Courtesy of IGN and Alcon Entertainment
As most of you know, Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to the 1982 film Blade Runner. Should you watch the original film before you see the sequel? I recommend seeing the original film before seeing the sequel. I saw the original film, for the first time, literally 3 hours before I saw the sequel. And I can definitely tell you it helped me understand and appreciate the sequel more. If you don’t have time for that, just read the Wikipedia synopsis of the original film before you see the sequel, and you are good to go. Normally, in the middle of every movie, I check my watch to see how much time is left before the movie finishes and to my surprise in this movie not once did I not check the time. The whole theater was quiet and engrossed in the movie. Do you know how rare is to come across a theater without someone not talking or not being on their phone?
This movie did not disappoint. The visuals and cinematography of this film were out of this world and innovative. It is certainly one of the film’s strongest part. Thanks to concept artist Syd Mead, director Denis Villeneuve, cinematographer Roger Deakins and production designer Dennis Gassner for creating a visually aesthetically pleasing film that makes the futuristic world look sleek and complex, that not many sci-fi films can accomplish. I highly suggest that you watch this movie in IMAX if you want to immerse yourself in the visuals. One of the best-looking films I have seen ever. Period.
Courtesy of IGN and Alcon Entertainment
Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the original film in the grim and dystopic city of Los Angeles. In the Blade Runner franchise, there are humans and replicants. Replicants are basically bioengineered androids that are visually identical to humans but have a more superior skill set than humans. And blade runners are trained cops that track down and “retire” (a euphemism to kill) older models of replicants. The sequel maintained the basic concepts of the original film which allows the audience to question humanity and ethical responsibility. The film ultimately asks the audience the bigger question: Are replicants just as capable of having a soul like humans?
Ryan Gosling plays a blade runner named K and sometimes Joe, if you watch the movie you will understand the name confusion, and Harrison Ford returns as Richard Deckard. Gosling and Ford did an incredible job of playing deep emotional scenes and thrilling action scenes. The rest of the cast including Jared Leto, Ana de Armas and Robin Wright did a great job in filling out their character’s roles and acting out emotions best suited to their characters.
Blade Runner 2049 successfully continues the world created by Ridley Scott without ruining or changing any elements of the original film. It’s a complex and brilliant film that does justice for the fans of the Blade Runner franchise.