The long-awaited sequel arrives 35 years later to answer numerous questions from Blade Runner but (not a spoiler) it raises new ones, as a good movie should.
2049 begins with a quick explanation about what happened in the time since the first film ended, namely how Niander Wallace saved the world from starvation, took over the Tyrell Corporation and managed legal reforms regarding Replicants. Then we meet K, a Replicant whose job is to hunt down and “retire” renegade Replicants for the LAPD. After taking down a rather fierce target, he stumbles upon a mysterious box buried next a dead tree. From there, 2049 starts its futuristic film noir story as K investigates what’s so important about its contents and what does the date etched into the tree mean (this was shown many times in the trailer).
That’s all I’m going to say. Anything further would spoil the movie.
I loved how much has changed and what didn’t to LA. It remains a dark, rainy cesspool. The little details of tech have improved though, namely the appearance of AI companions, drones, flat screens and holographic ads. The flying cars remain a staple but you see what the world looks like beyond LA, it sucks. Blade Runner had numerous Asian references. 2049 has updated it with Russian, African and South Asian elements via signs, languages spoken and brands. Some things have returned despite their demise: Pan Am, Atari (they’re more like a name under a larger brand) and Peugeot cars really being feasible?
Here’s what I’m worried about. Unlike the majority of Sci-Fi flicks, 2049 has much in common with its predecessor. It isn’t filled with action and explosions. The pace is slower than most Americans are accustomed to. This is a mystery, a puzzle for K and the audience to figure out. It’s the experience I want from movies. Sure, I want to be entertained yet I also want to be challenged, to think and to feel something, otherwise, I can see this on TV for much less money and effort. Will Blade Runner fans love it? I’m pretty confident they will, I’ve only heard from one who didn’t. Will the average movie goer? I don’t know and given today’s political climate of 25% of the citizenry being utter morons, I don’t have much confidence they will.
Alamo Extras: We arrived a bit late and much of what I saw was recycled from past shows involving robots. It was worth being there to see the jokey elements, namely Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal.