Blade Runner 2049
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Jared Leto
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Rated: R
Blade Runner 2049 is a dystopian noir sequel to the 80's hit Blade Runner. The film follows "K" (Ryan Gosling) a blade runner who uncovers a secret that could completely ruin society. To find all of the answers he needs, he has to track down Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who has gone into hiding.
From the set design, to the cinematography to the score, Blade Runner 2049 is a technical masterwork. Cinematographer Roger Deakins captures a cyberpunk wasteland that is simultaneously bleak and beautiful. These are some of the most impressive images I've seen in film this year. The color scheme alone is fantastic. Whether it's the opening farm scene utilizing black and white, the dark Los Angeles cityscapes, or the the hazy orange desert: this is a visually stunning film.
Composers Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch's synth score fits in well with the dystopian images of 2049. At times, it sounds eerie and menacing. Then, it can become strangely hopeful.
Director Denis Villeneuve is no stranger to sci-fi. He has previously directed Arrival and Enemy, two films more focused on the cerebral aspect of the genre than action focused elements. Villeneuve again forgoes action packed sci-fi to explore cerebral themes. 2049 asks its audience what constitutes humanity in a synthetic world? While this is a fascinating topic to explore, there are several issues with its execution.
For starters, at 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film is entirely too long. I don’t mind a long movie if the runtime is used to explore plot necessities. However, there are so many aimless long takes and needless plot points that add nothing to 2049. So many scenes need to be cut shorter instead of lingering on a character staring into the distance for 2 minutes. The AI girlfriend side plot is a rehashing of the film Her and a prime example of one of the film's needless side plots. Editing out just 30 minutes of the film could have made it much more compelling.
Speaking of the AI side plot, the film has a serious issue with its portrayal of women. The female characters exist only to serve the men around them, be objectified, or sit in a glass room. Not to mention the countless ads for naked women that line the streets as cars drive past. As an action and sci-fi movie fan, it's disheartening to see a movie where men can walk around for 3 hours contemplating their existence, but women are depicted solely as incompetent, evil, or sexual objects.
Speaking of men contemplating existence, my man Ryan Gosling does that the whole movie! I can't tell you why, but we can talk about his acting. Gosling gives a subdued performance as K. He is the most prominent character in the film, essentially a detective hunting for clues. He rarely shows emotion as he works to investigate the mystery around him. When unique information comes to light, Gosling lets his emotional range break through. It's a quiet, but impressive performance.
Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard. Deckard helps K unlock the mystery that could change the world. Ford gives a good performance here and actually brightens up the films intensely dark mood. His chemistry with Gosling is one of the more entertaining sequences of the film.
Jared Leto. What is there to say? He only appears in two scenes as Niander Wallace, but they feel endless as Wallace is meant to be menacing, but comes across as ridiculously over-the-top. This is probably due to his tedious monologues about the nature of replicants. His speeches are meant to be profound, but ultimately come across as hokey. "I am sitting on a square surrounded by water. But what is water if not the strongest form of purity. What came first? The replicant? Or the water that I created the replicant from? *proceeds to take a sip of water* Happy Birthday." Maybe that wasn't his exact speech, but it sure sounded like that.
Blade Runner 2049 is a textbook case of style over substance. This is high quality filmmaking filled with beautiful images, but the story beneath those images leaves its audience feeling cold.
My Rating: 6/10