Blade Runner 2049 is a wonderful film. It's beautiful, bold, and ambitious like the original classic. It's set 35 years after the events of the first film. The Tyrell corporation has gone bankrupt. In its place is the Wallace Corporation (run in full method acting glory by the great Jared Leto). The world has seen ecological devastation, and replicants (human androids) have only been brought back out of necessity. The original batch of replicants (Nexus 8 models) are being hunted and "retired" by a new crop of Blade Runners. You see, those original models can think for themselves, whereas the new crop are totally and completely loyal to their human masters. We follow the story through the eyes of Ryan Gosling's "K," a newer model replicant (this isn't a spoiler... it's revealed in the first 5 minutes of the movie), who is tasked with retiring the Nexus 8s. He soon finds out that there is more than meets the eye to the official company line, when he meets an older model (played in a brief but memorable manner by Dave Bautista). It seems that a body is buried in his front yard that opens up a world of endless (and forbidden) possibilities for replicants.
What follows is a classic Hollywood film noir style story that happens to be set in the future. It's Chinatown with flying cars. It takes its time to build a case and doesn't take shortcuts in getting to the conclusion. Some could argue that its too long and plodding... however, I felt that it was such a beautiful journey that I didn't mind sticking around for its almost 3 hour run time. The great cinematographer Roger Deakins has crafted a film in which every frame is a piece of art. So, although, the film tends to lag in parts (especially during the robot sex scene), it was still one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. I didn't mind the (very deliberate) pace of this film. Like I said, it felt like Chinatown (one of my favorite movies) set in the future. If you go in expecting Star Wars, you'll sadly be disappointed.
I can see why this film is not for everyone. In fact, multiple people left the theater during its screening. It's a blockbuster that has very little resemblance to today's modern shoot-em-ups. It's deliberate almost to a fault. It tries to be a little too philosophical at times. But ultimately, I feel like this film delivers everything that I wanted from it. Director Denis Villenueve further cements his status as one of the great modern film directors.
You don't even need to have seen the first one to enjoy this one. It can stand on its own two feet.
I'm giving Blade Runner 2049 3 out of 4 stars. It has its flaws, but ultimately, it's a rewarding film that warrants repeat viewings. I think I'll get more out of it during each viewing.
