The original Blade Runner is one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. It is a brilliant blend of sci-fi and noir with a style that has been copied countless times since the film was released in 1982. Creating a sequel to it is a monumental task and, frankly, I didn’t have high hopes for this. Despite having a great director (Denis Villeneuve, who made Sicario and Arrival), this movie felt about 20 years too late and I expected the worst. However, this actually isn’t bad. I don’t love it, but it also didn’t make me want to cover the theater in gasoline and light a cigarette. So that’s a plus.
Taking place 30 years after the original, the world still uses robots called replicants as slave labor. Ryan Gosling plays a replicant that is also a blade runner, a cop whose mission is to hunt down and exterminate disobedient replicants. Gosling discovers that the replicant Rachel (from the first movie) gave birth, which would be the first example of a replicant being born the old-fashioned way rather than being built in a lab. With different groups hunting the naturally-born replicant, Gosling must discover its identity and, to do so, seeks out the father: Deckard (played again by Harrison Ford).
Like the original, this is a gorgeous film. The original Blade Runner is profoundly influential in terms of style and its influence permeated through the cyberpunk genre that was popular in the 80s through the mid-90s. If you went to see Ghost in the Shell earlier this year, then 1. You should have read my fucking review and saved your money and 2. You should see Blade Runner to see where it copied its style from. Blade Runner 2049 maintains that aesthetic and does so in an epic fashion. The cinematography (by Roger Deakins, who shot The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, No Country for Old Men and a lot of other great stuff) is gorgeous and reproduces the neon-drenched, claustrophobic style of the original. A lot of effort went into creating this world and it shows with an incredible attention to visual detail. I saw this in a standard showing (missed the 3D and IMAX options), but this is something that really should have been screened in 70mm.
The reviews for this film are generally glowing and spend much time discussing the film’s visuals. While that praise is warranted, there is a reason why less time has been devoted to discussing the film’s story. Despite the 2 hour and 44 minute running time, there really isn’t much to this. It is essentially a mystery about the identity of the replicant child, but there isn’t much of a mystery to it. The majority of the running time is spent stressing a red herring that is so obviously a red herring that its completely ineffective. The resolution is a bit out of left field, as it is never even explained how the main character figures out the true identity of the natural replicant. It just seemed like the characters realized that the movie was running really long and they had to wrap it up. Despite being more of a mystery than the original, it somehow feels like less of a detective story than the original because there aren’t really any clues to follow. Also, for a film with such a long running time, it’s odd that they seem to have forgotten to film an ending. I was honestly shocked when the end credits started because so many plot threads were left unresolved. If that is meant to set up a sequel, then I hope I remember all of this when Blade Runner 3 is released when I’m in my 60s.
The performances are all quite strong, as Ryan Gosling pulls off the strong-silent type while also evoking memories of a young Harrison Ford. Meanwhile, the old Harrison Ford is as solid and likeable as ever and easily slips back into the role of the burned-out, hard-drinking Deckard. Jared Leto (who is apparently still being allowed to act despite my aggressive letter-writing campaign after seeing Suicide Squad) plays the villain and is heavily featured in the trailers, but is actually only in a couple of scenes. The majority of the villainy is provided by his replicant henchwoman, who is fine but unremarkable. This is also one of the main issues with the film, as there isn’t a villain that holds a candle to the what-the-fuckery of Rutger Hauer’s villainous performance in the original. The movie is in dire need of a stronger antagonist.
This isn’t for everyone. Blade Runner 2049 is a very somber and serious film that is light on action. Some might say that makes it intellectual, and others would say that makes it boring. I could agree with either viewpoint depending on my mood and the number of beers I’ve had. For the visuals alone, I would recommend it to film buffs. Fans of science fiction, and particularly cyberpunk, should also check it out. But casual audiences may just be bored with it. Blade Runner 2049 is like talking to a really pretty but stupid girl for three hours; it seemed great while she was in front of you, but once she leaves you gradually realize that she really didn’t have much to say.
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