Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Orangetale G — 01 Nov 2017

Back in the 1980s, I went to see the original Blade Runner. I had the cinema to myself and I spent the afternoon utterly entranced, captivated and a little puzzled by this dazzling, amazing movie. Since then, I've watched various iterations of the film and loved them all.

It is one of my favourite films of all time and I never get tired of viewing it again. It poses questions about what it is to be human and indeed the existential rights that artificial intelligences may need to be granted if and when we create them.

Is an artificial form of life capable of love, emotion and other feelings that we take for granted? What responsibility does a creator have with regard to such beings? These are questions that we may one day face and are now a staple of many science fiction movies.

Blade Runner was one of the first and is still one of the best examples of this deeply philosophical debate. It succeeded early due to the extraordinary vision of director Ridley Scott and also because it left many ambiguities for the audience to puzzle over.

When I heard that a sequel was being made, I was concerned that it would be a pale imitation, cashing in on the cult-nature and somewhat diminishing the impact as a result. I have to say, within a few minutes of watching Blade Runner 2049, these worries melted away as this wonderful movie began to weave a plot that pays homage to the original and develops it further.

The plot concerns another police officer, tasked with finding rogue replicant lifeforms and "Retiring" them. Played by Ryan Gosling, this blade runner, known as K, is himself an advanced replicant, living amongst humans and facing bigotry and prejudice.

During an investigation, he stumbles upon a shocking piece of evidence that opens up a whole new episode in the development of replicant lifeforms. His investigations centre on the work done by the Tyrell Corporation some 30 years earlier and this leads him to seek out office Deckard, played once more by Harrison Ford.

The movie has several scenes clearly meant to evoke elements of the original and this is a wise and comforting move on the part of director Denis Villeneuve but he steers clear of simple regurgitating the plot.

The world that has been created feels very appropriate and the whole setting is believably a development of the LA seen in the first film. It is a very slow burn in terms of plotting and this gives us ample chance to get to know and understand the complex characters and situations.

I was particularly taken by the relationship between K and his virtual lover Joi. This seems a particularly tender and human relationship and is just one of the many ways in which the movie attempts to pose big, philosophical conundrums.

Harrison Ford's first appearance is something that builds and builds until, when he finally appears, washed-out, jumpy and somewhat embittered he provides a neat foil to the dour, serious K and they make for a good partnership.

The film looks stunning and has some breathtaking effects and scenes. These are never over the top or flashy but rather they fit the gritty, downbeat mood of the film. I was blown away by the all to brief reappearance of one of the original characters in a the form that they (I'm trying not to give it away here) appeared in the 1980s.

I'm still questioning quite how they managed to pull it off so well where other movies that have created CGI characters have failed so miserably. I know Blade Runner 2049 has taken some flack for the portrayal of women.

I kind of understand the criticism but feel that it somewhat misses the point. For me, there was a mix of female characters, some strong, some weak, some with questionable motivations and morals. It is a movie that is deliberately ambiguous, leaving unanswered questions in the viewer and I kind of like that.