BLADE RUNNER 2049 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1982, Ridley Scott released his second science-fiction feature, Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford as the titular character, Rick Deckard, whose job involved finding and killing Replicants, androids that looked and behaved exactly like humans. Over 30 years later, it is now known as a cult classic to many, especially those who first saw it in cinemas back in the early 1980s. I recently watched it and this lead to me having high hopes for its sequel, Blade Runner 2049. However, is it a good follow-up or a major disappointment?

A new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Development for a Blade Runner sequel began almost 20 years ago when British filmmaker, Stuart Hazeldine, wrote a sequel based on K. W. Jeter's novel, The Edge Of Human, and it was titled Blade Runner Down, unfortunately, it was rejected. It wasn't until 2007 that Scott, who directed the original, announced he was considering developing a sequel to his 1982 sci-fi feature. Now, over thirty years after the original, the much-anticipated sequel has finally been released, with Ford returning to his role as Deckard and Ryan Gosling also starring. Denis Villeneuve replaced Scott as director due to Scott being busy directing his sequel to Prometheus, Alien: Covenant. In answer to my earlier question, yes, Blade Runner 2049 is just as good as its predecessor, maybe even better, in my opinion. Fans of the original will not be disappointed.

Blade Runner 2049 has a visually impressive look, giving the setting its unique and futuristic look. The city is filled with bright, neon holograms that stand out from the dull and grey backdrop of Los Angeles. It's one of those science-fiction films, like Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity, that needs to be seen on the big screen. I didn't see it in 3D, however, I can tell that some scenes would've looked a lot better if I'd been wearing 3D glasses. I'll be very surprised if the special effects aren't nominated for an Oscar at next year's Academy Awards as the computer generated imagery is very impressive and a huge improvement on its predecessor.

When Scott failed to return to direct, the production company searched for other directors wh were capable of making a sequel that lived up to the standard of the original. At first, Christopher Nolan was rumoured to be directing, however, this proved to be untrue. However, Denis Villeneuve was soon hired. In the past few years, Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of the best directors working today. Prisoners, Sicario and last year's Arrival have all been successful films in their own right so it's understandable why he was chosen. After he was hired, Villeneuve knew he was under a lot of pressure from fans of the original to make a sequel that is just as good. Fortunately, Villeneuve has yet to disappoint and makes Blade Runner 2049 a thrilling watch that results in an emotional impact. He knows how to create exhilarating action sequences and balances this out with a touch of drama and mystery throughout. The majority of the film follows Gosling's detective as goes on a quest that leads him to former Blade Runner, Deckard. Blade Runner ended with Deckard and Replicant, Rachael (Sean Young), forming a relationship. To those who wondered what happened to the pair, this sequel answers those questions. 

Those hoping to see a lot of Ford in his role as Deckard will be disappointed to learn that he doesn't make his comeback until halfway through the film. Because the film is set thirty years later, Deckard has changed a lot, both physically and emotionally. He lost both Rachael and their child which has caused him to live as a recluse in a hotel, set in the middle of nowhere. When K turns up wanting his questions answered, Deckard reluctantly opens up about what happened. He was forced to leave a pregnant Rachael behind with the Replicant freedom movement to protect her. Unfortunately, this lead to her death and their child being sent away to an orphanage. This is where most of the emotional impact comes from as we can see Deckard feels guilty for what happened to Rachael. 

Because the majority of Blade Runner 2049 revolves around his character, K, Gosling has a lot to live up to, fortunately, he doesn't disappoint. Like Deckard, he's fierce and isn't afraid to do what's right. Despite being a replicant that is forced to work for the LAPD, K has been having vivid memories of himself as a child. At first, he thinks that this is merely an implant in his mind, however, he soon discovers the memories are real. This leads us to wonder if K is actually a human or if he has someone else's memories living inside his head. Supporting roles come from Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks and Mackenzie Davis who, despite their limited appearances, give solid performances.

Overall, Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 is a successful follow-up to the original. In many ways, it's an improvement, especially in terms of narrative and special effects. Both Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford give great leading performances.

8/10