Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

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Mad Jax
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Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by Mad Jax » Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:01 pm

Blade Runner is held up by many as not only the best science fiction film of all time, but the best overall film in any genre ever created. Whether or not that opinion is shared, it certainly deserves its place in cinema as a standout, noteworthy achievement. It is considered to be one of the most influential films of the last 50 years and has inspired countless film makers in their overall visual and atmospheric style.

This is the reality facing director Denis Villenueve when helming the project of making a sequel to this incredible cinematic achievement. Not only is he following in the work of the legendary Ridley Scott, but he's challenged with expanding and growing the themes of memory, identity, meaning, experience, and the plethora of other philosophical concepts for which Blade Runner is credited. To make this both original and feel like the true spiritual successor to this inspired masterpiece is a Herculean directorial challenge.

Villenueve succeeds at doing this in every conceivable way. The visuals, despite upgrades in FX technology, amaze yet seamlessly flow from the aesthetic of the first film. The themes evolve perfectly not just on an individual level, but to an entire class of character (replicants, as seen in the first film) as well. The binding of the audience's present (which approaches the year 2019 of the first film) to the future presented in the Scott film allows for a smoothing of any potential disconnect as the two are recognized for their differences, yet linked to the similarities that current real life shares with the original Scott vision. This semiotic connect is presented convincingly as a natural part of the film's tapestry, thus immersing the audience subliminally as well as consciously, coaxing the rapt attention of viewers as this mythical future noir tale is spun.

There has never been as successful of a sequel in expanding and honoring its predecessor as this film. Not even T2 or The Road Warrior fill that role with as much competence as this spectacular cinematic experience. It is an unrivaled day at the movies for this viewer.
Free will is a golden thread flowing through the matrix of fixed events.

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RubinHighlander
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by RubinHighlander » Sun Oct 15, 2017 6:23 pm

Good review and I agree with you. I am biased because the first was is my favorite film of all time. I really like the squeal. To me it's a piece of art. Although long for the average viewer, I really enjoyed the extra time/whitespace on the scenes, they were stunning and amazing. I think the subtle odd emotional behaviors of the replicants was a very convincing to differentiate them from regular humans, at the same time showing the intense struggle it was for replicants to process their given situations.

I really enjoyed all the small links and connections to the first film, right down to the sounds the hydroponic tanks were making in Deckard's casino that were the same sounds heard in his apartment in LA. The origami sheep, the death at the end in the snow vs. rain with that great reference to memories and so many other small things that beautifully tie the two films together.

The music was also excellent. It would be very hard to beat Vangelis, but I think Zimmerman and Wallfisch did an awesome set of work here. I've downloaded the soundtrack and ironically was listening to it when I saw this post.

There are many films that tackle the issues around AI, robots, cyborgs, genetic engineering, etc., but Blade Runner is my favorite.
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Mad Jax
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by Mad Jax » Mon Oct 16, 2017 9:55 am

I'm really glad you saw the film. It's unfortunately dragging at the box office.

I hope the creators of the new Dune series stick with Villenueve. For years Dune was my favorite novel (until I read Heinlein) and it deserves a chance to be made by people with faith in the source material.
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Just This Guy
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by Just This Guy » Wed Nov 01, 2017 6:57 pm

I enjoyed it. It was nice to have a movie that was an actual continuation of the original story not just a rehash.

My biggest gripe is the length. It's long to start with and it feels even longer. I kinda wish they would have put in some more backstory about what happened between the two movies. They allude to events that sounded interesting on their own, but never explain them.
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dogbite
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by dogbite » Wed Nov 01, 2017 7:08 pm

I enjoyed it but there are parts that didn't work for me. Just quickly, Luv knowing where K was at the orphanage for no good reason, then not knowing when he goes to Vegas. Either she can know or she can't or they needed a much better bit of explaining.

SPOILER
there's no reason given to think that Deckard knows the secret to the miracle or if it wasn't even just natural. The treatment of Deckard didn't make much sense in the story. To me.

The rebellion's access to knowledge was similarly suspect and odd. That felt like too much of that subplot got cut. It was too Deus ex Machina as left in the film.

And yes, I think Deckard is a replicant himself.

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Mad Jax
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by Mad Jax » Thu Nov 02, 2017 7:15 am

dogbite wrote:
Wed Nov 01, 2017 7:08 pm
SPOILER
there's no reason given to think that Deckard knows the secret to the miracle or if it wasn't even just natural. The treatment of Deckard didn't make much sense in the story. To me.
I'd have to watch the film again to answer the others but I can answer this one. That's exactly what Wallace was attempting to determine; if Deckard was somehow engineered in a way that gave him functional reproductive organs. Many of Tyrell's secrets vanished with the black out, so he needed to examine Deckard. He himself alludes to ignorance of Deckard's origin. "Love, or mathematical precision." Wallace was unsure.
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No Tof
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by No Tof » Mon Nov 06, 2017 9:07 am

OOOOOOh

Thanks for the review. I am going to see it tonight then.
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Corsair
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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by Corsair » Mon Nov 06, 2017 12:28 pm

(caution: very mild spoilers for the first scene of this film that does not at all reveal the full plot)

I also enjoyed this film. I think one problem with it is that the trailer and advertisements make it look like a sci-fi action thriller. Instead, it's a measured discussion of humanity and being human within a dystopian sci-fi setting. It is not fast paced at all, and I think this put off a lot of viewers. It's much more designed for people who want a measured exposition of what it means to be human in a dying civilization that has inadvertently created and abused the successors to humanity. The character that generated the most empathy to me was the replicant farmer that K arrests in the opening scene of the film. He simply seemed to be living with some amount of joy and purpose in an otherwise dying world. It's bleak with only a few hints of hope for the future.

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Re: Film Review: Blade Runner 2049

Post by RubinHighlander » Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:25 am

Mad Jax wrote:
Mon Oct 16, 2017 9:55 am

I hope the creators of the new Dune series stick with Villenueve. For years Dune was my favorite novel (until I read Heinlein) and it deserves a chance to be made by people with faith in the source material.
Didn't know they were working up another Dune series. I read all those books in Jr. High and loved them. Got pretty weird in the end. I liked the movie with Sting, but I had low expectations of it meeting the book standards. I treat most movies based on books that way and it makes them more enjoyable.

As far as plot holes and problems in the script for BR, I didn't really care in this instance. I simply love Ridley's visual work in the first BR and this second one and most of the Alien films. But I'm the kind of guy that will stand around on the shores of the Great Salt Lake for 60-120 minutes (no matter the bugs, temps or weather) to enjoy and try to capture a sunset. Last Saturday I got up at 2am, hiked and stood around in below freezing temps up in the Wasatch, just to hopefully see a few meteors and a sunrise on freshly snow covered mountains. DW thinks I'm crazy. So I would not take much stock in my movies reviews!
“Sir,' I said to the universe, 'I exist.' 'That,' said the universe, 'creates no sense of obligation in me whatsoever.”
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