Today’s quick review: Blade Runner 2049. In a future Los Angeles, artificial humans known as replicants serve humanity with perfect obedience. As a blade runner for the LAPD, it’s the job of K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant himself, to “retire” earlier models of replicants who have gone rogue. When his latest investigation uncovers a world-changing secret, K must hunt down Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner, in search of answers.
Blade Runner 2049 is a science fiction movie with noir influences. The sequel to the original Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 revisits the movie’s dystopian future thirty years later. Blade Runner 2049 features a fascinating setting, gorgeous visuals, a haunting electronic soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, and a complex plot with a surprising amount of depth to it. Blade Runner 2049 is a masterpiece of serious, speculative, and melancholy sci-fi.
Blade Runner 2049 is a rare sequel that stands on its own two feet. The story ties into that of the original, but at enough of a remove that either film can be considered in isolation. Blade Runner 2049 recreates the atmosphere, the loneliness, and many of the themes of the original, but without retreading old ground. The sequel is also visually brighter, though still moody, and its plot is somewhat more active.
Blade Runner 2049 begins with its setting. The Los Angeles of 2049 is a shadowy yet beautiful city of monolithic buildings, towering holograms, and nearly perpetual rain. Even with the city’s dense population and the film’s own sizable cast, the film feels lonely in a way that’s true to its noir roots. The city’s imposing vistas, the sprawl of blighted infrastructure around it, and patches of vivid color give Blade Runner 2049 a unique ambience.
Blade Runner 2049’s most impressive feature is its cinematography. The camerawork takes advantage of the film’s gorgeous setting with lingering aerial shots. Each location in the film receives a proper visual introduction that lasts up to minutes at a time. The deliberate pacing of these shots sets the tempo of the movie. It is a testament to the quality of the film’s visuals, soundtrack, and story that its slow pace only makes it more captivating.
The craftsmanship extends into the film’s treatment of its characters. Every significant character receives the camera’s full attention where appropriate, and the cast’s performances are universally strong. Like the original Blade Runner, 2049’s dialogue is understated and often ambiguous. The thoughts of the characters are concealed behind their stony expressions, and it is up to the viewer to connect the dots.
Blade Runner 2049’s story is unusually involved for a science fiction movie. Beginning with a routine case for K, the plot unfolds one step at a time into something broader, a series of clues and revelations that go much farther than anyone expects. The mystery at the heart of the movie works well at multiple levels: as an investigation to drive the plot, as a potent emotional arc, and as a challenge to the society Blade Runner has constructed.
The cast of characters carries much of the weight of the movie. Ryan Gosling delivers a quietly moving performance as K, a detective whose investigation cast doubts on everything he thought he knew. Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard, as tough and surly as ever, although the part is that of an important supporting character.
The supporting cast is just as impressive. Ana de Armas plays Joi, K’s doting girlfriend and constant companion. Jared Leto plays Niander Wallace, the ruthless, visionary head of the company that makes replicants. Sylvia Hoeks plays his assistant Luv, a dangerous replicant who takes an interest in K’s investigation. Other notable performances come from Robin Wright as K’s boss, Dave Bautista as a rogue replicant, and Carla Juri as a memory author.
Blade Runner 2049 also has significant speculative value and thematic weight. The writing touches on questions of authenticity, memory and identity, bias, artificial intelligence, and the expansion of humanity, among others. Moreover, these questions are worked into the plot and setting in organic ways. Reflecting on any facet of the movie yields a small but well-considered collection of ideas that might not have been obvious at a first glance.
Blade Runner 2049 will not appeal to every sci-fi fan. The world it portrays is almost without hope, and K’s victories are almost always tainted with loss. The film’s action, while satisfying, comes second to its story. The additions to the original Blade Runner’s canon may not be welcome for fans of the original. Parts of the plot are underdeveloped, albeit for justified reasons, and Harrison Ford and Jared Leto are both underused.
Not every viewer will find its visuals, its camerawork, and its characters engrossing enough to make the film’s long run time worthwhile. But those who are even slightly interested should give Blade Runner 2049 a shot, as the sheer quality of its craftsmanship makes it a unique and rewarding experience for anyone with compatible tastes.
8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.5 for masterful science fiction and cinematography.