Blade Runner 2049

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Wood Harris, Edward James Olmos, Mackenzie Davis, Lennie James, Barkhad Abdi, Sean Young
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A blade runner (Ryan Gosling) searching for the truth about his past must find the missing Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who disappeared years ago.

Review:

Tim: I've struggled for years as to what I think about Blade Runner. It's a really good movie, sure, but I've never been able to see the greatness in it. It always felt like it fell short of that. So, while I was excited to see Blade Runner 2049, I wasn't sure what to expect. Like the first movie, this one is frustratingly hard to pin down. There's something about this movies that is unconventional, that throws you off the typical path. They are hard to quantify, to categorize. After seeing this film in theaters, I still wasn't sure what I thought. I needed some time to process, and the chance to see it again. I feel more confident in my feelings toward this film- like the first one, it straddles the line between good and great. And yet, I believe this movie falls the other way- I think Denis Villeneuve has crafted a great movie here. That may be an unconventional belief, but I actually thought the sequel was superior to the original (but they're both so close together).

Villeneuve creates a film that subverts expectations and tells an emotional story. In the end, though, what finally pushed me over the edge was that the film is a technical marvel. The movie won two Academy Awards- Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects (it was also nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Production Design). Truly, this film is a technical marvel. There isn't quite anything that looks like Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. He manages to make the film fit in with the style of the original, while updating it for a new century. It's a stunning achievement and it's hard for me to put in words how much I love the look, sound, and feel of this movie. It's a visual masterpiece. From the color scheme to the sounds used, the music, the quietness of certain aspects- I simply marvel at what Villeneuve crafted here. The story is good, the acting is good, but this became a great movie because of the technical wizardry required to bring this futuristic world to life. One of the big complaints I have with the film is that it's too long at 2 hours, 44 minutes. That's just a fact- the film is a slog to get through. It really needed to be shorter. And yet, despite the great length, I'd be happy to sit through it for a third time, the visuals are simply that good. I love this movie because it's a stunning technical achievement.

Now, technical skills by themselves don't make a great movie. Luckily, the film has a lot else going to for it. The cast is impressive. I have to say, I was shocked at how good Ryan Gosling is in the film. Gosling has been hitting it out of the park in recent years, but this is one of his finest performances. He makes us care deeply about this replicant. His performance is restrained, but powerful. In a long movie, we spend most of our time with Gosling. It's pretty amazing that in a sequel to Blade Runner, we don't see Harrison Ford for a long time and his role as a whole is small- and it doesn't matter. Gosling is so good, when we finally see Ford, it feels like a bonus, not the reason for the film existing. That is stunningly difficult to pull off (Star Wars: The Force Awakens is another example of a film that pulled this off, but few sequels can manage this). I loved that in this sequel, Ford's Deckard wasn't all that important. And yet, the film benefits because when Ford does show up, he gives one of the strongest performances in years. I hate to admit in the late stages of his career, it often feels like Ford shows up and just does the bare minimum. He's never bad, but he feels like he's coasting. I didn't get that sense here. He's solid. I loved the scenes with him and Gosling- I just wish there was more.

The supporting cast is very good. Dave Bautista is only in the film for a few minutes at the beginning, but his presence is felt long after. I was shocked how good he was in a small role. Robin Wright delivers a nice supporting performance. Ana de Armas was solid, as was Mackenzie Davis. In fact, the only person I didn't really love was Jared Leto. His performance felt over-the-top and didn't quite fit in with the rest of the movie. Also, I have to give massive amounts of credit to Sylvia Hoeks. I don't know how she hit all the right notes, but her character is menacing, fascinating, and memorable. She adds so much to the film. I also liked seeing Lennie James and Barkhad Abdi. Villeneuve gets the most out of his cast.

One other thing I loved about this film- Villeneuve continually keeps us on our toes. He makes this film feel like an authentic sequel to the first movie, but it stands on its own as well. There were certainly moments when the film could have been more accessible, more in line with our expectations. Villeneuve fights against those urges. This isn't the movie we were expecting and that's a very good thing. The end of the film was powerful and thought-provoking.

Blade Runner 2049 isn't quite the conventional great movie. Aspects of it are problematic, off-putting. And yet, true genius went into making this film. It defies our expectations even as it surpasses them. It took me a while to get my thoughts together, but I firmly believe this is a great movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Blade Runner