Much of what’s really happening in director Denis Villeneuve’s (Arrival, Sicario) film has been kept out of the marketing, and having seen the film unspoiled, it does seem a shame to ruin any reveals - even what’s going on in that first scene with the possible Replicant. This is perhaps a unique aspect of Blade Runner 2049 in that we often go into movies these days – especially big-studio franchise films – knowing most of what’s about to go down. Entering this film mostly ignorant is the best way to approach it, and mercifully, we’ve been allowed to do that without having to go into full media blackout mode.Villeneuve (along with his screenwriters Hampton Fancher, back from the original film, and Michael Green) has made the kind of movie that seems almost impossible to pull off these days: a $100-million-plus extravaganza that’s more art film than cookie-cutter action spectacle. Shot by legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, every image in 2049 is gorgeous and dripping with color, life, and feeling. Indeed, the film’s nearly three-hour running time may seem daunting to those going in, but it’s mostly earned, allowing the director to fully realize the mood and atmosphere of the piece. Not only have Villeneuve and Deakins successfully recreated the world of the original Blade Runner, they’ve also expanded it beyond the confines of Los Angeles to farms, the Nevada desert, and city-sized junkyards. Even while a huge neon Atari sign and wisps of the Vangelis soundtrack from the 1982 film keep us anchored in Deckard’s film, the sight of a giant, living holographic billboard accompanied by new music by Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer puts Agent K front and center in this brave new Blade Runner world.
As for Deckard, and Harrison Ford for that matter, it takes a while to get to him, but the infamous mystery surrounding the character and the events of the 1982 film are the mountain that 2049 builds upon. And when Ford finally does show up, it is well worth the wait. This is not phoned-in Ford or my-agent-told-me-I-should-do-this Ford. No, this is Ford the legend, who brings a quiet, sort of gut-wrenching interpretation to Deckard and what he must’ve gone through in the past three decades.Gosling, meanwhile, plays K like a private eye who’s had a bellyful of pain in his tough life, and he and Ford work off each other perfectly. Which isn’t to say that the two necessarily like one another; a fantastic scene of conflict between them amid a malfunctioning holographic casino show has to be seen to be believed, not just for the visual dazzle that Villeneuve achieves but also for the back and forth between old dog Deckard and the young gun K.
The rest of the cast is also impressive. Again, careful avoidance of spoilers prevents one from saying too much, but Ana de Armas, as K’s love interest/gal Friday Joi, is stunning in a unique role that begs for post-viewing discussion. Ditto for Sylvia Hoeks as Luv, the lieutenant of new corporate baddie/super-scientist Wallace (Jared Leto), supplanter to the Tyrell Corporation. Hoeks proves as great a threat as Roy Batty ever was, while Leto is in the film just enough to not overstay his welcome. Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista has a small but important role, bringing a restrained pathos to his character. And while Mackenzie Davis, as streetwalker Mariette, is unfortunately given less to do than the others, she does share a memorable scene with de Armas and Gosling that is simultaneously sad and enthralling and manages to comment on the unreality of modern-day social media personas without being heavy-handed about it.Of course, that’s what Blade Runner has always been about: identity. As Deckard says about Roy Batty in his original narration in the 1982 film, “All he'd wanted were the same answers the rest of us want. Where did I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got?” The filmmakers of Blade Runner 2049 continue to ask those questions, bringing new and fascinating variations to the theme, and satisfactorily resolving Deckard’s story along the way.
