On The Town: Blade Runner 2049

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On The Town with Lonnie Adams

Why go to a theater? If you know you can get a movie later on DVD, what could possibly possess you to spend the money to go out and see a movie in theaters. Now let’s be honest, impatience probably plays a lot into this for some people. Still, there has to be something that makes you want the theater instead of your own big screen at home.

Blade Runner 2049 answers this question in a big way. The scope of the film not only lends itself to the theater experience, but its classic sci-fi idea of simple extravagance demands the size and “epic-ness” of the good ol’ silver screen. Even the score lends itself to the audio of a theater. Certainly, my own little excuse for a home theater could never properly compare to feeling the vibration of the deep bass and the loftiness of the horns that shine so bright in this movie’s soundtrack.

The score draws you in deeper with another sci-fi classic trope that provides a sub-plot that comments on the colloquial society. It’s the juxtaposition of that non-literary commentary against the very fictional world that allows people to take a stark look at themselves as a society without realizing it at first. Science Fiction has become my favorite genre throughout my life for this reason.

Those who recall the first Blade Runner will catch several references to Rick Deckard and the original movie. As they move later into the story, the twists not only reference, but tie this sequel so to its predecessor so tightly that I do sort of regret taking a friend with me to see it. She had not seen the first one.

The movie follows another Blade Runner. Instead of Rick Deckard, We get ‘K.’ That’s right, ‘K’ is a replicant. Because instead of realizing our mistakes with the creation of replicants, society just built different ones that are, supposedly, more obedient. Sound Familiar?

The story reminds me of an old quip about the abominable idea of “robots building robots.” However, this film offers the aberration of that quip as “Replicants killing replicants.” Let’s not mistake, replicants aren’t robots, or androids, or cyborgs. They’re synthetics. The humans, minus something. Another debate the movie subtly asks, “Can these ‘skin jobs’ have a soul?”

Some of the best sci-fi stories ask really hard questions that bear no meaning to today’s world. Stories like Mass Effect, I,Robot, Ghost in the Shell, 2001 Space Odyssey, and even Aliens have explored the sentience, feelings, and ‘humanity’ of non-human entities. The original Blade Runner’s thoughts on this continue to its sequel to create what I can only refer to as the pure quintessential sci-fi movie of the new millennium.

This claim builds on all these things I’ve discussed as the foundation of the film, but further into what it adds. Ryan Gosling does well with his role as K. I think I would have liked to see a little more emotion later in the film as his character starts discovering things about replicants, humans, society, and his role in them all as a replicant Blade Runner. However, this does allow his humanity to be shone better through the character of Joi, Ana de Armas, as a mirror of the humanity he feels placed into a separate representation. The interplay between these two immersed me into this unspoken battle to create a life, a soul, out of nothingness. The final act in the story pairs this well against the original Blade Runner movie and Rick Deckard as a human Blade Runner.

This is what I lack in so many other remakes. I don’t want a remix of the same thing, I want to continue the debate. I want to continue my feelings. Director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t rest on the previous movies accomplishments, he pushes forward, presses the envelope, expands the universe, and challenges the established foundation. It is a dangerous attempt as so many fail. Not here, though. Villeneuve delivers on everything I wanted when I watched.

I also have to praise an amazing special effects trick regarding these two characters and a third. I don’t want to spoil the scene, but you’ll know it when you see it as I say it involves interplaying a human and a hologram. I want to watch the behind the scenes footage just to see how they made this scene that plays such an integral part in K’s growth, or descent depending on how you look at it. This scene alone makes me hate my decision to try not to spoil things as it demands thoughtful discussion and exploration. To not do so is a cinematic treason. And yet, here I sit, screaming at my computer for every living person to see this film so I can talk about it.

Discussion has also arisen on another character’s return to the story. Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard.

He quickly proclaims to the world, which he has been doing with his numerous remakes, that he is as ready to act, as good at it, and as capable of playing his old roles now as he was when they were new. The plot utilizes Deckard so naturally, his integration so fluid.

Many people have questioned remaking all of his older films, but the plot here demanded his character. And rightly so, I don’t believe the film would have been successful or as powerful without this character. It sits so naturally as a sequel, the lines between the two plots blur several times. It connects so well because this is the one. This is him, the legendary actor, Harrison Ford. So many quiet subtleties allow the beauty of his acting to speak volumes in the moments between his spoken lines, and all the more when he does speak.

With all the good in the movie, it’s almost heart-breaking to point out flaws. I don’t want to ramble on and make you think that any movie exists without something to improve upon. I wanted so bad to see a little more exploration of the rift between humans and replicants. I can’t honestly say it isn’t explored, its there underwriting every scene with tension. However, later in the movie, you don’t see some of the very obvious slights against replicants as second class, sub-human. The tenseness of the separation becomes less overt as you start exploring replicants as human. It seems to lessen the human hatred of ‘skin-jobs’ as they call them in the latter parts. A small detail that many may chastise me on for pointing out, but like I said, just something to improve upon for the next sequel. Let’s pray they get Villeneuve back for that one, too.

Another small issue detail also stands as a classic sci-fi and horror movie trick (Spoiler Here, I can’t help myself) by the time you finish the movie, you sort of forget about the one other bad guy in the background. I have to do an “on-the-other-hand” moment here as I say Jared Leto’s character, Niander Wallace, doesn’t overplay his role. His right-hand-replicant named Luv, Sylvia Hoeks, stands as the main antagonist. Leto establishes that extra background that adds depth to the world they create and shows another comment about society, there are bad men everywhere. I just feel there could have been more done with this character.

You may be laughing at how trivial these issues are, but there they are. I think it stands as a testament to the sheer force this film holds. Not only am I still begging people to go watch this film, but watch it now, on the big screen. Do not wait, do not pass go, do not collect $200, drive down to East Towne Cinemas right now and buy a ticket. Seriously, why are you still reading this, go buy a ticket.

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