I have been a fan of the original Blade Runner film since it was first out in 1982. I own the DVD, and had the VC tape before that. It may be the best science fiction film ever made.
Ridley Scott directed the first film and was involved with the sequel; his set decoration for the original was amazingly imaginative. From time to time I tune into Youtube.com to listen to the original Vangelis sound track, or to watch Rutger Hauer’s “tears in rain” soliloquy.
This afternoon the other DrC and I saw the sequel, Blade Runner 2049. It has been out a relatively long time but we were at sea cruising when it was released last fall.
Rumor has it the new film hasn’t earned what they hoped; 35 years was too long to wait for a sequel. Many fans of the original are dead. What is worse, few young movie goers will have seen the original. If you aren’t familiar with the original film, following the sequel will be harder and have, I believe, much less emotional impact.
Without writing spoilers, I’d tell you that during the first half of the 2049 film you’ll wonder what it shares with the first film besides replicants, flying police cars and dirty air. Somewhere just past the midpoint references to the first film, set 30 years earlier in 2019, start to come thick and fast.
If you’re familiar with the first film, it will become clear eventually the films are two halves of a single story arc, an arc the writers of the later film created. Somebody (Scott?) did a heck of a job imagining where the original characters would be 30 years later.
As Ridley Scott has said in interview, the film is maybe a half hour too long. I’d add his half hour should come out of the sequel’s first half, if a director’s cut is ever issued.
The male lead, Ryan Gosling, is a working “blade runner” named K who retires (kills) rogue replicants, and Harrison Ford reprises his Decker role now 30 years older and retired. The other big roles in 2049 are female, Lt. Joshi played by Robin Wright is K’s boss, Ana de Armas plays K’s holographic girlfriend Joi, Sylvia Hoeks plays Luv, a cute young stone killer, and there are several others.
Did I like the film? Yes, but then it was likely I would, true? As a near fanboy of the original I found the last 1/3 of the sequel emotionally gripping and sad. I will buy the DVD when available.
The other DrC tells me the reviews she’s read are either raves or pans, nothing much in between. My guess is those who loved Blade Runner will love the sequel, and those who either haven’t seen or didn’t like the original won’t care much for part II.
