Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer/s: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green (screenplay), Philip K. Dick (based on characters from the novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Mckenzie Davis, Harrison Ford, and more.
The Intro:
35 years after audiences first saw ‘Blade Runner’, we now have the first “sequel” for the series. I quote “sequel” because of the few short films filling in the blanks leading up to the events of 2049 but nonetheless, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ is the first major film sequel to the series. The film has fans chomping at the bit to find out what happens next for what is regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi films.
For myself, I had not seen ‘Blade Runner’ in quite some time so it was not fresh in my mind. Regardless of that, I tempered my expectations even though I was excited for the film. I mean, come on, if you have Denis Villeneuve at the helm of the film, I will get excited for a damn Barbie movie if that is the case. With all of that, it is officially time to give ‘Blade Runner 2049’ an Oberrating.
IMDB Summary:
“A young blade runner’s discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who’s been missing for thirty years.”
The Oberrating:
When an audience becomes aware of an almost three hour long movie, one of two things may happen. One side may groan and instantly think the film will drag while the other side looks forward to what is hopefully a complete movie with nothing cut out that could be seen as important to know or see. ‘Blade Runner 2049′ has a run time of 2 hours and 43 minutes. As for myself, upon learning about this run time, I became more excited. It was said that the studio wanted nothing cut out from the film. They wanted the control to be solely in the creators’ hands and that is what we got: a complete film. From every spoken piece of dialogue, to every gaze exchange, to every scenic and absolutely gorgeous shot, this film was a 2 hour and 43 minute wonder to witness.
To be honest, this one is a tougher film to give a solid Oberrating to because it can be difficult to avoid spoilers. Without getting too much into the meat of the story, it is simply a great and creative story. Each character impacts the story with such depth. With this being said, while the main plot of the story is clearly a focus for audiences, once thinking over it again, you come to realize how much more could be done when focusing on the other characters and what they bring to the story. Do these characters have more to add to the history of Blade Runner? Or are these characters some to look forward to in the future? The possibilities are vast and wide yet with just ‘Blade Runner 2049’ in focus. These characters fit right in to the story by giving us just enough to know their purpose yet be so curious as to what else could be observed.
Another shining spot within the film comes from the actors. In reality, I did not have an issue with any character. I genuinely enjoyed every character as they came on screen and that has much to do with they were acted. From Gosling, to Leto, to Ford, every actor was fantastic. A substantial amount of my focus, however, goes to Ana de Armas as Joi and Sylvia Hoeks as Luv. These two powerhouse females owned their roles with every moment they had. I loved every second of their performance and I truly hope this becomes their start into Hollywood stardom.
The Wrap-Up:
What happens when you struggle to think of negatives for a film and when you even try to think of negatives, you think of more positives? You give the film a 10/10. Besides some minor comments concerning hardly relevant institutions or groups within the film, the main focus of the film knocks every moment out of the park. From the characters, to the actors playing the characters, to the story, to the directions, to the absolute beauty of the cinematography, this film was near perfect and I thoroughly loved it. A fan of the first should be a fan of this. If it were to end here, I would be satisfied but if it were to extend beyond this sequel, my lord, there are so many opportunities.
Rating: 5/5
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101/?ref_=nv_sr_1
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/?ref_=nv_sr_2
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