Powerfully crafted and exhilarating in its visual scope, Blade Runner 2049 is a chord-striking achievement that is simply breathtaking

Rating: 10/10 (24 October 2017)

Being a masterful influence in the science-fiction genre, it only comes to no surprise that a sequel to Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' would be subject to significantly high expectations. With Scott's availability restrained to the producing team, the studios manage to no one other than Denis Villenueve, the visionary behind 'Enemy', 'Prisoners', 'Sicario' and last year's 'Arrival', to fill in the director's role. Blooming with striking visual methodology and superb craftsmanship to capture the heart and soul of the 1982 original, the film powerfully exhibits why Villenueve was the right choice to take over for Scott. The French-Canadian filmmaker has proved himself as one of the cinema's most profound visual storytellers which only makes up half of the equation of why this continuation to its influential predecessor succeeds on making ends meet. It is a film that not only embraces the beauty of the original, but expands upon it in more ways than one. As the title states, the film is set thirty years after the events of the first film where we meet K (played by Ryan Gosling), a Los Angeles police detective tasked with eliminating the last remaining replicants who have evolved from the Tyrell Corporation which is now on its way to bankruptcy. Employed by his cutthroat boss Lieutenant Joshi (played by Robin Wright) who uncover a dark secret associated at the hands of a diabolical human creator named Niander Wallace (played by Jared Leto). This soon places him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) who has been missing for decades.
If you know Denis Villenueve, you know that he by no means lets his filmmaking talent go to waste. He squeezes out every inch of his talent and pours into this film, and the results take the spirit of its predecessor and spin it into cinematic gold. His greatest strength lies within his ability to take the futuristic city of Los Angeles and, with today's newly updated technology, turn into a roller coaster of eye-popping visual beauty. Downtown Los Angeles, dominated by holographic advertisements and neon light soaking the streets and skyscrapers, is just the beginning. As Ryan Gosling's K travels through war-torn landscapes and a wasteland clouded with tangerine-colored fog, Villenueve's visual grandiose is beautifully captured with master cinematographer Roger Deakins. Seizing the gritty atmosphere of his dark visual design, supplemented with the roaring electronic score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, Deakins captures every frame with immense precision, and if his efforts are not enough to finally ring him his long-awaited Oscar, Lord so help me! The visual style greatly serves as a helping hand to the plot which follows the lead character on a quest that gladly avoids the common sequel clichÃ© of rehashing elements from the original and takes us on an all-new adventure, offering twists and cutting-edge thrills that define against average storytelling. And for a lengthy runtime pedaling just merely under three hours, this film knows how to keeps things moving without feeling the need to splash us with a bombastic actions sequence every five minutes but instead dedicating its time to constructing its characters and building upon its story arc. In the end, there is just enough justice done to compensate for its slow pacing that is likely to turn those who lack patience.
Over the last several years, Ryan Gosling has proved worthy is tackling nearly any role he is placed into regardless of its genre. As for here, the Canadian actor is given the daunting task of carrying an enormous portion of the film on his shoulders, and the performance he gives as the lead character is simply satisfying. His chemistry with Cuban actress Ana De Armas, who plays his girlfriend, is nothing short of astonishing considering the highly original nature of her character. It is somewhat unlikely that Gosling will pitted with a role more challenging than this. Robin Wright stands strong in her role as does Jared Leto in his villainous role of a man lacking pupils in his eyes. As eerie as his appearance can be, Leto makes a decent impression of his character. Dave Batista, who shares very little screen time, puts in good effort for the short time he has on screen. And it should come to no surprise that Harrison Ford reprises his role as the veteran Rick Deckard, but his amount of screen time will definitely leave some surprised. Nonetheless, it does a solid job in his three-decade old role. Whether he makes a larger star than Ryan Gosling is somewhat debatable, but it is nonetheless satisfying to see the aging actor make his return to one of his most memorable roles.
Blade Runner 2049 stands as a landmark in the realm of cinematic sequels, and with Denis Villenueve's astonishing craftsmanship and ability to embrace the soul of its predecessor, soars as a highly remarkable achievement in the science-fiction genre. With all the potential that lies within the picture, this film does not squander any of it and places it all on full display. Denis Villenueve, you're a winner!