BLADE RUNNER 2049 - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK FOR OUR GENERATION

SPOILERS AHEAD !!

In the modern era of Hollywood remaking popular movies, countless reboots of well-established IPs and inferior sequels of great movies for milking money and profit. It has become common in practice and the mainstream American film industry (Hollywood) is more studio-driven than creative-driven. Well there are still great movies too in our age and I am not saying "The sky is falling down etc" but the fact remains. In this age of modern filmmaking fans of beloved IP's

hate the above-mentioned tactic but there are always exceptions for which I want to discuss 'Blade Runner 2049' a sequel to the cult classic "Blade Runner" and my experience with it.

I was a skeptic when the sequel to Blade Runner was announced by Alcon entertainment in collaboration with Sony Pictures with Ridley Scott as an executive producer and I thought that this movie would be a cash grab for Hollywood based on a beloved IP where they could milk it for money and commerce cause in Hollywood "It ain't show friends it show business" and I was displeased with the announcement. What could possibly go right here?

Fast forward 5 years later and I have never been happy to be proven wrong. This movie is the ideal benchmark for a Hollywood sequel that respects and expands upon the original's themes and ideas and fleshes the world of Blade Runner incredibly well. The themes of replicants being more human than human, K's character arc played by Ryan Gosling who plays it to perfection. The stunning cinematography by Roger Deakins is simplistic by natural light and stunning. The highlight of his cinematography is during the third act of the movie set in Las Vegas with the yellow smoke which makes it a futuristic yet grounded and depressing environment.

K's character starts as a nobody who only follows orders as a Blade Runner from his superior Lt.Joshi and he finds himself and killing previous-gen blade runner having a memory of holding a wooden horse and when he finds out that he could be the child of a replicant of Rachel he is taken aback and he seemingly becomes the main character in between the 2 factions, Tyrell Corporation, and the rebel replicant organization. He makes human choices and he becomes more and more human in his personality due to this discovery only for it to be crushingly brought down by the leader of the rebellious faction that he is not the human child but it is Ana Sterling the memory maker he meets during his investigation.

This is compounded by the fact that he was left to die by Luv when the Tyrell Corporation ambushed him in Las Vegas. Despite his broken silence he still makes the human choice of saving Deckard from Luv and reuniting him with his daughter Ann. He is grievously injured in the fight and dies with the Tears in the Rain theme in the background which completes his character arc in a personal yet satisfying manner. He is a hero who doesn't matter thus cleverly subverting the Chosen One trope with smart writing

The music from Hans Zimmer is moody for the film and it works well with the themes of the movie and it is also a beautiful homage to the iconic Vangelis soundtrack in the original Blade Runner. The acting is great across the board by Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas as the A.I. Joi who is humane in her performance supported by great writing, Sylvia Hoeks plays the menacing Luv who is intimidating and a cold-blooded replicant and the henchman of Eldon Tyrell. Jared Leto also plays Tyrell really well and he is a looming presence in the movie.

Overall I think this movie is a great sequel to the original movie and it continues the spirit of the original movie. I would love to see a sequel to this movie and we get a setup (sort-of) in the movie. This movie is The Empire Strikes Back for our generation.