“Blade Runner 2049” Takes Us Back To the Future One More Time

“Blade Runner 2049” (Warner Brothers)

Now that we finally have a sequel to the cult classic “Bade Runner” the question is was it worth the thirty five year wait. The answer is not immediately clear inasmuch as there is much that is lacking in “Blade Runner 2049” and much that is terrific. Audiences will tend to be split as to its ability to serve as a continuation of the original story.

This time out the story focuses on K (Ryan Gosling), an LAPD detective. He is a “blade runner” the same as Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) was in the original film. He hunts down replicants and “retires” them. But somehow his job is not making him happy. He keeps hearing from people that life can be more than what he has. Before he “retires” a man named Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista), the replicant speaks of the miracle he has seen.

Later K discovers a box of bones beneath a tree in Morton’s yard. These bones leads K on a search to find a child that was born to two replicants (now who could they be?). His boss Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright) advises him factual news of this occurrence could upset the balance between good and evil in the world. So K is ordered to find this child if he/she exists and eliminate him/her.

Gosling is center stage for the majority of the movie and he is quite good in this role. He gives K the necessary weariness the character must have, while also showing the mental and physical strength that is also necessary. The movie really improves once Ford is in the scenes with Gosling. The two actors raise each other’s game.

There are a lot of references to things that occurred in the original film so a viewing of it before seeing this sequel might provide a real benefit. However if this is not possible the sequel is still understandable.

There are a couple of problems with the film. One, it is much too long. Clocking in at almost three hours it becomes a slog at times just to get through it. Plus the visuals paint a world of constant rain or snow and almost total darkness. The sun doesn’t come out tomorrow or any time in the near future. And finally, poor Jared Leto must have had most of his scenes end up on the cutting room floor. He is barely in the movie.

Someone who is in a good deal of the movie is Ana de Armas. She plays Joi, K’s love interest. Every time this young actress appears on screen the dreariness lightens. She is totally appealing and creates a character who is the emotional coreof the film.

The movie is rated R for violence, profanity and nudity.

“Blade Runner 2049” is a sequel that is equal to the original in entertainment value. It gets a little convoluted in parts but the overall story is a winner. It has taken thirty-five years to get this sequel but in my opinion it was worth the wait.

I scored “Blade Runner 2049” a continuing 7 out of 10.

Jackie K Cooper – www.jackiekcooper.com