Blade Runner 2049 Review

It's been over a year and a half since my last review. Life has gotten busier for me, and I just haven't found time consistently to review the films I see. That being said, I feel compelled to wake from my 18-month slumber and talk about this movie in some form. That right there should give you a sense of how strongly I feel about Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. It's a continuation of Ridley Scott's stark vision of the future that he gave us in the 1982 sci-fi noir Blade Runner, a film that received a tepid response from bewildered audiences initially, before eventually becoming one of the most celebrated exercises in science fiction of all-time.

With Blade Runner 2049, Scott's visually and thematically rich movie is given a proper sequel, one deserving of the praise it has received and then some. I have thought about this movie almost constantly in the hours since the credits rolled at the screening I attended. After revisiting it in my mind many times over, I have reached a few inescapable conclusions: Blade Runner 2049 is one of the greatest sci-fi films and sequels I have ever seen, perhaps the most visually striking and beautiful film I've seen, and probably one of the best handful of movies of the last decade.

In order to be experienced fully, I believe this is a movie you should go into without much prior knowledge regarding its plot, characters, or setting. I had only seen the first trailer once before watching the film, and it paid off immensely. Thus, I will not be describing any details about the movie like I normally do; this will simply be a forum for me to pour out my praises for the film while remaining as vague as possible. To do anything otherwise would be an extreme disservice to readers who have yet to experience the movie.

I cannot begin to describe how good this movie really is. From its astounding visuals and booming score to its dark and beautiful futuristic vision, Blade Runner 2049 is everything a Blade Runner sequel should be. It pays homage to Ridley Scott's classic film through its stunning blend of cyberpunk sci-fi and brooding neo-noir elements, while taking the original's thematic and philosophical ruminations to new, complex places.

I have always had an interesting relationship with the original Blade Runner. After my first viewing, I was so befuddled by what I had seen, I couldn't form a legitimate opinion of it. I watched it again a few years later and finally started to "get" it. I started to grasp its appeal; the hauntingly bleak vision of 2019 Los Angeles juxtaposed with morally ambiguous notions of what it means to be human. Still, I could never fully adopt the film as a favorite of mine due to some of its more bizarre elements. The late Roger Ebert said it best in his review of the final cut version: "I have never quite embraced 'Blade Runner', admiring it at arm's length".

I will not have this problem with 2049. Denis Villeneuve's sequel nails the tone and thematic beats of its predecessor while somehow remaining entirely accessible as an enjoyable cinematic experience. Every problem I had with the original has been fixed with this movie, and while it is not without minor issues and flaws I could nitpick, those are ultimately irrelevant when I consider the overwhelming power with which this film washed over me. It is a singular filmmaking achievement that I will never forget.

The thing about Blade Runner 2049 that everyone who sees it will talk about is its visual effects. It is truly a beautiful film. None of the CGI felt forced or out of place, and every single frame was magnificently shot by renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins. There are a great number of shots in this film that could be framed and mounted on your wall as legitimate pieces of art. I was simply dumbfounded in wide-eyed amazement at the visual prowess of Denis Villeneuve's film. Accompanied by a dazzling score collaboratively composed by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, there were quite a few moments - particularly scenes that traversed the stark cityscape of never-ending fog and vibrant neon lights - that were truly sublime and transportive. It was a delight to simply get lost in this film.

Blade Runner 2049 is a special film. It balances its cold, caustic view of the future with a soulful human story that leaves you with a unique resonance unlike anything I've seen. A lot of this review might seem like hyperbole, but believe me, I mean every word. This is Denis Villeneuve's masterpiece, the type of movie that will catapult him into the upper echelon of this generation's filmmakers, if he wasn't there already. In an era of mindless blockbusters and shameless franchise building, Blade Runner 2049 sticks out as a Hollywood film that is so utterly anti-Hollywood. An emotionally and thematically exceptional piece of science fiction disguised as an effects-driven action blockbuster. Please, see this movie. Studios should know that intelligent, challenging filmmaking is just as profitable as dime-a-dozen blockbusters.

A+