Blade Runner (1982) is one of my all-time favorite movies, wonderfully imaginative and quirky. When its long-awaited sequel,
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) was announced, there was no doubt I would view it, no matter the reviews, which were mixed, as they were for the original, which is now considered a classic. Word of mouth from viewers, at least what I heard, wasn't kind, either. I finally got around to it last night, courtesy of Netflix. Although I love the main plot, it pales overall in comparison to the original, at least upon initial viewing. Maybe my opinion would change after multiple viewings, although I don't know if I'd have the stamina for that given it's 2:43 running time. It moves at a glacial place. I don't mind that as long as a story is interesting, and it is here. The main problem is that the sequel completely lacks the charm of the original. It is straight down the line serious, sci-fi catered to the most cerebral of its fans. Beyond the characters who are reprised, I doubt the film has much in relation to the novel on which the original was based,
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, a master of the genre who passed away in 1982, less than three months from the original film's release. That doesn't matter. Screenwriters Hampton Francher and Michael Green propose the intriguing idea that a replicant has learned to procreate. An epic battle is underway that pits rebellious replicants vs. humans, and successfully programmed replicants vs. their own kind. The details within the main story line are a lot harder to grasp, at least they were for me at this stage of my life. Ryan Gosling stars as a replicant on the trail of the missing hybrid. Robin Wright, completely unglamorous, plays his boss. Edward J. Olmos reprises his role from the original, the character now living in an old-age home. Sean Young's Rachael is seen strictly in CGI, I believe. Of course, Harrison Ford is back as Rick Deckard. Wrestling legend Dave Bautista does well in his brief role. Jared Leto plays the genius who designs the droids. I really enjoyed the Netherlands' Sylvia Hoeks' turn as a hard-nosed droid. The film received four Oscar nominations in technical aspects, winning for Roger Deakins cinematography, and for a crew of four's Visual Effects. The landscape is bleak after environmental catastrophe has wiped out plant life. Synthetic farming has saved the human race. 300,000+ users at IMDb have rated
BR 2049, forging to a consensus of 8.1 on a scale of ten. The original rates 8.2. At this point, I think the gap is much wider. It is not for anyone who lacks patience, who expects action from start to finish. I imagine execs were disappointed with the box office take. Made on a budget of $150 million, it returned $259+ million worldwide, only $94 million in the USA. This is the fifth of Denis Villaneuve's films I've seen. They have all been interesting and outside the mainstream, and I respect that. Here's a pic of K and Deckard. Are they replicants or not? The argument continues:
The humidity finally moved away and the day was gorgeous and comfortable. My thanks to Danny, who bought ten works of non-fiction, and to Lou, who selected Woody Allen's
Getting Even, published way back when he was known primarily as a stand-up comic. A Latina grandma purchased an Edgar Allen Poe collection, and shared that she was caught reading Poe under her bed covers with a flashlight one night by her mom, who wasn't pleased.
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