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Movie Review: Blade Runner 2049 is the perfect sequel

Movie Review: Blade Runner 2049 is the perfect sequel
Ryan Gosling, who plays officer K in Blade Runner 2049, is the perfect stoic in the movie. PHOTO: SONY PICTURES RELEASING
Jonathan Roberts
Digital Editor
Oct 11, 2017 06:00 am
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Last week, I gave this film a perfect score in the online review.

Had I been too giddy or hasty? I went to see it again just in case I had been lost in a fog of fanboyism.

Well, it still gets full marks.

There are a few quibbles, but that is all they are. Yes, it is long - about 2hr 45min - and not a film you would casually drop in to watch.

It also requires concentration, so you need to see it with an audience that knows how to behave. (Good luck finding that.)

Otherwise, this is everything you want from a movie.

Not much to see here
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It is the perfect sequel, one that builds on the themes of the 1982 original without being a slave to it.

Villeneuve advances on what came before and brings you a believable take on the future. (Sadly, all too believable when it comes to the environment.)

It is not your typical thrill ride. Like the first film, this is a noir detective story set in the future. It is a race against time, with different parties all looking for the same thing - some parties more violent than others.

It also explores heavy themes of what it means to be human.

But it is expertly wrapped and presented in a masterclass of direction, cinematography, set design, costumes, sound and plotting.

Gosling is the perfect stoic, good-looking enough to be able to keep silent and still keep all eyes on him.

In interviews, it seems Harrison Ford had a blast and possibly found a soulmate in Gosling. It is also great to see Ford back to acting, rather than just appearing, in a film.

Relative newcomer, Dutch actress Sylvia Hoeks, stands out as the seemingly conflicted replicant assistant to Jared Leto's emotionally detached, borderline insane tech genius.

It is these relationships that make Blade Runner 2049 so much more than a manhunt.

Each viewing reveals a new layer, new clues and a new character motivation.

There is so much going on that it stays with you long after you've ditched your popcorn.

5/5


MOVIE: Blade Runner 2049

STARRING: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Sylvia Hoeks, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto

DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve

THE SKINNY: Officer K (Gosling) is a blade runner who hunts down bio-engineered androids - replicants. He makes a discovery that puts him on a dangerous path that brings up ghosts of the past and threatens the status quo of an already fragile world.

RATING: NC16

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Not quite as much fun as The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, but this will still captivate younger audiences with its charming characters and amazing set pieces.

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Jake Gyllenhaal is building up Oscar buzz with his impressive performance in this biopic about Jeff Bauman, the man who lost his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

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Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%

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REVIEWSSCIENCE FICTIONRyan Gosling

Jonathan Roberts

Digital Editor
jonrob@sph.com.sg
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