Spoiler Warning – some spoilers for Blade Runner

What’s Going On?

The film is set in 2019 in Los Angeles (2019 being the distant future when it was made) and this is a dark and dull Los Angeles, devoid of the sunlight which is normally associated with the city. Huge skyscrapers fill the city and bright, impossible to ignore, adverts dominate the skyline. It is a depressing place and many people have left Earth and gone to the off-world colonies looking for a better life. The central character is Rick Deckard, employed as a Blade Runner -the colonies rely a lot on the existence of Replicants, artificial creatures virtually indistinguishable from humans made by the Tyrell Corporation and Blade Runners hunt rogue Replicants. Deckard is recruited to track down four very dangerous Replicants who have made their way to Earth searching for a way to increase their tragically short lifespans. On this mission, Deckard finds out more about the replicants and the mysterious Tyrell Corporation leading him to question just about everything.

Behind The Scenes

Blade Runner is directed by Ridley Scott and is one of his greatest films. It is a film that has both exquisite, iconic visuals and commentary on the meaning of life. Scott created a template for sci-fi that is still used today. The book the film is based on is called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, a titan of sci-fi literature who has work has been adapted numerous times (Total Recall, The Man In The High Castle and Minority Report are all based on his books).

In Front Of The Camera

Harrison Ford plays Deckard and in a career of iconic roles, Deckard is a great addition. Ford has a lot of work to do with Deckard, a lot to convey and – depending on which version you watch – without dialogue directly expressing it. Deckard is often overwhelmed, scared and outmatched by the Replicants and Ford portrays this perfectly.

Rutger Hauer’s performance as the leader of the runaway Replicants, Roy Batty, is usually the one most talked about in the film. Batty is charming, intelligent, terrifying, intense, and possessed of a strength and determination that is frightening. Batty’s monologue from the end of the film has gone down in cinema history and this is absolutely the definitive performance of Hauer’s career.

Another great performance is given by Sean Young who plays Rachael, introduced to Deckard as a relative of Dr. Eldon Tyrell. Even more than Ford with Deckard, Young has a very complicated role and does a great job in showing the doubt and terror that she would be going through.

Does It Work?

Blade Runner is a masterpiece of science-fiction that manages to combine shoot-outs between detectives and replicants and profound discussions on the meaning of life and what it means to be human. Batty has come to Earth to find Dr. Eldon Tyrell, his creator, and get more time and it is hard not to sympathise with the Replicants. They have been built to do the difficult, dangerous and unpleasant jobs that humans do not want to do. They are given intelligence, and emotions and are physically indistinguishable from humans yet have no rights whatsoever. But they also kill people, some of whom are innocent of any crime, without a second thought.

When Deckard learns of the Tyrell Corporation’s experiment to give Replicants memories, to make them think they are human, and to make them easier to control, just about everything unravels. How does a person know they are not a Replicant? What truly makes a replicant any different from a person? Rachael at one point asks if Deckard ever “retired” a human by mistake, retired being the term used instead of kill. Deckard says no but by the end of the film this feels like a far more nuanced question – is Batty a human? Or the other Replicants that Deckard has killed? In fact, so similar to humans it requires specialised training and equipment to detect them. It is hard not to come to the conclusion that categorising the Replicants as not human is simply a way to exploit them without the legal and moral issues.

The film is an astonishing piece of work just from how it looks and continues to influence filmmakers today. Harrison Ford was still in the middle of the Star Wars Trilogy when this film came out and the two exist in stark contrast. There is the sci-fi of gleaming spaceships, laser battles and stunning shots of twin suns and there is the sci-fi of a dark and dirty cityscape, with perennial rain, crowded streets, looming towers and oppressive systems.

“I’ve Seen Things You People Wouldn’t Believe”

In short Blade Runner is one of the best films ever made. A film of such cultural and artistic importance it’s worth watching if only to understand the impact it’s had.

Rating: (5 / 5)

Also Read: Harrison Ford: Nerf Herder or the Grave Robber?

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The original Blade Runner has proved eerily predictive of many things for its 2019 setting. OK, there are no flying cars or high functioning androids. But the images of smog-choked streets, ruled by mega-corporations and a workforce that is treated as subhuman because of their origins feel very relevant today. And there was, of course, the unfortunate passing of actor Rutger Hauer. Who died in the same year that his character Roy Batty did.

With the first film making a monumental impact on popular culture, and it’s increasing relevance based on unfortunate happenstance I thought I would take the opportunity to look back at the long-awaited sequel to blade runner. Which picked up the story 30 years later and took 35 years to be released.

It’s always difficult making a sequel to critically acclaimed films, especially when they are released so long after the original. But during its release, Blade Runner 2049 was called one of the best sequels ever made. Perhaps even better than the original. But two years on does the sequel still stand as sturdily as its predecessor?

Synopsis

In 2049 old replicants (human-like androids used for manual labour) are being hunted down and killed by newer models. However, when K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant employed by the police to retire other replicants, discovers that a replicant was able to produce a child he begins to tug on the threads of the mystery. Eventually leading to him to the attention of Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) and his nefarious forces. And into the path of former blade runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).

What did I like?

Firstly, Blade Runner 2049 continues the originals trend for stunning visuals. Everything about this movie looks amazing. Whether it’s the set design that perfectly blends the futuristic, the modern and the mythical into a unique world that feels thematically appropriate for the characters and story or the beautiful Oscar-winning cinematography from Roger Deakins. Which makes every frame look like a piece of art. Or the special effects that never once look fake or out of place. Everything in this world feels authentic and organic, doing a lot to tell the story without dialogue.

The cast is also fantastic. Everyone does a great job inhabiting their roles. Making their characters feel like characters and not merely actors reciting lines to you. The standouts are Ryan Gosling, who does a great job inhabiting the stoic replicant K and Harrison Ford who reprises his iconic role as Rick Deckard; even with his comparatively limited screen time, Ford still manages to steal the show.

And like the first film, 2049 also concentrates on both weighty philosophical questions about identity, technology and corporate greed that feel truly relevant to today’s world. But it also incorporates spectacular action sequences. Which makes for a very entertaining and thought-provoking watch. There are some very interesting set pieces and concepts peppered throughout this film which will give you much to think about and remember long after the ending credits. Including, holographic AI and the question of their sentience. Underground replicant resistances and a tense fight scene taking place in a glitching hologram nightclub.

In fact, as its own standalone film, 2049 works quite well. Creating a fully functioning world with some good performance and great philosophical ambitions. While never forgetting to be an entertaining movie.

What did I not like?

However, as a sequel to Blade Runner (1982), 2049 really falls short. With the main problems being the story, pacing and characters.

2049’s story is unfortunately bogged down by lots of exposition. With several characters frequently explaining the plot to each other, something noticeably minimal in the original Blade Runner. And it never fails to draw the viewer out of the experience because of how obvious it is. The story is also rather lightweight because of the lack of significant consequences. For example, we are told that replicant reproduction will break the world. But aside from one scene with the replicant resistance, nothing in the film’s world indicates that our characters actions are having any impact. Lessening the tension of the film’s story.

There are also plot elements that feel extraneous e.g. K’s hologram girlfriend who can almost pass for being human. An interesting concept, but it serves no narrative purpose aside from illustrating that no one is special. Something which is already dealt with when K learns his true origins. This concept feels like padding. Which makes the narrative feel unfocused and causes the pacing to drag significantly.

Lastly, 2049 suffers from bland characterisation. K is a boring lead. He’s stoic and by-the-books, lacking the edge that made Deckard a compelling protagonist. The occasions when he emotionally conflicts with himself are too few and far between to make him engaging. And because he’s a virtually invulnerable replicant, the movie lacks any sort of tension on a character level. But the worst offender of flat characterisation are the villains. Niander Wallace is a typical capitalist with a god complex and Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) is your typical hard staring badass. Compared to Blade Runner’s replicants who had relatable goals, wanting more time to live their lives, these villains just come across as dull.

Verdict

Blade Runner 2049 is not a bad movie. The set design, cinematography and special effects are all fantastic. Nothing feels out of place in the world they’ve created, and it makes for very stimulating viewing. Everyone in the cast gives a good performance with Ryan Gosling really fitting the part of K and Harrison Ford doing particular justice to his iconic role from the original blade runner. And the blend of action and interesting concepts will definitely keep you entertained.

The problems come when you begin viewing the film as a sequel to blade runner. When faced with the memorable characters, cinematic storytelling and overall cohesiveness of the original, Blade Runner 2049 really feels like an unfocussed pale imitation.

Rating: (3 / 5)

Also Read: Harrison Ford: Nerf Herder or the Grave Robber?

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