Blade Runner 2049 Replicates

Blade Runner 2049 movie poster

Some people are quick to respond to the idea of a film sequel with equal parts cynicism and skepticism.

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.

Rutger Hauer as android Roy Batty in his unforgettable
3rd act scene in the 1982 film Blade Runner

To say nothing of the acting performances of Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos and an absolutely unforgettable Rutger Hauer as the android Roy Batty.

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.

A huge holographic figure from an ad talks with Ryan Gosling's
character "K" in Blade Runner 2049

But given the topics I explore in my blog I think it's important to note that Blade Runner 2049 offers glimpses of prejudice against androids in the first act (including slurs and graffiti) that instantly bring to mind the racism and divisiveness cultivated by Donald Trump.

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).

Jared Leto as the ruthless Niander Wallace 

Without giving away anything, holographic projection of, and "physical" interaction with, humans figures prominently in Blade Runner 2049 in ways that are stunning, erotic and at times, creepy to watch.

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.

Harrison Ford's character Deckard appears in
Blade Runner 2049

As a guy whose grown up watching, and admiring, Harrison Ford from his first roles in American Graffiti, Star Wars and Apocalypse Now, I was eager to see what had become of the character Deckard.

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.

Ryan Gosling's character "K" sets out in search of
secrets across a futuristic landscape

Director Dennis Villeneuve (who directed Sicario and Arrival) has elicited what may be Gosling's finest on-screen performance to date.

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.

A giant holographic ballerina twirls in the middle
of the street in 2049 Los Angeles  

The sweeping camera shots by the master cinematographer Roger Deakins along with the a film soundtrack that incorporates the amazing music of Vangelis simultaneously takes us on a journey that wanders into the past original film, while moving through a future landscape and setting up a path forward for what will surely be another sequel.

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.

The Day After

Back in the fall of 1983 when I was in eighth grade, on the night of November 20th to be exact, over 100 million Americans tuned into ABC to watch The Day After; a ground-breaking televised film depicting the lives of people in small towns in middle-America set against the horrifying background of a fictional nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union and their Warsaw Pact allies.

I came of age in the 1970's and early 80's, and for those not old enough to remember, the Cold War with the Soviet Union at that time was about as cold as it ever got.

When The Day After premiered on that fall evening, America was three years into President Ronald Reagan's 1st term, and just seven months earlier, during a now infamous speech in front of the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, Reagan first used the term "Evil Empire" to describe the Soviet Union.

Watch a brief four-minute excerpt from the speech, particularly the fiery language he uses to frame communism in an almost messianic way - those two words drove a wedge between America and the Soviet Union that would last for years.

The Soviets had been America's ideological, political and military adversary for years when Reagan first used those words in an ideological speech that linked religion, politics and patriotism with war in a way that symbolized his administration's muscular foreign policy - driven in no small part by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December of 1979 and concern of Soviet expansion.

But that speech wasn't just about lofty ideals or projecting American strength - Reagan was selling the American people on the biggest military build-up since the Vietnam War.

When Reagan took office in 1981, America's defense budget was about $339.6 billion, by 1987 it would reach a staggering $456.5 billion; and our federal deficit soared as social programs were slashed - remember ketchup being classified as a vegetable as a result of cuts to federal contributions to public school nutrition programs for children?

A healthy portion of American taxpayer's money in Reagan's first term was being spent on upgrading and expanding America's nuclear weapons arsenal, and those were scary times when the threat of nuclear was very real - so the broadcast of the The Day After in 1983 in the third year of Reagan's first term was, in part, a response to the growing public anxiety about a nuclear war; and what the horrifying aftermath would be like.

It was also a reflection of a growing global public opposition to the use of nuclear power and nuclear weapons, even though the anti-nuclear movement actually had it's origins in the 1950's in response to the widespread testing of nuclear weapons.

The accident that took place at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979 brought the reality of the dangers of nuclear power home to people around the world in very real ways.

Not only did Three Mile Island spark hundreds of thousands of people to protest nuclear power in cities around the world in 1979, it began to bring opposition to the use of nuclear weapons, and indeed war, more into the mainstream of global society.

The Day After tapped into those sentiments, and it still holds a record for the largest televised movie audience.

Everyone watched it, adults and children alike. We discussed it in class for months afterwards and it was discussed at the water cooler at work and in bars, it was on magazine covers, television programs - everywhere.


It implanted the reality of the horrors of nuclear war firmly into the American subconscious.

Now as a film buff, I must say that while The Day After had a huge emotional impact on me and my political views, I feel that the British television film that followed in 1984, Threads, was actually the better movie.

The BAFTA-Award winning BBC production followed a very similar storyline, except that it followed the lives of a series of characters based in the industrial town of Sheffield, England before, during and after a nuclear war between America and the Soviet Union.

Even though it was fictional, to me Threads had a darker, grittier, almost documentary-style feel to it, and personally I found the characters more compelling.

British survivors try to plant crops 13 
years after nuclear war in Threads

Also by the time The Day After and Threads came out, the scientific community around the globe was devoting more resources to exploring how a nuclear war would affect the environment; in particular, the Nuclear Winter - a horrifying scenario in which the tons of radioactive dust and debris kicked up high into the atmosphere by nuclear explosions would encircle the globe and block out the sun for months or even years.

Threads was the first film to delve deep into what life would be like for those who managed to survive a nuclear winter; it was terrifying to glimpse average people trying to live in those conditions.

Part of what was so terrifying was trying to wrap one's head around all the unknowns of nuclear war.

Would it happen? Where would it happen? What would it be like to survive?

Now I share all that because relating to those anxieties about nuclear war is the best way for me to try and describe how I felt last night after coming to grips with the reality that Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president.

Like many others I've heard call in to public radio today to discuss the election results, I'm aware of this terrifying sense of all the unknowns that lay before America.

As an African-American, I'm dealing with some very genuine anxieties of what a large portion of the populace of the country I live in electing a man who overtly pandered to racism and xenophobia, will mean for me and other racial, ethnic and religious minorities - and members of the LGBTQ community.

As you've probably seen, protests against Trump's election have already broken out in cities around the nation - I've never seen reactions like this after a presidential election.

Anti-Trump protests have already started 

So what happens next?

During his campaign Trump gave virtually no indication of any actual policy objectives; aside from building a wall on the Mexican border and deporting millions of illegal immigrants.

This morning an American citizen from Nigeria called in to The Brian Lehrer Show to say how upset she was that her fifteen-year old daughter woke up and told her (and I'm paraphrasing):

"See, I told you they don't like us because of our skin color."

That breaks my heart, and I'm genuinely scared of where this country is going; and what it means that a man who embraces white nationalism, has never served in office and will appear in court to answer charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl was elected president.

Today, as I begin to try and make some sense of the consequences of the massive seismic shift that took place in our nation with the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, I feel a little bit like the stunned survivors in The Day After or Threads emerging from the radioactive rubble to stagger across a landscape that's nearly unrecognizable.

As the tagline on the poster for The Day After reads, "The end of the familiar. The beginning of the end." 

I'm holding on to the hope that the election of this man as the leader of the free world doesn't lead to "the end" - but today is the day after, and it's clear that things can never be the same.