Blade Runner 2049

I just saw Blade Runner 2049 and even though I’m deep into this month’s 31 Days of Gore, I’ve kinda gotta talk about this one. I knew next to nothing about the sequel and was surprised immediately. Going into it, I knew Ryan Gossling played a blade runner and I knew Harrison Ford showed up for at least a cameo. That’s pretty much it. I saw the teaser trailer, but nothing beyond that.

I’m not going to spoil anyone else on the character details, either. I will say I love what was revealed two or three minutes in and I’m guessing the more recent trailers probably gave it away. It’s also nice how they handle the question at the end of the original film. I wasn’t in the mood for a three-hour movie when showtime came around, but mercifully, it certainly didn’t feel like three hours. I completely forgot just how tired I was until the credits rolled and I stood from my seat.

So many belated sequels look at odds with their 80s counterparts. This one not only looks like it was cut from the same cloth, there’s about thirty years of technology added to the futurism we got the last time around, making the worldbuilding all the more convincing. I’m glad they kept the Atari billboards in, too… there’s just something appealing about that logo. As far as belated sequels go, this one’s right up there with Fury Road.

The original Blade Runner wasn’t an instant favorite for me; it took several years and multiple versions until The Final Cut unexpectedly blew my mind one night. Blade Runner 2049, on the other hand, is an instant favorite. I may not like it quite as much as the original, but it’s pretty damn close and seems to incorporate more Phildickian themes than Ridley Scott did.