Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Othman A — 07 Oct 2017

Blade Runner 2049 - Review (2017).

This is a Phenomenal Masterpiece of Science Fiction and one of the Best Sequels of all time time and funny thing no one asked for a Sequel but Denis V made his own film his own way while Continue the Story of Blade Runner but still being its own film first.

Denis Villeneuve's Stunning Direction - Denis Villeneuve has been on one hell of a hot streak as of late, blowing away audiences with Incendies, Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival and now this film all within the space of a mere seven years.

Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of the most-adored and sought-after directors in Hollywood since Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan. Right when I head he was doing 2049 I knew it was gonna be something special.

Ryan Gosling Gives One Of His Best Performances as Officer K - His Character is more complex than what people thought was gonna be a Rehash on Deckard standing on its own as a full-bodied portrayal. The film is effectively carried by Gosling's presence, his body and facial expressions in particular carrying the story through its more dialogue-sparse sequences, and he once again proves that he functions equally well in both the blockbuster and art-house realms (especially useful here as the film is basically a blend of both). He has been making Smart Choices as of late from The Big Short, The Nice Guys, La La Land, and now Blade Runner 2049 and next years First Man.

Harrison Ford's Fantastic Supportng Performance as Rick Deckard - If you were worried that Harrison Ford was going to give a phoned-in, over-the-hill performance as Deckard, fear not, because this isn't merely a nostalgic victory lap, but a character reprise that adds shade and dimension to a character who remained relatively mysterious in the original movie.

Ford is acting like he actually cares here, and it's terrific to watch: him and Gosling make for fantastic screen partners, and even though the new film picks up three decades after the original, Deckard is still portrayed as dangerous and full of life, rather than just reminding everyone that Ford's getting old now.

Some have already whispered Ford's name among Best Supporting Actor Oscar considerations,.

Its full of Unexpected Surprises reveals and that credit goes to Warner Brothers for not spoiling the movie in the trailers and people called risky for not basically telling people what's the plot, but that just shows how stupid people are these days that can't figure that out by just watching the film. The film deliberately misrepresenting a number of scenes, both visually and contextually, from how they appear in the final film. It's a shame more movies don't do it, because the film's jaw-dropping power is enhanced so much by that feeling that anything can happen (and it does, frequently).

Roger Deakins' Oscar-Worthy Cinematography - The Academy better give him the award cause this is the best cinematography I've seen all year, yes better than Dunkirk's. From the foggy neon of the city streets through to the bleak orange of Deckard's hideout, it's pure cinematography porn, and while some might consider the film's style to ultimately trump its substance, the visuals are certainly backed by some provocative ideas to boot (though saying what they are would be pretty spoilerific).

The Incredible Ensemble Cast - Particular standouts are Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto, but even the smaller parts by the likes of Ant-Man's David Dastmalchian and Captain Phillips' Barkhad Abdi totally hit their marks.

Yes, this is K and Deckard's story through and through, but the fact that the characters in their sphere of influence feel so well-developed is in large part due to the fantastic acting on display throughout.

Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch's Immense Score - There were some concern for the past few weeks since that's how long Hans Zimmer had since Jóhann Jóhannsson left, but Hans Zimmer's Style fits perfectly in Blade Runner. They both do stellar work crafting a wonderful soundscape that hearkens back to Vangelis' original synthy, jazz-inspired score, while throwing plenty of Zimmer's own signature bombast into the mix.

Some of the Best Visual Effects I have ever seen certainly the best of the year.

Overall: This is a film that expands the World of Blade Runner World and the characters therein in fascinating ways, and the timely concerns it raises certainly make it feel like a sequel for the tech-obsessed age we live in. It also might arguebly be better than Ridley Scott's Mind Blowing 1982 Masterpiece Blade Runner. This is is Easily EASILY one of the Best Films of the Year.

Overall Grade: A+.