If the original 1982 film Blade Runner asked audiences what makes us human, then Blade Runner 2049 expands on that idea by asking this: What does it mean to be human?
Set thirty years after the events of the first film — Blade Runner 2049 follows Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a synthetic android capable of aging and capable of limited free will, as he works to uncover a mystery that sets him on an eventual collision course with Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard.
Along the way, we meet a host of replicant and human friends and foes who all guide K towards this inevitable future and serve as one of the strongest parts of the film.
The character work in this film is phenomenal, as the actors carry their roles with real weight.
Director Denis Villeneuve uses each brief moment to create lasting bonds throughout the movie that help the more dramatic moments have a larger impact.
Even small parts like that of the isolated Ana Stelline (portrayed by Carla Juri) comes off as this warm and caring person, allowing the shared emotional moment that she and K have seem that much more realistic.
While Jared Leto does try his best to create a menacing persona in Niander Wallace, he is not in the film long enough to top the levels set by Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty from the first one.
Villeneuve also succeeds as well at recreating the aesthetic of the original film while also advancing the look to a certain degree.
One of the best parts of the original film is that within it’s run time, it creates a well-rounded world for the events to take place in.
In 2049, this foundation is taken and built upon, expanding on the ideas and rules set forth by the first — this creates a realistic universe.
The wide variety of locations fills gaps of the world, showing us parts of the world the audience may not have thought of.
We see the return of these larger than life holographic billboards, but now these holograms are also available for commercial use.
A digital frontier has been conquered, yet there are still analog copies of pieces of data just in case.
It is a continuation of the “dirty sci-fi” feel of the first with everything from the rainy trash-filled streets of Greater Los Angeles to the smooth and sleek offices of Wallace Corporation.
In the world originally created by Ridley Scott, it is not a far stretch by any means to believe that this where it would lead.
Blade Runner 2049, for all its amazing details and accomplishments, does have two flaws however, one a bit larger than the other.
First: The soundtrack is forgettable, which is a bit of a disappointment from Hans Zimmer.
It serves its purpose well within the film, but fails to create the same iconic sounds Vangelis did in the first.
Lastly however, is that this is not a film for everyone; 2049 is a slow burn of a film, something not as common today as it was back in the 1980s.
While there are spurts of action, the film is a detective film through and through.
It is going to take its time whether you like it or not.
If you pair that with the heavy reliance and reference to the first film, it may be hard to watch and appreciate this film if you cannot watch the first.
Blade Runner 2049 is a heavy contender for the best film of 2017, and may even be a contender of one of the best films of the decade so far.
Full of rich characters, dense and compelling story that never shows its full hand and a stunning visual style that captivates the audience — 2049 is the rare film that expands on a genre thought to be tapped dry.
Blade Runner 2049 is without a doubt 5/5 stars.
