Blade Runner 2049’ proves to be a riveting and successful sequel
By Jack Murphy
“Blade Runner 2049” is directed by Denis Villeneuve and is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic “Blade Runner.” The film stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Sylvia Hoeks, and Robin Wright. The film is about K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner that works for the LAPD in the year 2049, thirty years after the events that took place in the original “Blade Runner.” I will not go any further into the plot of this film, because I believe it is best to go into this film only knowing that it is the sequel to “Blade Runner.” The director of this movie, Denis Villeneuve, has directed great films such as “Arrival,” “Sicario,” and “Prisoners,” and if any director can pull off the long-awaited “Blade Runner” sequel, Villeneuve would be the guy to do it. After seeing the film, I can say that “Blade Runner 2049” is one of the best sequels ever made.
“Blade Runner 2049” pulls off what every great sequel manages to pull off, which is to build off the original, tell a different story, while also retaining the things that made the original film so good. The best thing about “Blade Runner 2049” is the cinematography by Roger Deakin’s, which is immaculate, stunning, and beautiful. Deakin’s fantastic cinematography, amazing directing from Villeneuve, and the stunning visuals all pay a part in making this a glorious experience for the eyes. The CGI in this film is another contribution to this film’s greatness, as it’s nearly flawless. At one point in this movie, a CGI character from the original “Blade Runner” appears briefly, and it does what “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” couldn’t pull off, which is to make a fully convincing CGI model of an actor from a past film. The acting in this film is top notch from in particular Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, and most of all Sylvia Hoeks who plays a replicant villain in the film and she is menacing. Her performance reminded me a lot of Robert Patrick’s performance as the T-1000 from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” because they both had the ability to show off as little emotion as possible, while also making the audience fear them in a way that not many actors or actresses could do. She is a perfect villain for this film because the superiority she has over K (Gosling) throughout the runtime.
If there are any flaws with “Blade Runner 2049,” the run time could be seen as a problem for many movie goers. “Blade Runner 2049” has a running time of two hours and forty-nine minutes along with around twenty minutes of previews, which concludes in more than three hours spent in the theater. There could have been fifteen to thirty minutes cut out of the film and nothing much would change. Personally, I was so invested in the film, the runtime of the film didn’t come across my mind. However, it would not surprise if people complained about the film’s length. Besides the run time and some small nitpicks, this is a near perfect film. Overall, “Blade Runner 2049” is a fantastic sequel that lives up to the legend of the original and is one of the best films of 2017. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the sci-fi film genre, or anyone who just loves great movies.
Grade: A