit as beautiful, poignant, thought-provoking and poetic as the original.

Premise:  Set 30-years after the original, this film follows a new Blade Runner (Ryan Gosling) – one of the specialist cops/assassins tasked with executing, or “retiring”, the artificial humans known as Replicants – who stumbles upon a lead during a routine investigation that could forever change the fragile balance between humans and Replicants.

Review:

I’ve deliberated tried not to say too much about the plot to Blade Runner 2049 in the above Premise, as this is the type of film that is more enjoyable the less you know going into it.  There are twists and revelations from the get-go, and watching the story unfold in unexpected ways is half the fun in this blockbuster that is so much more than just a string of action set-pieces.

What I will say is that, unlike the original Blade Runner, this sequel is very plot-driven.  The original Blade Runner was a fantastically atmospheric character drama, but plot-wise it was pretty linear (the Blade Runner hunts the escaped Replicants, while they in turn hunt their creator).  In contrast, Blade Runner 2049 doesn’t make the mistake of simply trying to do the same thing again to recapture the success of the original, and instead it does what all great sequels should do – it takes the premise and the universe established in the first film and takes it in a new and creative direction.

“…a contemplative tone that perfectly fits the exploration of its complex philosophical themes…”

An awful lot of credit here needs to go to Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, the two writers of Blade Runner 2049.  Hampton Fancher was the co-writer of the original Blade Runner, which perhaps explains why this sequel feels so intimately connected to the first film despite the 35-year gap, while Michael Green was a co-writer of Logan, one of the best films of 2017 so far.  Between them, they’ve produced a script that truly lives up to the Blade Runner legacy, and in no way feels like a studio-led, monetarily-motivated sequel.

Many a good script has been ruined by a poor director, however, but Denis Villeneuve elevates the written material to a whole other level.  So much of what made the first Blade Runner film such a classic piece of cinema was the direction and production design, where the viewer felt totally immersed in a fully realised future-noir world, and the meditative pace to the direction gave the material real weight and depth.  Denis Villeneuve has risen to that challenge, and directed a film that feels every bit as grounded and 3-dimensional as the original, and while he is in no way simply aping Ridley Scott’s direction in Blade Runner, he has given Blade Runner 2049 a contemplative tone that perfectly fits the exploration of its complex philosophical themes.

“…Ryan Gosling is phenomenal…”

It’s in this regard that Blade Runner 2049 really excels.  The original Blade Runner was one of the first mainstream films to really explore the blurred line between man and machine when it comes to artificial intelligence, and it surprised viewers with its denouement where (spoilers for a thirty-five-year-old film!) it suggested that the Replicants where nothing more than innocent slaves seeking freedom, and the humans were the real villains.  A lazy sequel would have simply gone over this same ground again, but Blade Runner 2049 takes it to a whole new level, exploring new questions about what it truly means to be alive and to create life.

The final element of the film’s success is the cast – and there really isn’t a weak link anywhere.  Ryan Gosling is phenomenal as the main character, conveying as much with his face and body language as his does with his lines.  The film is undeniably his character’s journey, and he’s onscreen in nearly every scene during the film’s 2 hours 40 minutes runtime.  Harrison Ford may get second billing on the poster, but make no mistake, this is Ryan Gosling’s film, and Harrison Ford’s returning character Deckard is effectively more of an extended cameo than a true co-star.  Reliable character actors Robin Wright and Jared Leto take on supporting roles, but the main co-stars after Ryan Gosling are arguably the relative unknowns Ana de Armas and Sylvia Hoeks, who both bring a lot of complexity to their characters.  I also wanted to give a mention to Dave Bautista, who is great in a relatively small role, but who once again blew me away with his range as a wrestler-turned-actor.

“…Visually stunning, emotionally powerful and intellectually challenging…”

I thought trying to make a belated sequel to Blade Runner was a terrible mistake, but I’m more than happy to admit I was wrong.  Visually stunning, emotionally powerful and intellectually challenging, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi film that stirs the heart and the mind, and this is a sequel that deserves to stand alongside its cinematic classic of a predecessor.  Given how highly regarded the original Blade Runner is, there really is no better compliment that I could give this unexpectedly brilliant sequel.