Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”
When this project was first announced, it sounded like another soulless cash-in on the 80s remake/sequel craze. But the finished product is visually rich, complicated, uncompromising, emotional, and as challenging in many ways as the original. I've played 150-hour video games inspired by Blade Runner that don't do as much with the implications of synthetic humans as this movie accomplishes in 2.5 hours. In this era of infantilizing blockbusters, it's refreshing to see one that expects the audience to keep up without spelling everything out for them all the time, although the trailers did spoil a few surprises. It's also refreshing to see a big-budget movie be this slow-paced and emotional, really taking the time to grind you down until you feel as weary as the hero, so that when he does get a reason to hope, it means something. This is really good, certainly better than the idea of a Blade Runner sequel had any right to be. I don't expect it to leave behind the same legacy, but it earns its right to exist.
− October 7, 2017 more by Scott log in or create an account to reply
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Evie Totty: “It ruled.”
It's been over a decade since I've seen the original 1982 Ridley Scott film. And it was the only time I'd seen it.
It was a beautiful film with many questions about the future of AI and robotics.
Twenty-nineteen has come and gone. Nexus 8s have been retired for the most part - but the few left are still being hunted down by Blade Runners.
Blade Runner 2049 was such a beautiful film that I cried at the end. Sure there might have been something that contributed to it - but honestly, I wasn't emotionally attached to the character.
It starts really slow. Then we get to the memory. And we get excited. It doesn't matter that it's a convenience. That's the nature of films. If we made films about the ones who didn't do this or invent that - what's the point right?
And then we get to the sex scene. Well. The foreplay scene. I read that the SFX house that did that worked on it for a year. A year! It was definitely impressive and I hope they win an Oscar for it. The CGI Sean Young was pretty stinking good too.
We are left at the end with a few questions. It seems to be a set up for another movie. I hope there is one. I hope word of mouth (or the Chinese box office - hello Pacific Rim 2) gets it to be profitable enough to finish the story.
It was nice seeing Ford again. You still aren't absolutely sure if he's a Replicant or not though...
I will say that the Wallace piece... They didn't do that right. He seemed to not really matter. His involvement seemed to simply be a set up for the last fight. Even though he should have played a much bigger part. Or something. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's like when you are eating soup and you know something is missing but can't be sure of what it is.
I have seen the first of the introductory shorts but not the other two. All three can be found on the BR49 site.
If they had included the Wallace short as a prelude or something - he would have fit better.
Nonetheless - if you are a sci-fi enthusiast, Blade Runner 2049 will not disappoint. NOTE: I have already seen it twice. The Thursday opening in IMAX (which I highly suggest) and a week later so I could soak up what I'd missed.This review contains spoilers. Reveal it.
− October 18, 2017 more by Evie log in or create an account to reply
Scott Hardie: Yes! Beautiful is the right word for it. The movie looks amazing. And i too appreciated the artistry of the love scene; what a great idea, fantastically realized.
Wallace's scenes were largely disassociated from the storyline, but still important for color and mood. As much as I dislike Jared Leto, and would have preferred that David Bowie play Wallace as was originally intended, I don't think the movie would have been quite the same without Wallace's grotesquerie. His long, weird monologue delivered to the "newborn" is, I think, essential. I'm glad the studio didn't insist on cutting it. − October 22, 2017 more by Scott
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