Rating of
3.5/4
"Blade Runner 2049"
Yojimbo - wrote on 02/12/18
Blade runner K is tasked with finding and retiring a fellow replicant, but during the course of his investigation he uncovers a plot to hide a secret that could potentially undermine the entire fabric of their society.
The sequel to Blade Runner opened to universal critical acclaim but was spectacularly unsuccessful at the American box office and it's easy to see why. The film has a very old school quality that is deliberate in its pacing, sparing with its editing and has a respect for the intelligence of its audience that will be all but alien to those weaned on the obsession with breathless spectacle of the modern cinematic blockbuster. It is visually glorious with a love and respect for the source material that is obvious, and creates a world that is clearly of the same universe as the original but at the same time not afraid to plot its own course. It concerns itself with the grand theme of Blade Runner's original vision; what it means to be human, the role of free will and what it is that gives life purpose. It does this by exploring the oft-debated conundrum at the heart of the character of Rick Deckard; is he replicant or human? Or perhaps more importantly, does it matter? It does so without the modern propensity for feeling the need to draw a diagram and allows the audience to ponder these questions for themselves.
Updating the universe of Ridley Scott's original vision for the digital age and in doing so intertwines themes and ideas from more recent films such as Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049 is a worthy sequel, as well as a thought provoking and beautiful piece of cinema with DNA that's more art house than blockbuster.
