Review - Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we talked about the original 1982 classic. Now, let's take a look at the 2017 sequel to Blade Runner: Blade Runner 2049. We have a new director this time, with Denis Villeneuve, and a lot of time has passed since the events of the original film. So, let's talk about those changes.
Thirty years have passed since the events of Blade Runner, and the Tyrell Corporation, after the murder of their CEO, has moved into the next phase of replicants with the Nexus-8 models. Nexus-8 replicants have an open-ended lifespan, and implanted memories to help make them seem more human in nature. Unfortunately, after a violent rebellion that resulted in the blackout of 2022, replicant production was banned, and Tyrell Corp. goes bankrupt. Some years pass, and entrepreneur Niander Wallace, of the Wallace Corporation, has successfully created artificial crops and livestock, averting a global famine and placing his company at the top, allowing them to acquire Tyrell's assets. Wallace then proceeds with, after convincing the government to re-legalize replicant development, creating a new replicant model: the Nexus-9. Much like the Nexus-8's, the Nexus-9's have open-ended lifespans, but, unlike the Nexus-8's, are programmed to be totally obedient to humans. Because of this, and due to humans being too passionate about killing replicants, the blade runner units within various police departments are entirely compromised of Nexus-9 replicants, who take what is known as a Baseline test. Unlike the Voight-Kampff test from the original, which induced empathic triggers to differentiate a human from a replicant, the Baseline test is used to detect any empathic anomalies within a Nexus-9 replicant, and failure of a Baseline test means immediate retirement (death).
The movie focuses on Officer K, who is a Nexus-9 replicant and a blade runner. After retiring aged Nexus-8 replicant Sapper Morton, K detects a box buried near the base of a tree. After returning to the station, and passing his Baseline test, K returns home to his apartment, and his holographic AI girlfriend Joi. K presents Joi with an mobile emitter, so they can go everywhere together. After examining the contents of the box, which are a bunch of bones, it is discovered that the bones in the box belonged to a woman who was given a C-section in an effort to help deliver her child, and an identification code. This leads K's superior, Lt. Joshi, to determine that the woman whose bones were in the box was a replicant: a replicant who could naturally conceive a child. Joshi orders K to investigate the matter, and kill the child to prevent a full-scale war between humans and replicants, During the investigation, we learn that the replicant was, in fact, Rachael. And as the secret of replicants who could reproduce naturally died with Eldon Tyrell, Rachael was the only Nexus-7 replicant to have existed. After learning of her connection to Deckard, K goes to learn all he can about, Rachael, Deckard, and the child, eventually learning of a connection between one of his own memories and Rachael's child. This leads K to assume that he, in fact, may have been the child all along. After meeting with Dr. Ana Stelline, who crafts the memories for the replicants under contract with Wallace Corp, recognizes K's memory as one of her creations. After failing a Baseline test, Joshi gives K time to get out of Los Angeles, and warns him get his act together, as his next Baseline will be out of her hands.
Meanwhile, Niander Wallace himself is also seeking the child, as the secret of how replicants can reproduce naturally is an asset that would benefit him, as he can only make so many replicants at a time. Wallace sends his lieutenant, a replicant known as Luv, to track K's investigation, and find the child. K, meanwhile, is in the sand swept ruins of Las Vegas, where he meets Deckard, who tells him more about Rachael, and that he stayed away because they were being hunted. Luv and her forces suddenly arrive, destroying Joi and her mobile emitter, taking Deckard back to Wallace Corp, and leaving K behind. After being rescued by an underground movement of replicants, K learns from their leader that Rachael's child, of whom Deckard is the father, was a girl child. K finally realizes that Ana is the child he was looking for all along. Wallace, meanwhile, attempts to learn of the child's location from Deckard, using a re-creation of Rachael to do so. Unmoved, Deckard brushes off these attempts, and is taken away by Luv. K rescues Deckard, killing Luv and her men in the process, and takes Deckard to meet his daughter, Ana. Deckard meets Ana for the first time, and K, outside, lays back on the steps, looking up towards the sky, ending the movie.
Blade Runner 2049 is exactly what a sequel to Blade Runner should be. It takes its time, and builds on the story at the exact pace it needs to. Now, I should point out that the knee-jerk sci-fi movie director would look to make the film have an easy-to-follow narrative, tons of sci-fi action, and unneeded answers to certain questions. For example, one popular question about the original Blade Runner is this: is Deckard a replicant? Now, a different director would have given a definitive answer, but Denis Villeneuve didn't. He kept the answer to many viewer's question about Deckard ambiguous, and that's what we needed. In truth, while Ridley Scott is convinced that Deckard is a replicant, Harrison Ford thinks that Deckard isn't a Replicant, and I'm in the camp that believes that Deckard isn't a replicant. But I'm not going to light up this review with a lot of back and forth about a question that fans had about the protagonist of the first Blade Runner; I'm here to talk about the second Blade Runner. And I liked Blade Runner 2049. Ryan Gosling was terrific as K, and honestly, this was my favorite of all of Ryan Gosling's performances in the films I've seen him in. Jared Leto as Niander Wallace was a fantastic villain, unlike his turn as the Joker in Suicide Squad, but that's a story for another day, and I really enjoyed Ana de Armas as Joi. Robin Wright, Wood Harris, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Lennie James, and the rest of the supporting cast are all fantastic, and I am glad that both Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos returned as both Deckard and Gaff from the first Blade Runner.
Now, much like the original, Blade Runner 2049 is not one of those sci-fi movies that is quick to get on board with, but it is much easier to follow than the original. Much like with the first one, this movie takes a few times watching it all the way through to fully get it. Definitely a must-watch for Blade Runner fans, I'm giving Blade Runner 2049 a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time.
Thirty years have passed since the events of Blade Runner, and the Tyrell Corporation, after the murder of their CEO, has moved into the next phase of replicants with the Nexus-8 models. Nexus-8 replicants have an open-ended lifespan, and implanted memories to help make them seem more human in nature. Unfortunately, after a violent rebellion that resulted in the blackout of 2022, replicant production was banned, and Tyrell Corp. goes bankrupt. Some years pass, and entrepreneur Niander Wallace, of the Wallace Corporation, has successfully created artificial crops and livestock, averting a global famine and placing his company at the top, allowing them to acquire Tyrell's assets. Wallace then proceeds with, after convincing the government to re-legalize replicant development, creating a new replicant model: the Nexus-9. Much like the Nexus-8's, the Nexus-9's have open-ended lifespans, but, unlike the Nexus-8's, are programmed to be totally obedient to humans. Because of this, and due to humans being too passionate about killing replicants, the blade runner units within various police departments are entirely compromised of Nexus-9 replicants, who take what is known as a Baseline test. Unlike the Voight-Kampff test from the original, which induced empathic triggers to differentiate a human from a replicant, the Baseline test is used to detect any empathic anomalies within a Nexus-9 replicant, and failure of a Baseline test means immediate retirement (death).
The movie focuses on Officer K, who is a Nexus-9 replicant and a blade runner. After retiring aged Nexus-8 replicant Sapper Morton, K detects a box buried near the base of a tree. After returning to the station, and passing his Baseline test, K returns home to his apartment, and his holographic AI girlfriend Joi. K presents Joi with an mobile emitter, so they can go everywhere together. After examining the contents of the box, which are a bunch of bones, it is discovered that the bones in the box belonged to a woman who was given a C-section in an effort to help deliver her child, and an identification code. This leads K's superior, Lt. Joshi, to determine that the woman whose bones were in the box was a replicant: a replicant who could naturally conceive a child. Joshi orders K to investigate the matter, and kill the child to prevent a full-scale war between humans and replicants, During the investigation, we learn that the replicant was, in fact, Rachael. And as the secret of replicants who could reproduce naturally died with Eldon Tyrell, Rachael was the only Nexus-7 replicant to have existed. After learning of her connection to Deckard, K goes to learn all he can about, Rachael, Deckard, and the child, eventually learning of a connection between one of his own memories and Rachael's child. This leads K to assume that he, in fact, may have been the child all along. After meeting with Dr. Ana Stelline, who crafts the memories for the replicants under contract with Wallace Corp, recognizes K's memory as one of her creations. After failing a Baseline test, Joshi gives K time to get out of Los Angeles, and warns him get his act together, as his next Baseline will be out of her hands.
Meanwhile, Niander Wallace himself is also seeking the child, as the secret of how replicants can reproduce naturally is an asset that would benefit him, as he can only make so many replicants at a time. Wallace sends his lieutenant, a replicant known as Luv, to track K's investigation, and find the child. K, meanwhile, is in the sand swept ruins of Las Vegas, where he meets Deckard, who tells him more about Rachael, and that he stayed away because they were being hunted. Luv and her forces suddenly arrive, destroying Joi and her mobile emitter, taking Deckard back to Wallace Corp, and leaving K behind. After being rescued by an underground movement of replicants, K learns from their leader that Rachael's child, of whom Deckard is the father, was a girl child. K finally realizes that Ana is the child he was looking for all along. Wallace, meanwhile, attempts to learn of the child's location from Deckard, using a re-creation of Rachael to do so. Unmoved, Deckard brushes off these attempts, and is taken away by Luv. K rescues Deckard, killing Luv and her men in the process, and takes Deckard to meet his daughter, Ana. Deckard meets Ana for the first time, and K, outside, lays back on the steps, looking up towards the sky, ending the movie.
Blade Runner 2049 is exactly what a sequel to Blade Runner should be. It takes its time, and builds on the story at the exact pace it needs to. Now, I should point out that the knee-jerk sci-fi movie director would look to make the film have an easy-to-follow narrative, tons of sci-fi action, and unneeded answers to certain questions. For example, one popular question about the original Blade Runner is this: is Deckard a replicant? Now, a different director would have given a definitive answer, but Denis Villeneuve didn't. He kept the answer to many viewer's question about Deckard ambiguous, and that's what we needed. In truth, while Ridley Scott is convinced that Deckard is a replicant, Harrison Ford thinks that Deckard isn't a Replicant, and I'm in the camp that believes that Deckard isn't a replicant. But I'm not going to light up this review with a lot of back and forth about a question that fans had about the protagonist of the first Blade Runner; I'm here to talk about the second Blade Runner. And I liked Blade Runner 2049. Ryan Gosling was terrific as K, and honestly, this was my favorite of all of Ryan Gosling's performances in the films I've seen him in. Jared Leto as Niander Wallace was a fantastic villain, unlike his turn as the Joker in Suicide Squad, but that's a story for another day, and I really enjoyed Ana de Armas as Joi. Robin Wright, Wood Harris, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Lennie James, and the rest of the supporting cast are all fantastic, and I am glad that both Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos returned as both Deckard and Gaff from the first Blade Runner.
Now, much like the original, Blade Runner 2049 is not one of those sci-fi movies that is quick to get on board with, but it is much easier to follow than the original. Much like with the first one, this movie takes a few times watching it all the way through to fully get it. Definitely a must-watch for Blade Runner fans, I'm giving Blade Runner 2049 a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. See you guys next time.
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