Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade runner 2049 comes out a whole 35 years since the original cult classic ‘Blade runner’. It again features Harrison Ford as the fan favourite Rick Deckard but this time takes a backseat to allow Ryan Gosling to steal the show as K. A replicant who finds out a world changing secret that could topple everything he knows. This leads him to find Deckard and thus the story unfolds.

With almost a 3 hour run time it could have easily been too long and convoluted with needless arcs and such. However it knows exactly what it is and what it wants to be. Every detail, every image, every plot point is so precise and to the point. It’s amazing how they made it feel so compact despite having such a long runtime. This is of course thanks to both the phenomenal script written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green and the brilliant directorial skills of Denis Villeneuve who is quickly proving himself to be one of the best directors working today after directing the two critically acclaimed films Sicario and Arrival.

Without a doubt the main strength of the film is the spectacular visuals. Every scene is stunning and yet despite the dystopian sci-fi setting feels incredibly real. Both the visuals and the sound make it feel like you could just walk in that world and live within it. Roger Deakins as cinematographer proves yet again that he is probably the best cinematographer living today. The film really is a marvel of cinematography and visual effects. Make no doubt about it, this film is more than a worthy sequel to the brilliant original Blade Runner and should be remembered on it’s own as a masterpiece in itself.

You need to remember though that this film isn’t an action packed popcorn fest, as neither was the original. It is definitely a slow burner that casual movie goers perhaps would not appreciate. This is definitely something that you should consider if you plan on going to see this. However I really would urge anyone to watch this if not for the spectacular visuals alone.

Unfortunately despite how brilliant the film is it hasn’t done too well at all in the box office. Raking in only $75m in the first 3 weeks of release despite having a $150m budget. It’s no doubt a major disappointment for Warner bros who hoped it would be their next big franchise film. Unfortunately the less than brilliant marketing campaign wasn’t enough to put enough bums in seats.

However this doesn't take away the fact that this is a film that doesn't come around very often. A true spectacle.