Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Ziek B — 04 Mar 2018

One of the best I have seen, and I'm no spring chicken, crossing all genres including landmarks like Ben Hur (1959), Titanic, Casablanca, 2001, Inherit the Wind (not Gone with), Amadeus, Saving Private Ryan - the list is not long.

Blade Runner 2049, for the mature of all ages, is immersive, moving and stunning both visually and aurally and indeed it stands on its own, albeit the impetus for me was the original Blade Runner, making it the perfect sequel - as well. Purchased the movie in 3d to match my theatre viewing experience...and on my fifth home viewing....still incredible! The speculative, marketing inspired demise of 3d in North America is undoubtedly and assuredly premature. 3d format or otherwise the movie remains a masterpiece.

It should be the Oscar pick for best movie of 2017, and the cast including Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas and others nominated in respective roles. Consummate actors all, not to mention Denis Villeneuve as Best Director. Thank Ridley Scott for recognizing his genius.

The reality is that Science Fiction, even as a statement on the human condition, has never won an Oscar for Best Movie, as far as I know. The Academy Awards will likely miss this, caught up in the social media swamp and the cause of the day. The Academy will likely instead vote for an odd duck or more common place take on the triumphs and tribulations of the human condition, all destined to become mediocrities and also rans for 2017. This in turn, as it continues to demonstrate, makes Oscar night nothing more than a gossips' social gathering and more redundant and meaningless than ever in what it's function should be - rewarding real achievement in film.

Meanwhile like the first Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 will continue to attract an ever growing following and challenge current and future movie makers to raise the bar on what is now possible.