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‘Blade Runner 2049’ Blows Away the Competition

October 12, 2017

With many movies kicking off the fall movie season, like The LEGO Ninjago Movie,  Kingsman: The Golden Circle, American Made, and Flatliners, the reviews have been ranging from awful to average. Not surprisingly, the box office numbers have been underwhelming, with American Made being the only film out of the bunch to get really good reviews.

But Blade Runner 2049 has given Hollywood a shot in the arm– at least in terms of reviews. Although the $31.5 million take on opening weekend was less than expected, the movie is still getting overall glowing reviews and being called one of the best films of 2017. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 88% positive rating.

Set 30 years after the events of the first film, the plot revolves around Officer K, a young blade runner (i.e., a cop who hunts down and kills human-like robots called “Replicants”). K works for the LAPD in the year 2049, and while on a job, uncovers a long-buried secret that could potentially bring an end to the world as they know it. This leads him to find legendary blade runner Rick Deckard (the main character of the 1982 original movie) to ask for help.

So where do I begin my review? Since seeing the teaser trailer back in December, my excitement has grown, and every ounce of anticipation I’d been holding onto for so long has paid off flawlessly. This was one of the most phenomenal, mind-blowing, and stunning movies I’ve ever watched, and for me, this movie surpassed the original film in just about every way. In fact, I’d place it among my top five favorite films of all time.  

The acting from the entire cast was astonishing, with Ryan Gosling in the lead role as K. I consider it his best role so far because of the emotional depth he brings to the screen. Harrison Ford is sensational, as always, and rivets viewers in his second go-round as character Rick Deckard.

One thing I love about what they did with Ford’s character is how much he’s changed from the first movie to this one. Thirty years older, Decker is looking weathered– not just by the years, but also by the traumatic events of the original movie. Perhaps surprisingly, he has developed a bit more of a personality through the years, a fact which provides some comic relief to a rather tense film. The chemistry between the actors allows them to pull off some pretty magnificent scenes and dialogue.

The cinematography and visuals also deserve a shout out as they are breathtaking in every sense, with every frame and shot being nothing short of mesmerizing, beautiful, and absorbing.

If there’s one thing about this movie I can’t praise enough, it’s the soundtrack. Each of the tracks gives off its own unique vibe and inserts an inexplicable amount of heart and depth to every scene. Composers Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch completely outdo themselves in creating a soundtrack which is both unique and yet reminiscent of Vangelis’ soundtrack to the original movie. Listening to this soundtrack gave me a feeling I’ve never felt watching any other movie.

One warning: This is a really long movie, clocking in at around 160 minutes. For many people, this might be a turn-off, but I loved it because this is the kind of movie where the story being told needs a movie this long to avoid feeling choppy and rushed.

This movie is also appropriately R-rated, featuring strong language, quite a bit of nudity, and some very brutal moments of violence. Still, the violence is not gratuitous, but adds to the dark gritty tone the film.

One last thing I should bring up is how this movie is seen. This is a movie that is best seen in IMAX. Without the increased volume blaring the film’s soundtrack loud enough to cause the theater to vibrate, and with a bigger screen, this movie just wouldn’t be the same.

Blade Runner 2049 is a visual and cinematic masterpiece, a rarity among films of this decade, and a true once-in-a-lifetime film experience. It did everything I hoped it would do, was everything I wanted it to be, and it has changed the way I look at film. It’s why I know this movie will inspire future filmmakers and directors in the film industry, and why I give it a 10 out of 10.

Blade Runner 2049 is why we go to the movies.

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