The original Blade Runner was, for the lack of a better term, a divisive film. While criticized when it first came out, the film stood the test of time and went on to become a cult classic, instantly influencing the sci-fi genre and the larger film industry in general. Fans have since then clamored for a sequel to expand upon the narrative ideas that the movie explored, and after many stops, the world is ready to greet the sequel.
2049, as the title suggests, takes place thirty years after the original. The world has moved on from the events that happened in the original and Replicants have a more acceptable role in society now. A quick refresher course on the world of Blade Runner first : Replicants are artificially created humans who were made and used as slave labour on off-world colonies because of their enhanced strength.
While the older models had short lifespans and rebelled against their creators, the newer ones were ‘upgraded’ to be more compliant. And so, the old Replicants were declared illegal on Earth. A special division of the police force, known as Blade Runners are called in to duty in order to ‘retire’ (read: exterminate) the illegal Replicants.
Harrison Ford returns as Deckard, and as you’d expect, gives a great performance as the retired protagonist from the first film. However, it does take quite some time to get to his return, unlike the last Star Wars (another franchise to which the actor returned, and was almost immediately introduced back). We get to see how the events of the last thirty years have taken a toll on the character and have in some ways, broken him. He’s frustrated, paranoid and cranky, pretty much like most of the other characters he has portrayed in his recent movies.
However, the breakout performance, or rather performances, are those of three leading ladies, at least as far as story is concerned. Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks & Mackenzie Davis all deliver, with each of them getting to explore specific themes in line with the Blade Runner mythology. Armas in particular does a spectacular job, which not only expands upon the theme of humanity (or lack theirof), but also blurs the line between artificial intelligence and human response, further questioning whether either is superior.
The movie explores subjects like AI, human enhancement, artificially created humans and implores the audience to think what really sets them apart, and who is more…”human”. It brings forth hotly debated issues like artificial partners, environmental issues such as desertification, pollution, and Metropolitans with flying vehicles, sky-high skyscrapers, congested slums, no trace of organic scenery, and a society where the public is completely oblivious as to what’s actually happening behind the curtains of the corporate world.
What does it mean to have a soul?
Coming to visuals, Roger Deakins (director of photography) has done an absolutely terrific job at crafting the look of this world. Hot on the heels of the first movie, this one advances the technology we saw in that one through the eyes of the characters in this world. Which means, while a lot of the CGI present here might remind you of certain other sci-fi films in recent memory, the visual aesthetic is completely different. Continuing the work of Ridley Scott must have been a hard job and it truly shows here, as it is the same world, only slightly advanced as it was in the original.
Each frame is meticulously crafted. Each beat of the soundtrack is matched perfectly to the scene we’re in. And since we’re talking about the soundtrack, here’s a few thoughts.
To sum it all up Blade Runner 2049 isn’t your average action-thriller. It’s not just violence, blended with a shit-ton of action. It is the culmination of many of deep and thought-provoking ideas. It compares the future, present and past. Really makes you wonder if we are heading towards a similar world and whether it can actually be avoided and if yes then at what cost. At the cost of progress?
Really makes you wonder if we are heading towards a similar world and whether it can actually be avoided and if yes then at what cost. At the cost of progress?
Villeneuve has crafted a beautiful world with characters posing important questions about the nature of humanity. Watch it on the biggest screen possible. With rich visuals and a deep, effective narrative, Blade Runner 2049 proves to be one of, if not the best sequels of all time, ready to be regarded as a piece of art, cherished by the film community and the larger public in general in the years to come.