Movie Review: Blade Runner 2049 *Contains Spoilers*

What an amazing movie!

I love the original Blade Runner. I watched it even when I wasn’t allowed to watch the brief nudity scenes of the movie. I remember my dad would tape over those scenes so we could watch it. It was amazing. It was a movie that made me think about life in my teens. It was amazing. I watched this movie many times and was surprised to learn my husband, who often complains there aren’t enough sci-fi good movies, hadn’t seen it. We watched it together last year. He now knows what a Replicant is.

What happened to Rachael and Deckard?

One of the things that left us hanging on the first movie was the fact that Deckard could or could not be a Replicant. Thankfully, this is basically what this movie is about and it’s perfect. Since this is a totally spoiler filled review, I can tell you that no, he isn’t a replicant. Although, the best idea came out of his relationship with Replicant Rachael. She got pregnant. Wait, what? More on that later.

The main protagonist.

Ryan Gosling is the main character in the movie and I have to say I did not expect in the least when they reveal, about ten minutes into the movie, that he is a Replicant. I did not know. I had no idea. It took me a while to get over this revelation as I watched the rest of the movie. In the future, Replicants eventually get over their expiration issue and become endless. Ryan Gosling’s character, K, is one of these Replicants. These ones are supposed to ALWAYS follow the rules. This all changes when he finds out that a Replicant had been, in fact, impregnated by a human and then gave birth to a child.

Jared Leto.

Jared Leto’s character, Wallace, sort of replaces the original creator Tyrel (who is horrendously murdered in the original film). This actor has all my respect. He is more than creepy and totally believable as a powerful and indestructible man. Wallace creates the new Replicants following Tyrel’s company and goes a little cuckoo when he finds one actually procreated, showing his displeasure by cutting a female replicant in the abdomen, and thus, killing her.

Excellent villain.

The main antagonist (not counting Wallace) is this replicant going by the name, Luv. She is played by Sylvia Hoeks, an actress I don’t remember ever seeing before. She is a little psychotic in her desire to be the best there is at what she does (so basically, everything). She is cruel and calculating and it seems she always gets what she wants. I was glad to see a strong female antagonist in this film, instead of a lunatic or a hormone filled bad girl. Luv is a robot who knows her place in the world and does what it takes, even if it means bending or breaking a few rules.

Harrison Ford.

I think this wouldn’t be a good movie without Deckard. Harrison Ford had a great presence in the first movie and it was great to be able to see what had become of him. It was great to see the character of Rachael just like she had been thanks to the wonder of CGI. You can totally understand why Deckard abandons his child and then disappears in order to protect what is left of the woman he loved, Rachael, who died in childbirth.

The hybrid.

Since there is a child who was actually born, you are taken into a journey to find who it is. There are a lot of clues to tell you who it is at the end, but I actually fell into the same trap Ryan Gosling’s character did and thought K was the child. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. I should have known better, it was what I wanted, but it was too easy. We are, on the other hand, presented with the real child before the end of the movie. It all just makes perfect sense. What also makes perfect sense is the way K ends. If he didn’t die, then the movie just wouldn’t have made any sense to me.

Timing.

One of the things I like the most about this movie is the use of time. I loved how they would let a scene linger for effect. Movies are too fast nowadays, and even when that is a good thing, it was a break to see something a little bit more artistic. And that’s what this movie was to me, a work of art. It was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better sequel.

I still think about K and what a Replicant in his position could have been feeling. Because, he did feel. A lot like his holographic girlfriend, Joi, another great addition to the tale. Was it love? What it a need to have someone? An aversion to solitude? Did he have a soul? Did she? Was he only just a machine? Was Joi just a very sophisticated program ready to learn and grow? Was that they were, evolving programs? 

I love having these thoughts. This is one of the best sci-fi movies I have seen. It’s a sequel, but it’s worthy of the first one.

cheers!