Blade Runner 2049 is as good a sequel as I've seen

Rating: 9/10 (9 October 2017)

When I first caught news of Ridley Scott's intention to reboot Blade Runner, I was skeptical to say the least. Blade Runner is after all a timeless science fiction masterpiece unlike any Hollywood has ever conceived since its release in 1982. Also take into consideration Scott's recent Alien reboot misfires (Prometheus and Covenant) which only tarnished the franchise from my perspective. All of my fears dissipated the moment I heard that Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners) would be at the helm for Blade Runner 2049. In just four short years, Villeneuve has risen from obscurity into one of the top directors in Hollywood today. Villeneuve's attention to detail and his ability to unravel cerebral narratives with often minimal dialogue puts him in a unique class of directors that include Christopher Nolan and David Fincher. In addition to Villeneuve, cinematographer Roger Deakins (Sicario, Prisoners, No Country For Old Men, The Shawshank Redemption) and film scorer Hans Zimmer (Batman: The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar) were crucial additions to the Blade Runner 2049 team and are at the heart of the film's astounding beauty.
I was incredibly curious how they would depict the future, in this case Los Angeles in 2049. Though the dystopian look and feel is every bit as effective of the original, what elevated Blade Runner 2049 was the additional depth captured as Gosling's character travels outside of the city to San Diego and Las Vegas where the climate and terrain is much more reminiscent of Mad Max (desert, industrial waste, post-apocalyptic, etc.). To me this really tells the complete story of a world ravaged by climate change and radiation, which has left the planet barren of all plant life. Like many of the better science fiction films, Blade Runner 2049 is a cautionary tale that speaks to the imminent environmental disaster that awaits humans as our leaders stand idly by. My hope is this message isn't drowned-out by the allure of the hyper- sexualized/hedonistic digital AI culture that has become one of the few means people have to connect in a society void of any real emotional or physical release. It is meant to be a distraction both in life and in this story, which I don't think everyone is going to understand or appreciate. To that end; anyone calling out the film as being misogynistic, I think it's important to acknowledge the evolution of both the entertainment industry and the internet through pornography and what that trajectory might look like in a city like Los Angeles 32 years from now as we continue to develop artificial intelligence and robotics. To change that narrative would be to lie about the current state of affairs in relation to climate change and technology. At a time when we're standing on the edge of disaster, it's imperative that we take a long, hard look at what kind of world we'll be leaving for generations to come. Like it's predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 pulls no punches.
In terms of the performances, I can't think of a contemporary film that did as good a job with casting as Blade Runner 2049. Harrison Ford and Robin Wright in particular are extraordinary and both deserve to be in the conversation come Oscar season. Ryan Gosling was fantastic as well, but due to the stoic nature of his character I don't think had to push himself quite as far.
Though I've heard some rumblings of the runtime being a bit too long (2 hours a 43 minutes) I have to say the movie seemed much shorter to me. Like all Villeneuve films, the pacing requires some patience and there's a great deal of texture to each scene. If you're not a fan of this style of direction/storytelling, Blade Runner 2049 might be a bit tedious. Personally, I go to the movies to be transported and ideally feel some sort of emotional response. In the case of Blade Runner 2049 both metrics were off the charts for me (A+). I would recommend seeing the film in 2D (3D seems like it would be overwhelming and unnecessary) and if available, in IMAX. The cinematography, sound design and score are unparalleled and though the script isn't perfect, Blade Runner 2049 is a remarkable film worthy of the name. Like most films of this caliber, I intend on seeing it at least once more in the theater before really gauging its effect, but for now let's just say I can't think of a more complete and provocative science fiction film to come out in the new millennium.