Sooooooo what did I just watch? I am not exactly sure. But let’s recap. It’s 2049 in California, the Earth’s ecosystem has been ravaged since 2020, and bioengineered androids called Replicants have been integrated into society after years of slave labor and rebellions (don’t worry if you are confused, that won’t change later. Still keep reading please!!!). Ryan Gosling is “K”, an LAPD detective tasked with tracking down and “retiring” (a.k.a. killing) older model rogue replicants. In his latest investigation, he stumbles upon a revelation that could devastate the already fragile societal structure between humans and androids.
I watched a 5-minute explanation of the original Blade Runner before seeing this movie, and that helped me understand what was going on probably as much as my not-so-well-done explanation above. So, if you’re worried about having to see the original film before this one, there is a good probability that it is not necessary. You don't need any more background knowledge than what they give you at the beginning of this movie to be able to follow along (as much as you can). Since this has been me for the past hour trying to describe to you what this movie is about….
I’m just going to skip right on to my thoughts.
This was a good movie. Or at least I could tell it was a good movie (Dammit I am not being any clearer here). Stay with me. From the opening scene, there is a continuous tension that keeps the audience wondering what is going to happen next. It was interesting, thought-provoking, and all around entertaining. At least it would be all of that if the movie wasn’t about 30 minutes too long. It is a whopping 2 hours and 45 minutes!!!! Director Denis Villaneuve decided to fill every single second of that time to create epic set pieces and drag the movie on and on and on and on and... ok I'm done. Anyway, if you have seen Villaneuve's movie Arrival, you know his love for loud, blaring music that would make Inception blush. He continued this trend here by filling every 5 to 10 second pause in conversation with haunting horns. Every scene slogged along due to long stares into the distance while Gosling thinks of what to say to next. If each scene’s dialogue went at a regular pace, then it would be artistic and meta and provocative without being SO DAMN SLOW. I was fighting sleep in hour one while thinking “noooo, I am actually interested in the movie but someone SAY SOMETHING”.
Ok, acting like the movie was a crisp 2 hours and 10 minutes, it was pretty amazing. The story and action blended well together. The story’s tension would boil over with each action sequence and by the end of the action pick right back up again. Each scene made the audience think deeply about what it really means to be human. The relationship between Gosling’s character and his girlfriend Joi (Ana De Armas) highlighted humanity’s ability to love others no matter where they come from (even if they come from a holographic projection or are an android). The bleak atmosphere is juxtaposed with blazing neon lights. This all grounds the movie’s sci-fi fantasy aspects with a grittiness that grips your attention. Yet, while your attention is captivated, your mind is scrambling trying to unpack all the plot’s hidden meanings and weird sequences. It’s best to wait until after the credits to try to piece everything together. Instead, just sit back and be entertained by the great performances.
The supporting cast brought an enormous amount of emotional weight to the story. Robin Wright and Dave Bautista gave particularly powerful performances (my alliteration continues!!!!) in their limited screen time. De Armas brought a surprising amount of heart to a character that you don’t expect to be moved by when first introduced. Sylvia Hoeks’ replicant Luv, the main antagonist, is scary good. She played the most emotion-filled heartless android ever. Her eyes conveyed so much feeling as she killed everyone with no hesitation. Jared Leto was… not in the movie. It was basically him in Suicide Squad again, advertised but barely there. A cameo that actually worked was Harrison Ford coming back as Deckard. It was refreshing that he came into the movie at the exact right time and didn’t overstay his welcome. The movie didn’t lean heavily on his character, and this allowed Gosling to be the focal point. If not for the 2 minutes of loud ass silence in each scene, the ensemble was able to captivate the audience with every word, every movement, and every look.
Blade Runner 2049 will not disappoint lovers of the original movie. It had all sci-fi elements to create a masterpiece of visual, audio, and storytelling genius. Those of us who haven’t seen the original (or was just as confused by the first) will see a very creative and gripping story that was too long and too slow. This feeling was so overwhelming that it has made it really hard to write a review for this movie. This process took way too long and went way too slow. So, I am just gonna stop here and say Blade Runner 2049 gets a solid 8/10 (this movie made me too tired for a funny rating system. Just take it and go*).
*me after writing this review: