Review- Blade Runner 2049

At this stage, it's hard to meet someone who isn't tired of or at the very least cynical towards the idea of reboots and sequels years later which is why it's such a pity that a movie as dazzlingly original as Blade Runner 2049 is getting bundled into that category. It may not surprise you to learn that this film is a sequel to the cult classic Blade Runner, originally a commercial and critical flop on release but slowly nurtured into a place of respect by film critics. I'm wasting so much of this paragraph just talking about the place of 2049 in our society because I don't want to say anything about the plot really. The trailers, despite what it seems, give barely anything away and I'm going to honour that by also staying silent. What you do need to know is that it's a story that is technically a standalone film although will benefit from having seen the original, contains many interesting plot twists and ambiguities and, as mentioned at the outset, is original in a way that was unexpected even from the director of Arrival. Much as I liked The Force Awakens, it definitely trod similar, almost identical, ground to the original and that is something that 2049 rarely does. Basically, prepare to keep guessing your way through the film. Which reminds me, this film is slow and it will be too slow for some. It is definitely similar to the original in that it's more than willing to just sit and ponder on ideas instead of throw action set pieces at you. If you're looking for the latter, do not see this film.

Acting is equally awful to talk about because there are so many characters in this film who we know so little about and again, I don't want to ruin those surprises, even if they just happen in the first five minutes. Ryan Gosling is the lead character in the film and plays a Blade Runner, much like Harrison Ford does in the first film. People give Ryan Gosling some shit sometimes but in my mind, he's a great actor and without spoiling anything, I think even people who find him bland often will be given adequate reason to appreciate him. Jared Leto is creepy and I'm still not sure if it was in the right way but it's still his best performance in a while. Robin Wright continues her streak of great roles recently from House of Cards and Wonder Woman, now to this. Newcomer Ana DeArmas initially seems like pretty simplistic eye candy but as her character develops, she gets given plenty to do, doing it well and with impressive reserve. Mackenzie Davis hits her second dystopian sci-fi home run in the last year following on from her wonderful performance in the "San Junipero" episode of Black Mirror in an oddly deep role as a prostitute. And finally, while not in the movie for a large chunk of it, Harrison Ford is great. I would say it's his best work since the original film but honestly, it might just be his best work ever. Performance wise, whether they're mentioned here or not, everyone was perfect.

I've gone too long without talking about the visuals and audio so let me praise the shit out of them right now; this film, from a visual and audio perspective, is legitimately perfect. The visual effects and look of the world remain one of my personal highlights from the original film and that has been carried across to an incredible degree. I don't know who worked on the effects but they all did excellent work, making many unbelievable effects seem like they couldn't possibly be computer generated. Cinematography god Roger Deakins was the cinematographer on his film which sounded like exciting news before the film came out, going off his work on Skyfall and Sicario but I wasn't quite expecting this level. Each and every shot is both beautiful and tells a story of its own, which is probably why there is minimal dialogue, allowing the audience the appropriate amount of time to just soak up the beauty. I referenced minimal dialogue there and what that means is that there's plenty of empty space that needs to be filled, done superbly by the score from Hans Zimmer. Like many other elements of 2049, there are elements that are evocative of the original with some particular motifs returning very clearly but it's largely original and excellent. The power comes from the heavy synth that gets used with odd restraint and I would say it's the prime reason to see the film in a cinema. To have that score blare out at you and add considerable depth to moments that are already pretty damn powerful is an experience I am ready for again.

I'm afraid that this review can't really be comprehensive as I've only seen the film once so far and I know that there's plenty in the film that I'm yet to appreciate fully. It's definitely one I'll return to at least once more in the cinema but I can't say that'll apply to everyone. For audiences expecting action, the pace will feel punishing and the philosophy off-putting but that is what Blade Runner is. As far as I'm concerned, what 2049 does is take the ideas and concepts from the original and run with them, making a film that is better than the original, if not as good as Villeneuve's Arrival. That's why I give the film a