Bladerunner 2049 : A No Spoilers Review

Rating: 9/10 (20 October 2017)

The old dilemma of which version of Bladerunner to watch was big enough (Tip: Final Cut first), before those who haven't seen it now having to grapple with the new quandary of which order to watch the old and the new 2049 sequel. As equally ambiguous as the question of Deckard's nature as human or replicant, there is no sure-fire answer. However, if choosing to watch the original after viewing the new, one might be surprised by the human lightness in the tonal darkness of the original, with Harrison Ford's performance echoing a little of Star War's Han Solo's acerbic wit for instance. 2049 to this end lacks humour (arguably befitting of the new story), save for Ana de Armas' lightly jovial warm charm thawing some of the coolness of the latest offering. It's perhaps ironic that the new Bladerunner comes out of the eternal night of the original and shows us some of the daylight world of the evolved dystopia, yet at the same time is a darker serving of film noir. Leto's menacing performance unflinchingly twists a knife into this darkness that reminds us that Roy Batty's commination in the original was still served up with a sardonic smile and while neither story tells of a happy place, 2049 shows a world where the existence of soul is as sapped as the attenuation of nature in dystopia's collpased eco- systems and smoggy Anthropocene environment.
The oppressiveness of Bladerunner 2049 overshadows some of the enjoyment of the original, as the original's music score was able to cut through and lighten the insalubrious world of 2019. To expect to be able to directly transpose Vangelis' majestically atmospheric sound track to the future incarnation is naive, in so much it is a near-impossibility. Instead, Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch's score is giddily claustrophobic and gurning, in keeping with the oppressiveness of this new world, but they do still manage to successfully interweave sufficient traces of Vangelis' sound to evoke memories of the original at key moments. The synths of the original are missing - On the one hand, they would seem dated and retro to a modern audience, but on the other, fans of the original may be left searching for a 2049 equivalent of the aural (and visual) splendour of Zhora's crashing through the window in 2019. However, 2049 does gift us with a poignant parallel to 2019's 'Tears in the rain'.
Villeneuve undoubtedly succeeds with the poison chalice brief of delivering a true and organic sequel, although its pace can set it jarringly apart from Ridley Scott's original. Wide panning landscape cinematography perhaps unifies the two though and Villneuve brings his aerial down-panned camera tracking , present in Sicario, to build upon and vary the mode. One could also wonder if Villneuve used his alien-encounter offering, Arrival, as a stalking horse to test audience's patience for deliberately paused pacing in the story telling. It's ironic that Ridley Scott has recently stepped on accelerate with the lightening fast-paced Alien Covenant, erroneously seeking to satisfy audiences with a tighter film, whereas Bladerunner 2049 is daringly ballsy in its non-compliance and gratuitous play to the fans' indulgence - A move that perhaps hurt its box office takings, by restricting run times and turning off those lacking patience to sit through 2 hrs 43 mins of storytelling. Furthermore however, after enduring the cheesy Marvel trailer for Thor: Ragnarok before the title screen of Bladerunner 2049, one is eternally thankful that 2049 is not a similar 'crash- bang-wallop' high-speed CGI affair. 2049 has grit and CGI, but both are wholly intelligently used without notable artificiality or feeling of sensationalism or bombardment. And whilst 2049 truthfully does require patience at times with its plodding pace, it still offers high-octane satisfaction, selectively served up to strictly necessary ends instead of titillation.
One could argue that some of the acting performances take a moment to bed in. Take Arma's wooden voice in the background as we are introduced to her in K's apartment, but as with all new faces in this film, their delivery and demeanour soon find definition in their context. No more so than Gosling's performance, which shows indifference and superficiality, but also depth and dynamic range, all with narrative intention to the story that unfolds before the viewer.
In conclusion, 2049 is stylistically different but a clear extension of the original set in 2019 with parallels in tone, machinery, familiar faces and symbolisms. It's a blessing that the theatre trailer does not disclose enough to spoil the adventure that this new film offers, which the viewer can share through K's personal voyage of confounding discovery. The plot meanders with obfuse yet intentional purpose to wrap up neatly with a nice twist and satisfactory closure, while also setting a new dynamic in motion for the story to evolve in some future new chapter, be it earth-bound or off-world.