Blade Runner 2049 takes place after The Blackout where all electrical systems fail and there’s also an ecological disaster (all trees seem to be dead). Ryan Gosling plays K., an LAPD Blade Runner who tracks down replicants (aka, androids) who are treated like slaves. Gosling discovers a secret that becomes a quest between him and the Wallace Corporation (who manufactures the replicants). Gosling finally tracks down Harrison Ford (who played Deckard, a Blade Runner, in the original Blade Runner). Action sequences are unleashed!
At 163 minutes, Blade Runner 2049 is too long. While production designer Dennis Gasner (The Truman Show and Skyfall) makes Blade Runner 2049 look cool and futuristic, it’s not enough. The Coen Brothers’ cinematographer, Roger Deakins, captures some eye-popping images in this movie. But the meandering script and the lack of surprises in the plot hamper Blade Runner 2049. Expectations for an opening weekend Box Office of $40 million fell short (only $31 million). Word-of-mouth might not help this film. GRADE: C+
I liked this a lot better than you. I would give it a A-. ,Yes it is a bit too long but I found it went by fast.
Steve, BLADE RUNNER 2049 is the best looking film I’ve seen in 2017. And I’d love to have one of those self-driving flying cars!
Yawn. Two hours and 43 minutes? I’ll wait.
Jeff, Steve’s right: BLADE RUNNER 2049 does move quickly at times. But it’s still too long for most audiences.
Movies used to be longer. Some of my favorites are long-Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge Over the River Kwai, The Godfather movies.
If I’m not mistaken, my first “long” movie as a young man was Ben-Hur 1960 – I just looked it up:
222 minutes
They had an official break in the cinema about half-time – everybody went out, some to smoke …
Me, I never smoked – I was lucky to resist my friends offering me a cigi …
I wasn’t interested in this from the moment it was announced. I liked the original film a lot, but it was a product of it’s time in many ways. This one was just made for it’s sequel appeal. No matter how jazzy the visuals (we see jazzy visuals all over the place these days), they are almost never enough. Apparently that’s the case here.
Rick, BLADE RUNNER 2049 looks like a possible Future. Maybe the four scriptwriters are part of the problem. The movie sometimes goes in various directions only to circle back to the Secret. This is an ambitious movie that fails to click with me.
Whereas it did click with me. Going to see it for a second time tomorrow. Saw Victoria and Abdul yesterday. Good acting but kind of on the dull side. Seemed more like a Masterpiece Theater show.
Steve, I’ll post my review of VICTORIA AND ABDUL on Saturday. It’s a BBC movie so there are some MASTERPIECE THEATER aspects.
It’s a real pity …
Almost three hours? That’s too long obviously for many people – read somewhere that many people declined from watching it in the cinema, maybe it will do better on bluray/netflix/whatever …
Moneywise the first weekend seems to have been a disappointment. We’re waiting – my wife would want to see it in Hungarian or at least with Hungarian subtitles.
PS:
Do cinemas make a break or do you risk missing some important stuff if you have to go to the loo?
Wolf, I’m pretty good at picking a quiet moment in a film to hit the “loo.” In BLADE RUNNER 2049 there’s a love scene that I skipped out on.
Wagner wrote operas shorter than this.
That’s one of the reasons why I don’t like operas – prefer rock concerts.
Had to listen to some Wagner though at school …
Wolf, I suspect opera appreciation is an acquired taste.
Dan, BLADE RUNNER 2049 has some operatic moments. Even Elvis shows up!
George, I’m not sure if the BLADE RUNNER is running in the theatres (it probably is), but I’ll be watching it eventually. I liked the Ford original.
Prashant, you might be interested in seeing VICTORIA AND ABDUL, too.