Long-awaited sequel is more than up to the task.
Spoilers abound in this list about the most fan-friendly reboot/sequel in ages.
5. Phillip K. Dick would be proud.
In the original novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the idea of a world almost completely without animals was key. Whatever apocalypse hit this civilization took most of them out. The creatures are back as the most luxurious item a person could own. Deckard’s old dog (real? fake?) is a perfect addition to his sterile swingers pad.
Dick’s brand of sci-fi–distrusting of authority, reflecting an ever-more chaotic modernity–is alive and well in this film. The move down the coast from the San Francisco of the book to the Los Angeles of the movie can’t obscure the ‘60s radical at the heart of this affair.
4. A sensory overload.
Both the sound and visuals of Blade Runner 2049 are superb. The entire experience is one aesthetic revelation after another.
The score began as the dominion of Jóhann Jóhannsson but was passed to Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch this past summer. It’s a warm ambient bath, punctured with electronic detritus for the perfect amount of discord.
It will surely look great on a good home theatre, but this one begs for the silver-screen treatment. The bigger the better. The colors are saturated just short of going insanity, and every wide-screen shot is gorgeous. It’s a treat all the way around.
3. Getting to see Rachael again was sweet.
Well, it was until her brains were blown out. Sean Young returns as love interest Rachael, and for my money it’s the best CGI de-aging yet in any film.
In other blast-from-the-past news, Edward James Olmos gets a tiny bit of screen time as Gaff. A very satisfying inclusion.
2. The Ford/Gosling buddy scenes don’t disappoint.
There’s actually not much buddy-ing going on as Harrison gives Gosling a good beat down before they come to terms. Still, seeing these two share screen time and verbal jabs is worth the price of admission.
1. Jared Leto is amazing as The Creator.
(Just kidding. He’s a garbage person.)
(The Real) 1. Sequels are prepped and ready.
The ending puts on-deck a revolution by and for the androids who have proven to be realer than real. They even have their messiah in the form of Deckard and Rachael’s child, Dr. Ana Stelline (Carla Juri). Very little development is spent on this plot line, but any further movies will have plenty to mine from, and after seeing the amazing job Denis Villeneuve did on this one, he’ll be a hard one to top.
