Blade Runner 2049
Set 30 years after the original film Blade Runner 2049 follows the story of “K” a LAPD detective and blade runner played fabulously by Ryan Gosling. The discovery of a long-buried secret leads K on a journey that could ultimately change the world.
This film is very long, not just in its 2 hours 43 minute run time but in its very slow drawn out pace. Thankfully the pace is actually one of the film's best aspects as the intrigue of the story keeps you invested allowing the film to breathe and excel in its world building and character development. While the trailers dress this film up as a bit of a sci-fi action type, it's actually far more of an investigative film. The more K looks into this mystery the more he reveals, and the more invested the other characters become as a result. Another thing the trailers and promotional materials highlight is the role of Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard. The role Harrison plays is actually quite small - you know he is in the film and that big build up to his reveal is really satisfying and makes sense within the narrative. The real star of the show is Ryan Gosling who is absolutely fantastic in all of his scenes but is backed up by some equally well played supporting characters such as Joi played by Ana De Armas who is essentially a hologram girlfriend. For such a long film there is surprisingly very little dialogue; K, in particular, is mostly silent throughout the entirety of the film and it's mostly the supporting characters that do most of the talking but again the dialogue is very sparse. Overall the narrative is very entertaining and easy to follow with a few twists and turns along the way, it covers a variety of different themes such as what it means to be human and whatnot but never gets bogged down or melodramatic with these themes. If your'e into that kind of film you'll be leaving the theatre pondering the main story arc as well as the various messages and ideas it presents to you along the way. The main difference here is that the film doesn't force anything on you whilst its main story arc is enjoyable by itself but ends bittersweet.
While the investigative story is slow but enjoyable it mostly works because of the setting. Blade Runner 2049 has without a doubt got to be one of the most visually impressive films ever, from the dark neon and rain-soaked streets of LA to the bright but desolate streets and interiors of Las Vegas. It truly is a visual treat in every aspect and they make great use of colour and lighting as well as some truly gorgeous set design and great costume design. Joi, for example, is a hologram and has a slightly see-through ghost-like effect in all her scenes - it's a small detail but it really is just awesome to see and play out especially during a very odd and strange scene involving a prostitute...
While the visuals are outstanding they are backed up by an equally impressive soundtrack and sound design. The roar of flying cars and the thunderous crack of gunfire just do wonders for the level of immersion. The film is very dark and atmospheric and that's where the somewhat eerie but very fitting soundtrack comes into play wonderfully composed by Benjamin Wallfish and Hans Zimmer so you can be guaranteed a high level of quality - this is the kind of soundtrack that literally shakes the theatre which is just so awesome and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling on the inside.
The visuals and audio are worth the price of admission alone, certainly it's one of those films which are best enjoyed at the cinema rather than waiting to view at home. As an added bonus the narrative is entertaining as well as thought-provoking and the various and interesting characters are a delight to watch and invest in. Personally, I cannot find fault with Blade Runner 2049. It's tempting to call it a masterpiece but the slow pace, sparse dialogue and thought-provoking narrative is likely not going to appeal to everybody. In a world where old films and franchises seem to be getting constantly revived its refreshing to come across a genuine well made sequel and as such Blade Runner 2049 can stand proudly by the cult classic original Blade Runner.
