Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Twombler — 15 Oct 2017

Like many of us I've seen the original Blade Runner movie countless of times (Director's Cut is, by the way, the only version I acknowledge) but I've also read late Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Unfortunately this movie isn't a masterpiece although director Villeneuve has left his mark to every frame. And those frames are beautiful!

Blade Runner 2049 will receive Academy Award for best cinematography without a doubt. But it will not receive such honours for its screenplay.

If you've read Dick's novel you may share my opinion which is that this movie totally dismisses its biggest catch, androids. Now we have an android Blade Runner which has a virtual girlfriend. We have also an blind oligarch who desires to spread his androids to the rest of the universe. We have a retired Blade Runner who's gone missing and at some point you'll have a deja vu regarding Harrison Ford if you have seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. Heed my words!

It takes a bit too long to build the athmosphere for the plot twist and we spend too much time inside this android Blade Runners apartment. His female supervisor is also quite useless and I felt she was in the movie only to emphasize how heartless android villain can be. But then again, android doesn't have a heart.

Our protagonist does wonder if he's something more than a mere machine. However writers didn't had the courage to write a human character because there is a quite popular theory about Deckard being a android himself.

In conclusion Blade Runner 2049 is a great movie but unfortunately doesn't beat the original. If you like Villeneuves earlier works you'll love it and if you love Ryan Gosling you'll probably watch it more than once.