I've made no secret of how utterly devoid of creativity I feel most remakes/re-boots and belated sequels are. 9 times out of 10 it's either a lazy attempt to slap some stickers on an existing script, reshoot a couple of minutes of footage and repackage it into a cinematic universe or it's an even lazier attempt to piggyback off the good will engendered by an old favourite with little thought given to how it might enhance our understanding of the world they've created, let alone whether they should have done it at all in the first place. Usually, the answer to that question is a giant, monolithic "NO" that should be emblazoned somewhere large and prominent to remind them of their egregious mistakes. It used to be heads on poles, now it's probably box office receipts.
It's so rife now that it's started to ruin even the prospect of watching some movies. Admittedly, some remakes I've positively jumped on; anyone who claims the original 90s IT TV movie isn't dated toss has some serious rose tinted issues to work on with a registered optometrist. I love it, but it is crap; the remake however was pretty awesome and definitely an improvement. I still haven't watched Stranger Things 2, despite most people's assertions of its quality and it's taken me a good while longer than it should have to get round to this week’s cinematic endeavour. I am kicking myself somewhat.
Bladerunner is more than just a Sci-Fi classic, it's just a classic full stop. Considering how far it deviates from the source material it isn't a surprise that it wasn't really terribly successful on initial release but has grown through cult classic status to being a must-watch movie and one of my top ten (I'm actually doing a proper top ten at some point in the next couple of weeks, stay tuned). It's as much film noir as it is Sci Fi and left one of the greatest cinematic cliff-hangers ever regarding the humanity of one Mr Rick Deckard (or apparent lack thereof). It's easily one of Ridley Scott's best films but I am so grateful he wasn't anywhere near Bladerunner 2049 (except for an executive producer credit which I think effectively means he let them use his franchise and cashed a cheque) that I feel like I ought to send him some sort of gift basket and thank you note. His recent form on reliving former glory has been... let's be polite and say "less than convincing". Sorry, even I can't keep up that charade; Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were both absolutely woeful, the latter to the extent that it ret-conns and takes a massive dump on the mythos of the entire franchise. I think the only way he could have made things worse is by putting googly eyes on the Xenomorph or repeatedly referring to it by its baffling Chinese sobriquet "Big Chap".
The difference here is stunning. Most writers/directors seem to seek to fill the gaps by rewriting history; it fails to enrich the original and doesn’t lead to a satisfying continuation of the story (Star Wars is a massive culprit of both these things for which we can probably blame Mickey Mouse and his unending, unquenchable thirst for the almighty dollar). Denis Villeneuve however deserves a parade and a medal for doing almost the exact opposite. It’s clear from the offset that this is a movie born out of a genuine love and respect for the original and a desire to tell another tale in this universe without making fans wince or take to the internet in their droves to voice their displeasure via Rotten Tomatoes or similar pointless aggregate film critiquing sites. For one thing, it's absolutely beautiful to look at; there is a clear intent to stay firmly within the aesthetic Scott's original crafted so well, it's just amped up exactly the right number of notches. Where Star Wars' prequels failed so spectacularly was in their inability to retrograde their designs; if you follow the chronology they went from sleek and flowing designs down to the boxy, beat up starfighters we know and love. Conversely, Bladerunner 2049 hits the nail firmly on its neon strip lit head; even Voight-Kampf makes an upgraded appearance, but it all feels familiar enough that you can let it wash over you and get on with immersing yourself in the story.
We're not straying far from the beaten path plot-wise, but there's enough divergence that it's no simple retread. I really won't go into details because Bladerunner 2049 deserves to be seen without any sort of spoilers. What surprised me was the subtlety of the story. It drops a couple of cameos and Easter eggs, but they actually serve a purpose to the plot rather than just fan service and although yes, there is a certain amount of retconning, none of it changes the original or renders it nonsensical. In fact I'd go as far as to say it actually enhances the original and provides a deeper meaning to some of the character's interactions. Granted, stuff like this is always a bit of a game of 'what if?...' but here it really works. Even if you aren't initially sure why they took the direction they did, like I wasn't, by the end it feels like this is the way it was always going to end. This is how you do sequels 30 years down the line.
Bladerunner 2049 isn't perfect by any means; there are sub plots and character arcs that sort of disappear abruptly which does leave you feeling a little cold and some of the twists and turns are a bit telegraphed but with a running time as long as it is, something had to give, even doesn't feel like the best part of three hours. For all its flaws though it should be seen for what it is; a new benchmark for how to go back in time and not screw absolutely everything up.
It's so rife now that it's started to ruin even the prospect of watching some movies. Admittedly, some remakes I've positively jumped on; anyone who claims the original 90s IT TV movie isn't dated toss has some serious rose tinted issues to work on with a registered optometrist. I love it, but it is crap; the remake however was pretty awesome and definitely an improvement. I still haven't watched Stranger Things 2, despite most people's assertions of its quality and it's taken me a good while longer than it should have to get round to this week’s cinematic endeavour. I am kicking myself somewhat.
Bladerunner is more than just a Sci-Fi classic, it's just a classic full stop. Considering how far it deviates from the source material it isn't a surprise that it wasn't really terribly successful on initial release but has grown through cult classic status to being a must-watch movie and one of my top ten (I'm actually doing a proper top ten at some point in the next couple of weeks, stay tuned). It's as much film noir as it is Sci Fi and left one of the greatest cinematic cliff-hangers ever regarding the humanity of one Mr Rick Deckard (or apparent lack thereof). It's easily one of Ridley Scott's best films but I am so grateful he wasn't anywhere near Bladerunner 2049 (except for an executive producer credit which I think effectively means he let them use his franchise and cashed a cheque) that I feel like I ought to send him some sort of gift basket and thank you note. His recent form on reliving former glory has been... let's be polite and say "less than convincing". Sorry, even I can't keep up that charade; Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were both absolutely woeful, the latter to the extent that it ret-conns and takes a massive dump on the mythos of the entire franchise. I think the only way he could have made things worse is by putting googly eyes on the Xenomorph or repeatedly referring to it by its baffling Chinese sobriquet "Big Chap".
The difference here is stunning. Most writers/directors seem to seek to fill the gaps by rewriting history; it fails to enrich the original and doesn’t lead to a satisfying continuation of the story (Star Wars is a massive culprit of both these things for which we can probably blame Mickey Mouse and his unending, unquenchable thirst for the almighty dollar). Denis Villeneuve however deserves a parade and a medal for doing almost the exact opposite. It’s clear from the offset that this is a movie born out of a genuine love and respect for the original and a desire to tell another tale in this universe without making fans wince or take to the internet in their droves to voice their displeasure via Rotten Tomatoes or similar pointless aggregate film critiquing sites. For one thing, it's absolutely beautiful to look at; there is a clear intent to stay firmly within the aesthetic Scott's original crafted so well, it's just amped up exactly the right number of notches. Where Star Wars' prequels failed so spectacularly was in their inability to retrograde their designs; if you follow the chronology they went from sleek and flowing designs down to the boxy, beat up starfighters we know and love. Conversely, Bladerunner 2049 hits the nail firmly on its neon strip lit head; even Voight-Kampf makes an upgraded appearance, but it all feels familiar enough that you can let it wash over you and get on with immersing yourself in the story.
We're not straying far from the beaten path plot-wise, but there's enough divergence that it's no simple retread. I really won't go into details because Bladerunner 2049 deserves to be seen without any sort of spoilers. What surprised me was the subtlety of the story. It drops a couple of cameos and Easter eggs, but they actually serve a purpose to the plot rather than just fan service and although yes, there is a certain amount of retconning, none of it changes the original or renders it nonsensical. In fact I'd go as far as to say it actually enhances the original and provides a deeper meaning to some of the character's interactions. Granted, stuff like this is always a bit of a game of 'what if?...' but here it really works. Even if you aren't initially sure why they took the direction they did, like I wasn't, by the end it feels like this is the way it was always going to end. This is how you do sequels 30 years down the line.
Bladerunner 2049 isn't perfect by any means; there are sub plots and character arcs that sort of disappear abruptly which does leave you feeling a little cold and some of the twists and turns are a bit telegraphed but with a running time as long as it is, something had to give, even doesn't feel like the best part of three hours. For all its flaws though it should be seen for what it is; a new benchmark for how to go back in time and not screw absolutely everything up.
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