Movie Review: Blade Runner 2049 Is Gorgeous In Style And Rich In Commentary

Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.

I must confess; I have not seen Blade Runner. Yet, part of why I enjoyed Blade Runner 2049 is because I did not need to. Director Denis Villeneuve does well to bridge the worlds, and, sort of, let go of the old one to holster in the new. Thus, this dystopian world is oddly welcoming to new fans who will love dissecting its vast imagery and social/ religious commentary as a reflection of the world’s current state.

Frankly, Blade Runner 2049 looks gorgeous . It is like Mad Max Fury Road had a baby with a neon lava lamp. Splashes of bright imagery contrast plains of deserted and darted settings. This sequel makes sure viewers know the future is oblique, to which I say, “Duh!”. Yet, it is in this that Blade Runner 2049 oddly succeeds. Is humanity’s doom a self-fulfilling prophecy? Have we already set ourself to fail and used political and religious structures to either heighten or halt it? These questions will definitely cross your mind as you watch Ryan Gosling as K and Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard  dominate the screen. Ford is always a welcome to a film, and makes sure you know he will always be a badass. Yet, still, proving Gosling’s star-power, you follow K as he enters an odd spiritual journey through a mission to cover up humanity’s sins. The irony does not escape me, but, for all its innuendos, Blade Runner 2049 is not always clear in plot or meaning. Yet, that could be the point. It is evident Villeneuve wanted to create a beautiful film for the world to “break apart”, and if you are a fan of dystopian movies feel free then to see and dissect Blade Runner 2049.