FILM REVIEW – BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)

Review written by Raul De Leon

Blade Runner (2049)

Thirty-five years later, we get the unexpected sequel to the sci-fi classic Blade Runner (1982). Most fans of the original, like myself, were probably content without a series of films following the original, especially considering the direction Hollywood has taken this century, where every film has got a reboot, sequel, or spinoff that is more than often underwhelming. But with producer Ridley Scott, A-list director Dennis Villeneuve, thirteen time Oscar nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins, and respectable lead Ryan Gosling, who never chooses his roles for the money, this sequel gave us sci-fi and film aficionado’s an authentic hope for a beautiful continuation of the Android dream.

Since the first film was based off of existing material; Phillip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, screenwriters Fancher and Green would have to come up with a fresh narrative for the sequel. This time around, the film is set thirty years into the future and back in semi-dystopian cyber-punk Los Angeles. K (Ryan Gosling) is the new Blade Runner hunting down his own kind. His main mission is to find the child who was miraculously born from an android. As K searches for the android child, he struggles with his personal nature and existence, and the film blurs the lines of reality and artificiality.

It pleases me to say that 2049 expands the exploration of the original’s themes. There would be no other way to do Blade Runner justice and satisfy its fans. 2049 introduces novel ideas to continue challenging its viewers intellectually and emotionally on what it means to be human. Thanks to a fine vision and impeccable execution from the filmmakers, the soul-arousing script is fully brought to life.

2049 shines in every aspect of filmmaking. Master composer Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Inception) and new Hollywood talent Banjamin Wallfisch (It, Dunkirk) design a reverberating score that is inspired by Vangelis’ genius original. It’s an eerie sci-fi sound that blares through your eardrums. The slick futuristic neon city-scape is its visual counterpart. Predictably Villeneuve and Deakins make every frame of 2049 gorgeous. LA’s barren outskirts is swamped with a ravishing permanent orange tinge that suggests post-apocalypse. My eyes were floored at the sight of the Tyrell corporation headquarters where glowing water reflections oscillated on the walls behind the deep-blue eyed android dean, Niander Wallace.

With Blade Runner, visuals are consistently compatible with significance and substance. K owns a popular household-HAL type computer that projects a holographic girlfriend. There is an impressive visual effects scene where the hologram woman attempts to sync with an android that K spends the night with. A massive Atari sign that K flies his ship through is one of the stand out super-giant advertisements that are an actual part of the city’s infrastructure. Another striking effect to stimulate your head-gears is the image of the creation and editing of memory implants. All of these visual innovations add layers to the philosophy of the series.

In 1982, Blade Runner bombed at the box office because there just wasn’t enough butter on the popcorn. 2049 is still mostly concerned with being its artistic self, but it comes as a mixed bag. The mystery elements that it has is its weakest point. Blade Runner is at its best when it lives as a sitting portrait to be contemplated by its viewers. When the story heads in the direction of ‘who is the android child?’ and ‘where is Deckard?’, our attention is pulled away from what really makes this series great, which is; the examination of the nature of human and android existence.

Due to a slight lean toward dramaturgy and a lesser overall atmosphere, I cannot say that this surpasses the original, but it absolutely does one heck of a job succeeding it. Blade Runner 2049 is what a sequel is supposed to be. It does not recycle its predecessor, it expands upon it.

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If you liked Blade Runner 2049, you might also like; Blade Runner (1984), Dark City (1998), Minority Report (2002), Her (2013), Ex Machina (2014).

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.

FILM REVIEW – 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

Review written by Raul De Leon

2001: A Space Odyssey

An epic voyage through space, time, and mankind. 2001 is a cinematic experience like no other. Director Stanley Kubrick beautifully photographed some of the most stimulating sequences ever put on screen. What does the ending mean? What does the monolith represent? Does HAL have a mind of its own? It’s been nearly fifty years since the film’s initial release; theaters are still screening the film and people are still debating its contents. With a film of this magnitude, the screenings aren’t going to stop and neither will the discussions.

Beginning with early primates who are struggling to survive, continuing with space travel that is led by an AI controlled ship, and ending with a mind-bending mission to “Jupiter and the infinite”, 2001: A Space Odyssey covers an immense scope of human life, history, mystery, and evolution. Along the way, a mysterious monolith, unexplainably, catalyzes each eon to its next unpredictable destination. The obscurity and demanding stature of the monolith exudes an overbearing presence, strong enough to rattle your mind, just as it does to the film’s characters.

Each new chapter of the film is different from the last. Thematically, they are linked, revolving around survival, evolution, and the exploration of the unknown. The result is a provocative mosaic that raises more questions than answers. Limitless hours can be spent discussing the components that so perfectly reflect mankind’s expedition through life. The depiction of early humans forces you to contemplate your deep-seated nature. HAL 9000, a revolutionary representation of future artificial intelligence, forces us to challenge our relationship with technology (now more than ever). And Kubrick’s ode to transhumanism is like staring the unfathomable monolith face-to-face, in person.

Kubrick and Geoffrey Unsworth’s  gorgeous cinematography, that is highly aided by absolutely precise composition, allows for 2001’s most uneventful moments to be something to marvel at. If there is one criticism 2001 may deserve, it’s that there are times where it can move too slow, centering on image-centric eye candy. If you’re eager for commotion, you’ll get bored. If you love photography, you’ll be in awe. Most buffs will find 2001’s images ravishing from beginning to end.

I had the privilege of viewing 2001 in its original aspect ratio of 70mm, and it was glorious. A giant film like this deserves a giant projection. Watching 2001 on your television screen at home is like watching your friend ride a roller coaster rather than riding it yourself. I found the psychedelic trip to Jupiter especially immersive.

Stanley Kubrick famously said “How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas, ‘The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover’?”. Many filmmakers are eager to get their message out to the audience. Kubrick, instead, paints the picture and allows the audience to formulate their own ideas. Kubrick undoubtedly accomplished what he set out to do, raise important questions and get people talking.

If you liked 2001: A Space Odyssey, you might also like: Blade Runner (1982), Solyaris (1972), Metropolis (1927), Ex Machina (2015).