Blade Runner 2049 Is A Best Movie Of The Year

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Edward James Olmos

Genre: SF, Thriller

Year: 2017

Blade Runner 2049 is one unusual movie. It is a 35 year old sequel to one of the most appreciated and most influential movies of the last 40 years that is actually a worthy successor (and is not just a cash grab) and very expensive (150 million $) R rated movie that is more an art movie masked as Hollywood SF.

The story is set 30 years after the first movie. The year is 2049. and the world is even more depressing place then in the first Blade Runner. Ryan Gosling plays K, a blade runner (and a replicant) who (while working on the last case) discovers long kept secret that could push what’s left of society into chaos.

One of the best things about Blade Runner 2049 is that it is a Blade Runner movie – it is set in the same universe, it reminds you of the first movie (soundtrack and visuals), it works as a sequel but on the other hand, it is a movie that stands on its own. It is not a copy paste of the first movie and actually, I can’t remember a similar movie. World is expanded ( the story is not set in Los Angeles only), there are more characters and factions but it is not dumbed down. Don’t expect that everything is explained, there is a lot of mystery and unanswered questions (but in a good way, don’t worry it is not a Prometheus :)).

Visually the movie is gorgeous, both the exteriors and the interiors. Shot by great Roger Deakins, who has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Blade Runner 2049 is surely best-looking movie of the year. The script is pretty good too and although a movie is little slow and takes its time to tell a story it is not boring. It is actually pretty interesting and engaging. The soundtrack also stands out but it is not as good as in the original. Music is sometimes too accentuated and loud. You know what I’m talking about if you watched any movie in the last couple of years where Zimmer was involved. All of the performances are very good and I was pleasantly surprised by Gosling performance. He really fits into this role and the world. Actually, everyone involved did if not excellent then a pretty good job.

It is a very good movie, dark and beautiful SF, one of the best sequels of all time, and a movie that stands out from the rest of the competition. It is engaging, and it presents us with interesting themes and ideas.

And let’s not forget director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Prisoners, Sicario, Incendies), who thank God took over from Ridley Scott (one of the most overrated directors in Hollywood). He managed to do what most of us thought it was impossible. He (with his colleagues) created a worthy sequel to much-beloved original and one of the best SF movies in the last 15 years.

Some things in this movie are actually even better than in the original. And unfortunately, some things are worse, like music and atmosphere, but don’t get me wrong. They are both very good but maybe not on the same level as in the original. And I have one more problem with the movie that I can’t discuss without going into spoilers.

Nevertheless, it is a very good movie, dark and beautiful SF, one of the best sequels of all time (along with Terminator 2, Aliens, Godfather 2, TDK, Mad Max 2, The Raid 2), and a movie that stands out from the rest of the competition. It is engaging, it presents us with interesting themes and ideas and I’m really glad this movie was made. Actually, there are so many things happening in Blade Runner 2049, from story, visuals, little details etc that I think you can watch it multiple times and discover new things.

In my humble opinion, Blade Runner 2049 is the best movie of 2017 so far and I’m looking forward to second (and third) watching.

You can pre-order a Blu-ray or 4K from Amazon if you’re interested.

Blu-ray

4K