[Closed] Watching Blade Runner 2049 tonight and if it betrays the original I'm going to..

I was underwhelmed by it.

I don’t think it,in any way, betrays the original or anything, it was just a bit bland for me.

I don’t like Ryan Gosling though. He lacks the emotional depth to portray a soulless robot.

I don’t like Ryan Gosling though. He lacks the emotional depth to portray a soulless robot.

hah

I thought it was exceptional. One of very few films I immediately wanted to watch again. Also a huge fan of the original.

I thought it was decent. It was never going to be better than the original, so it was about as good as you could hope for.

Not a fan. But a fan of Denis Villeneuve.

You missed a trick by at least not seeing at the cinema though.

My missus loved it.

I thought it was dull.

But I didn't remember the detail of the original, even though I loved it at the time.

My missus has a stellar memory.

I get in trouble a lot!

Ok.

It could never be what I wanted perhaps as that film has already been made.

The part that hit me, the only part perhaps, was near the end. He's lying in the snow and some of the original music played. That brought a tear the the eye.

As a stand alone movie, it was good.

It wasn't Blade Runner though. The whole feel of the film, it tried too hard but never captured it's soul. A true replicant perhaps.

That said, I'm as much reviewing myself and my connection to Blade Runner as much as this sequel.

What's interesting is that when Blade Runner first came out in '82 it just wasn't really liked. I remember someone saying some years later when it had been on tv "is that the one where it just rains all the time?"

2049 seems to have been much better received. I wonder if that will change over time but in the reverse of the originals fortunes?

It could easily have truly sucked, and it really doesn't. I think it says a lot that it:

- works as a stand-alone;
- doesn't make anyone think less of the original;
- isn't just a re-tread of the original.

This is good (spoilers). There's a lot in 2049, and it looks brilliant. For what it's worth, it's grown on me the more I've thought about it and re-visited it. 🙂

I watched it at an iMax in 3D - mind-bendingly awesome visually. Not sure you'd get the same effect watching at home, certainly want the surround-sound turned up too.

This is good (spoilers). There’s a lot in 2049, and it looks brilliant. For what it’s worth, it’s grown on me the more I’ve thought about it and re-visited it. 🙂

This was interesting, I'll give it a rewatch!

Absolutely love it.

I thought it was brilliant, watched it again recently and it just gets better. So many nuances.

tried watching it recently as a fan of the original gave up due to Ryan Gosling.

Ive added Ryan to my list mainly just containing Adam Sandler of being quite happy to pay to not watch a film they are in.

I love the original but this is what I thought after watching the "2049" film....

I thought it was decent. It was never going to be better than the original, so it was about as good as you could hope for

Like the original, you have to watch it a few times to get everything. Great film, quite long and the pace is meditative rather than action packed which I think put off a lot of modern audiences.

Watching it in an almost empty Imax cinema in Bradford was an incredible experience and you do loose some of the impact watching it at home.

I've never seen Blade Runner or the new one but I doubt either are as good as Back to the Future , so why bother.

I enjoyed it.

Like many have said, and will say over and over again, not as good as the original (but then the original is as damn near perfect a Sci-Fi movie as you will find), yet still a great addition to the the story.

I’ve never seen Blade Runner or the new one but I doubt either are as good as Back to the Future , so why bother.

Job jobbed. 🙂

Didn’t like the original, this film was mildly less boring. But it’s a one watch film, where as the original I’ve watched twice.

The original is my favourite film. 2049 is dull, far too long and the story is full of holes. I also have the same problem with Ryan Gosling that the posters above have. Plus I think Villeneuve stinks as a director. I should have been prepared for disappointment after sitting through the snoozefest that is Arrival. Re-watched the original after watching 2049 which only emphasized the greatness of the first film.

Fantastic film and beautifully shot. For me in many ways better than the original but does rely on that film to hold the storyline up somewhat

I loved it. But then I loved Arrival too..

I really enjoyed it.

I get the whole 'dull' thing, it seems like a short story spread out over 3 hours to give enough time for all the amazing visuals to linger.

Also, PSA: it's currently on Netflix and in 4K too if you have the right sub / TV which is very rare for a studio film on Netflix.

Would I need to watch the original first?

Would I need to watch the original first?

Ideally yes, but not essential. The key questions for me are

What does it mean to be human?
How do l know l am human?

no spoilers but in a nutshell thats what the film is getting at..

Would I need to watch the original first?

It would make a lot more sense if you did. Also, the original is a classic so you should watch it anyway.

I enjoyed it, and I think it compares well with it's predecessor. It's beautifully shot and edited, that characterisations are well thought through, the film's philosophy is an interesting exploration of self, meaning, and worth. The protagonists are rounded and multi-dimensional, and the whole things clearly comes from a love of the original.

It's one of the few (along with the original and Alien) SciFi films that bear more than one viewing to get the best from them

the story is full of holes

such as..?

It's probably the most beautiful looking film I've ever seen. But thats it. Bored the t$ts off me story wise.

Agree with this ^, certainly a good 45mins too long

Mrs M and I enjoyed it, its not a happy film, Mrs M has never seen the original and very rarely likes films that don't have a happy ending but she liked this one.

I'd like to know what people thought of my favourite scene:

The lingering shot of the back of Ryan's head. ?

Strangely, it's pretty much all I remember about the film now, so I shall have to watch again with the ffwd button at the ready.

Cells within cells.

It was not bad but I thought the storyline was way too simple and telegraphed, it felt like in every scene the plot fell into place way too neatly.

I didn’t like it and thought it ruined the original, mainly because the whole point for me of the original ending was to leave an element of uncertainty - “didn’t know how long we’d have but then again who does?”

Well now we know exactly how long we have!

Cells within cells.

I don't think it was that. Was later in the film. I remember orange framing him. That cells within cells scene was much more brief (I youtoobed it .

)

This kinda ties in to the "Do you go to the cinema" thread.
For me it was the same as Dovebiker..

I watched it at an iMax in 3D – mind-bendingly awesome visually. Not sure you’d get the same effect watching at home, certainly want the surround-sound turned up too.

Then again,some people just don't care about screen size and it's good that we all have different imaginations

I really enjoyed it.

I think it’s one of those rare sequels that actually elevates the original (of which I’m also a fan).

I thought it had a real emotional punch, with the recurring themes of parental grief and parental guilt, both at the micro-level with Deckard, and the macro-level with humanity’s treatment of both its home world and its offspring (human and replicant).

Didn’t mind Gosling at all – thought he conveyed the loneliness and dislocation really well.

Additionally, it looks and sounds amazing, that is to say, terrifying. Just a horribly plausible vision of how the planet might look in a few years (hell, some of it’s already there).

In fairness to the more critical comments above, I think that my enjoyment of it had a lot to do with the fact that I was in a very downbeat mood when I saw the film, so all of its darker themes really resonated. For that reason, I’m slightly scared to watch it again in case it fails to live up to my recollection.

I’d also echo some of the above sentiments regarding just how bad it could have been. Prometheus, Covenant, I’m looking at you.

I tried watching it a while ago when it came out on DVD; watched about half of it, did something else and I've never bothered going back to it. But I might soon.
I love the original(s), which I think is beautiful, like a series of paintings. The music, the set design, Syd Mead, Sean Young etc. just make a perfect mood piece. I put it up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I'm really excited to see how Villeneuve's Dune pans out, as that's been begging to be made properly.

Great film.

Loved the original and the final cut, was pleasantly happy with this.
I can't really see how it could have been much better.

Surprisingly worthy sequel imo.

I loved it. Definitely worth seeing in a cinema though. I would put it up there with the original. No let down at all for me. I suspect it will get better with age and multiple viewings too, like the original.

impossibly fussy original bladerunner nerd here and i expected to hate it. however, i was pretty moved by the sequel. fleshed out the original world, had that same blend of odd and familiar future. the sound in the cinema was absolutely incredible though, less of a soundtrack, more of an amplified smbience.

goslings awkwardness was prefect.

my only disappointment was not seeing off world but i guess that's maybe one for another time. considering various revisits and reboots are little more than nonsense, this is a great film and for me, a very solid sequel.

less of a soundtrack, more of an amplified smbience.

It blends so well it does literally become ambience.

I've put it on again this am and loud as it really needs to be.

Is the original on Netflix or amazon ?

Amazon for rental car.

I loved it, and still do. Sitting 2 feet from me right now on my office wall is a "2049 poster. Peerless in every way.

And I suppose you all know that it wasn't a horse?

Peerless in every way.

That's quite a statement....

What zinaru said above pretty much sums it up for me too. Saw it on Imax and was blown away by the audio visual treat.

Think the original is on Sky at the moment

cheers drac

also streaming on Netfilx at the moment

Not the original.

no sorry i thought we meant 2049

I’ve never seen Blade Runner or the new one but I doubt either are as good as Back to the Future , so why bother.

Where to start with this statement? BttF is an amusing bit of SF fluff, fun if you like that sort of thing. Bladerunner is a masterpiece of cinematography with a storyline that keeps you guessing way past the actual end.
Why bother? Because you can’t form an opinion unless you’ve actually seen both films and have a basis on which to form that opinion.

I enjoyed it on the whole. Would have liked more of Jared Letto and Robin Wright, as well as less Harrison Ford.

Plus I think Villeneuve stinks as a director

Ouch.

He's an amazing Director.

Good Christ - have you seen Incendies? And Sicario?

The sequel is a decent film. They got most of the stuff right that they needed to get right and I saw no obvious howlers*. What's missing is that thing which every director would like to be able to bottle but can't, that thing which lifts a film from the good to the great: a little bit of magic.

I expect that following a film which had that made hitting it a second time less likely.

* Edit, well maybe Gosling...

Really thought it was a terrible idea to do a sequel to Blade Runner and didn't know much about Dennis Villeneuve but saw Sicario and Arrival (which is awesome btw) and started to change my mind.

BR 2049 is really good, pays homage to the original (Director's Cut) but also is its own film (without adding spoilers, Villeneuve and Ridley Scott have differing ideas about Deckard) and asks more questions about replicants and their place in the society (principally about the idea of slavery) and takes the technology ideas off in some clever directions while still being true to the original film's vision of the future.

Also if you like Syd Mead designs then Las Vegas will have you cheering...

Hadn't twigged this was the same director as Sicario and Arrival. Thought both were very good.

Where to start with this statement?

Smile? Chuckle? Laugh? ROFL?

On the back of this thread I put BR 2049 on my Netflix watchlist.  Last night I managed to watch it and thought it was outstanding.  Obviously a big TV can't match a cinema screen, but I was still blown away by just how amazing it is as a visual piece, absolutely stunning.  Used headphones which gave a great audio experience too (and meant I could hear the dialogue, being a bit deaf sucks!).  I reckon it stands alone as a great film, not just a great sequel - not normallly a fan of Ryan Gosling (it's his sad face) but I thought he was really good.  It has made me realise that I watch only superficially as I clearly missed a lot from the original, I'm going to have to watch that again and follow it with a repeat of 2049 🙂

not normallly a fan of Ryan Gosling (it’s his sad face) but I thought he was really good.

He's got the perfect emotional range to play an android!

Obviously a big TV can’t match a cinema screen

depends how big your TV is 🙂

With 4k, and parrticularly 4k bluray, it is feasible to have a TV that fills as much of your field of vision as a cinema screen.

Next problem is having a sound system as good/powerful...

I’m going to have to watch that again and follow it with a repeat of 2049

Yep watched the original last week, will finish the book this week and then watch 2049 again.

Brilliant brilliant film ... think it might be better than the original !! But waiting to watch it again to confirm that.

(Like you I wished I'd seen it in the cinema ... for some reason it just didn't register with me when it came out ... odd.)

He’s got the perfect emotional range to play an android!

Yes, it's kinda like Arnie playing a remorseless killer robot or Keanu playing a confused stoner dude, they were just born for that role.

Loved it, was full on in the cinema with the sound of the movie, bit easier on the ears in the house!

Overall it keeps to the original, adds an actual half decent story and manages to give a nice conclusion, even room for a further sequel if they wanted.

Smile? Chuckle? Laugh? ROFL?

Well, yeah, that too! 😁