MOVIE REVIEW: Blade Runner 2049

Before seeing ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ I saw many things involving it that left me surprised. The teaser that came out last December got my interest in seeing it. The castings of Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James, and Dave Bautista (all of which had small cameos). Then, the fact that Blade Runner 2049 opened with $31.2 million dollars was kind of disappointing. Despite the last two, this movie was definitely worth the hype and anticipation.

Right from the get go, 2049 had me hooked and my interest fully locked in. Not once during Blade Runner 2049 did I lose my focus. Now the storyline to 2049 is pretty simple. Set 30 years after the events in the first one, the Tyrell Corp has stopped producing replicants. Instead, a new corporation run by a blind man (Jared Leto, creepy and unnerving) has started making his own. Meanwhile, blade runners-cops that “retire” replicants-are still around and we follow a replicant blade runner named K (Ryan Gosling). K is a no-filter blade runner who lives with a holographic girlfriend named Joi (Ana De Armas, truly the best part about the movie). One day, K discovers something that leads him on a search to find veteran blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford). When I say that Blade Runner 2049 is probably the most well-made film of the year, I mean it 100%. The cinematography (done by the great Roger Deakins) was so stunning that you find it hard to believe that the guy has been nominated for an Oscar 13 times and has never won.

What I adored about this movie from a technical standpoint, the cinematography was so good that it really messed with my mind. I’ll say that my top two favorites shots were the one with Joi meeting K in the rain and the one with a big hologram girl pointing at K. I won’t spoil anything more! The sound effects were so phenomenal that I bet it’s gonna be on the watchlist come award season. Whether it’d be the sound editing during K and Rick’s fight or the punches during the musicless fight scenes, the sound was definitely on it’s A-game. The score never disappointed me one bit. At times it paid homage to the original movie and other times it took matters into its own hands and made something new and innovative. The visual effects are so cool! When I say cool, I mean they gave a character the ability to walk and move through characters cool. It’s hard to explain how the character does it, so I’m going to let you see for yourself. The movie dragged, but that’s way it was supposed to be. Honestly, I’m glad the movie’s pacing was slow. If it was fast-paced, then I probably would’ve enjoyed it a little less. Apart of this, the suspense in this movie is so good that when the action came along it made things even better. Lastly, when it came to performances I don’t think there were any standouts except Joi, who is played by Ana De Armas. She’s beautiful, smart, encouraging, and overall someone you’d wish to have as a holographic friend. In a way, she’s kind of like Ava from ‘Ex Machina.’

My only problem with 2049 was the fact that Ford and Leto didn’t get as much screen time as I hoped they would. Thinking about it now, I don’t think there was much Ford could do if he got more screen time because things went smoothly prior to his first appearance. Then, he came in and did what he’s supposed to do for the convenience of the plot. Now, Denis Villeneuve-the director of ‘Prisoners,’ ‘Sicario,’ and ‘Arrival’-directed this and he was the obviously best pick. Just think about it, hire the hottest director in Hollywood right now to make a highly anticipated sequel and watch him pull it off! His vision was clear, and the outcome was perfect to a t. In conclusion, I can guarantee that Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best movies of the year. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely worth checking out. So see Blade Runner 2049 if and while you can, and I can assure you that you’ll enjoy it.