Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Somerandomguy00 — 10 Oct 2017

It's been years since I've experienced a movie in theatres where almost every image left me in awe. Not impressed, not merely captivated, but in awe. In most “good looking” films, it's easy to find several scenes in images where your eyes feel like shrugging compared to the rest of the film's imagery. It was difficult to find very many scenes like that in Blade Runner 2049. Even when there's next to no visual action going on in the frame, these images still find a way to impress. But thankfully, there's more to Blade Runner 2049 than just pretty pictures. Director Denis Villeneuve never forgets that this is a Blade Runner movie, a dark mystery about what it really means to be human in a world filled to the brim with advanced technology. The lovely visuals aid the story, instead of trying to bury it.

The sound design also really helps in bringing this troubled world to life. The musical score, while lacking the magic of Vangelis's score for the original film, still works in harmony with the moods and emotions for each scene. From throat-singing in Wallace's (Jared Leto) chamber, to the menacing drums used for a futuristic L.A.P.D. tower, to the playful chimes used in Detective K's romantic encounters with the optimistic Joi (Ana De Armas); these little touches in the soundtrack truly emphasize the emotion of each scene. Again, supporting the film, not trying to make up for it. It's a miracle that this soundtrack turned out as good as it did, considering the last minute change of composers and the fact that the soundtrack is almost entirely original. And of course, a dystopia could never come to life without convincing sound effects, and Blade Runner 2049 is no exception. This is an overused statement, but every sound used outside of the soundtrack truly feels real. No blaster sounds, no explosions that sound way quieter than they should, and no other silly overused sci-fi sound effects. Every bang, crash, jump, shot, step, and yell sounds exactly like it should. For example, in Dave Bautista's scene, we originally find him farming in a heavy radioactive suit. And with that moment, we can hear the heavy steps, echoes, and breathing that would go on in such a suit. The audience is there in his suit, and we didn't need any cheap POV or overlong establishing shots to get that level of immersion. It's such a short, inconsequential scene, but it's impressive that even the smallest scenes in Blade Runner 2049 are trying to pull you into its world instead of pushing you away.

And then, we arrive at the final stage of crafting a fictional world: the characters. Admittedly, there are few characters that feel like they never get any time to properly develop. Although, looking back at the film, maybe that's because I enjoyed their company so much. Ryan Gosling, an actor who should win the most improved actor award at this point, is perfect as a morally conflicted detective. I truly believed every step of his struggle, every emotion he conveyed, and every blow to his face. And this is all done without a shred of overacting or “phoning it in”, so to speak. Harrison Ford, reprising his role as Deckard, feels like he's actually acting this time. I was afraid that he was gonna “Bruce Willis” this important role, but he actually delivered. Is it because Harrison actually cares about this character? Or because the director cared enough to get him to actually act? Who knows? What matters is that he conveys a character that is both emotionally devastated and slightly desensitized to his previous events. All of the actors also suit their characters quite well, especially Jared Leto as Wallace and Ana De Armas as Joi. The actors certainly make the film's world all the more interesting and emotional, even when the story and writing fail to do so.

It truly shows how special this film is, however, that these story flaws seem so small. This is still an intriguing mystery story with a lot of tricks up it's sleeve, even for longtime fans of Blade Runner and dystopian Science Fiction. It's also impressive that the film never loses touch of it's themes, like the first film this is still a story about how life and reality can even be considered special in a society filled with technology and prejudice. And it's a breath of fresh air that every aspect of the film effectively conveys that message, instead of just a clever script and a few great performances. Yes, the film isn't quite as smart or clever as it's predecessor, but any movie that gets even close to reaching the magic of Blade Runner is well worth your time. The visual experience alone is worth the price of admission, but thankfully there's so much more lurking beneath the smooth surface.

See it in IMAX if you can.