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| Blade Runner 2049 movie poster |
Given major Hollywood film studios' current reliance on big-budget franchises (eight Transformers movies and counting) to boost revenue and woo audiences away from the comfort of the plethora of on-demand entertainment available through cable or OTT streaming services like Netflix, that's totally understandable.
Personally I'm not one of those people, as a film fan I try to take an individual film on its own merits.
There are many examples of sequels that are as good as, or exceed the original movie; even when the first one is considered a classic.
In my personal view, The Godfather II is a superior film to the original and I rank Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant sequel as one of the top five films of all time.
As much as I loved the original Star Wars, the sequel The Empire Strikes Back, is a much better picture in terms of the quality and depth of the story, character development and the overall film.
By any measure, it's a huge risk for a producer, director or screenwriter to attempt a sequel to a film considered a classic in its own right, but in my humble opinion I think there's no question that executive producer Ridley Scott and French-Canadian director Dennis Villeneuve have succeeded with Blade Runner 2049.
As someone who came of age in the 70's and 80's, the original Blade Runner, which came out in 1982, is often described as "visionary" - but it truly was.
Director Ridley Scott's dark dystopian film based on the 1968 Phillip K. Dick novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", underperformed at the American box office when it first came out (I saw it in the theater), but many fans and critics alike were totally floored by its moody, atmospheric feel and unusual characters.
The popularity of the film grew exponentially after it was released on VHS then eventually shown on cable TV as a wider audience got a chance to see and appreciate it.
Like The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Blade Runner elevated the science-fiction film genre into an entirely new level with its breathtaking scenery, special effects, cutting edge production design and brilliant (and haunting) sound track.
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| Rutger Hauer as android Roy Batty in his unforgettable 3rd act scene in the 1982 film Blade Runner |
The supporting cast, including M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, Joanna Cassidy and James Hong was excellent as well.
William Sanderson's touching performance as toy designer J.F. Sebastian was amazing.
From my perspective, the original Blade Runner successfully tapped into anxieties felt by many people about the threat of nuclear war in the late 70's and early 80's.
For those too young to remember, this was at a time when elevated Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were a constant reminder of the vast nuclear arsenals of both countries.
Blade Runner came out a year before the widely-watched ABC television movie The Day After, which depicted the terrifying aftermath of a fictional nuclear war between America and the U.S.S.R - that was broadcast in 1983.
I think a lot of people were drawn to the original Blade Runner in part because it offered a glimpse of what a society that had survived the ravages of nuclear war, pollution and climate change, might look like - it offered hope that humanity would survive.
After seeing Blade Runner 2049 last night in IMAX, I think screenwriters Hampton Francher and Michael Green (Francher co-wrote the original film) successfully use the story to explore timely issues that our current culture continues to wrestle with today.
Topics like bigotry, the over-saturation of commercialization, the effects of drastic climate change, corporations allowed to run amok - and of course, the dilemma and ethical and moral implications of humans existing alongside artificial intelligence.
For those who plan to see it, don't worry I won't give away any plot twists or surprises.
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| A huge holographic figure from an ad talks with Ryan Gosling's character "K" in Blade Runner 2049 |
One of the most interesting (and coolest) visual aspects of the first Blade Runner were the enormous video ads that were seen on the sides of buildings and large futuristic blimps or airships throughout the film in the background of scenes.
Those are reflections of the fact that director Ridley Scott originally learned his craft as a commercial director in London, and we get to see more of that in Blade Runner 2049.
The original Blade Runner was set in 2019, so thirty years later, improvements in technology (both in the story of the film and for SFX and visual effects teams) allow the ads in Blade Runner 2049 to exist as moving three-dimensional holographic images that are really stunning - and beautiful to watch.
For example in one scene, a luminescent three or four story-tall ballerina twirls and dances in the middle of a busy street at night crowded with pedestrians and vehicles; in another scene later in the film an enormous naked woman from an ad projected onto the side of a building steps out of the ad and crouches down to talk directly to Ryan Gosling's character "K" (pictured above).
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| Jared Leto as the ruthless Niander Wallace |
As in the original Blade Runner, the only real government authority we see are the police who track down the remaining rogue Nexus-6 models of android "replicants" manufactured by the Tryrell Corporation.
In Blade Runner 2049 we are introduced to Niander Wallace, a sociopathic bio-engineer-CEO effectively played by actor Jared Leto who controls the powerful corporation that now manufactures replicants that, unlike the Nexus-6 models in the original film, are programmed to be completely loyal to humans.
Leto is solid as Wallace, a blind, enigmatic character who "sees" with the aid of small drone-like objects that follow him around, the main plot revolves around his desire to harness, and profit from, a disturbing secret that relates to Harrison Ford's character Deckard and his love interest Rachel, the stunning replicant brilliantly played by actress Sean Young in the original Blade Runner.
Even more impressive than Leto in my opinion is his sidekick "henchman" (or hench-woman I should say) played by relatively unknown actress Sylvia Hoeks, in true Bond fashion she's graceful, intelligent, beautiful, ruthless and deadly - she really steals the scenes she's in and remember her name because this is a star-making role for her.
But before I wrap up, let's quickly review the good guys in the movie, which I intentionally saved for the end.
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| Harrison Ford's character Deckard appears in Blade Runner 2049 |
Privately I worried that his presence in the sequel might be forced, awkward or klutzy from the standpoint of a screenwriter (Ford always delivers as an actor).
But the story in Blade Runner 2049 really delivers, and Deckard's appearance is a natural result of a logical, complex and well-structured plot.
It was an emotional moment for me as a fan of the original film and Ford, seeing the reality of both him and the character aging with grace and a kind of cinematic nobility - Ford (an avid tennis player) has clearly kept himself in shape and he looks good.
He also delivers a nuanced performance as Deckard reveals what he's been doing for the past thirty years - again, without giving away anything specific, he plays a critical part of the plot and the third-act resolution.
A plot that's bolstered with fine supporting actor performances by Robin Wright as LAPD Lt. Joshi and Ana de Armas as a hologram named Joi.
But, and I saved this for the end, this film unquestionably belongs to Ryan Gosling.
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| Ryan Gosling's character "K" sets out in search of secrets across a futuristic landscape |
Gosling's riveting performance is at once measured, introspective, subtle, moody and intense.
Yet he also displays emotional vulnerability and unleashes powerful physical intensity when needed - a modern reflection of Ford's incredible performance in the original film.
Gosling's performance perfectly captures the essence and style of the world of Ridley Scott's vision in a way that makes Blade Runner 2049 one of the finest sequels to a classic that I've ever seen.
To me one of the most impressive aspects about this film is that, like the original Blade Runner, the sequel never panders to any kind of mainstream Hollywood ideas about "commercial appeal".
It runs two hours and 44 minutes, and the producer, director, editor allow the film to take it's time to develop with long, unhurried scenes that allow the characters time to develop, and the plot to become carefully layered as it presents a new story set in the future, while merging plot elements with the original film.
New characters are introduced, and for fans of the original, old characters make appearances as well.
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| A giant holographic ballerina twirls in the middle of the street in 2049 Los Angeles |
Blade Runner 2049 makes clear that in some ways, the wall between humans and the artificially intelligent replicants who often display a humanity that is startling to behold, is growing even more fragile - a question we ourselves face as AI advances rapidly.
This amazing sequel manages to achieve the same epic emotional heights of the original in ways that make it something quite rare in American cinema today - a transformative and moving film experience that makes you work and offers no simple answers.
For film buffs and sci-fi fans, Blade Runner 2049 needs to be seen on the large screen - the extra few dollars to see it in IMAX is worth it.
It's not often that a sequel comes along that ranks up there with the original, and rare is the big Hollywood release these days that leaves you thinking as you leave the theater - and searching for answers after the film is over.
This is one of those films that leaves you knowing one thing as you start your car in the theater parking lot, or wait for the subway or bus - that you have to see it again.
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