Blade Runner 2049 - 10.6.17 (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

The “R” rating is irrelevant tho. IT is rated R and has made over $300 million.

Right. But this movie is still suffering because of the other points I mentioned. Hell, I am still dying to see it but the run time prohibits me from doing so unless I take a day off from work for a weekly matinee, and my weekends are shot until the end of October. I will buy it UHD when released I guess.

 

[Tino]

Right. But this movie is still suffering because of the other points I mentioned. Hell, I am still dying to see it but the run time prohibits me from doing so unless I take a day off from work for a weekly matinee, and my weekends are shot until the end of October. I will buy it UHD when released I guess.

I agree. Just wanted to point that the R rating had nothing to do it’s “failure”.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

I don't understand what WB was thinking to be honest. A sequel to a box office bomb 35 years later, and an "R" rating, Add to that the many people that have never seen the original and feel it is required viewing to go into this one.....and the 2 hour and 40 minute run time. And WB thought it would be profitable?
Regardless if the movie is great or not, on paper it makes no sense.

Yeah, but isn't it great? They actually did it, and it's a great movie. Maybe they just realized their mistake with the first, and gave this one a free pass ..?
Anyway, I'm happy, never thought BR needed a seqel, much less I'd ever like it, but it did, and I do.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I agree. Just wanted to point that the R rating had nothing to do it’s “failure”.

Agree - this isn't a movie that seemed like to appeal to the teen crowd anyway.

An "R" can hurt a movie, but not one with an audience mostly made up of 18 and overs...

 

[TJPC]

I just got back from a Real 3D/Dolby Atmos showing of this movie and really don’t know what to think.

The good points:
1) It is almost a direct copy of the original as far as style and atmosphere is concerned. You sit almost in a dream as it unfolds.
2) The acting is excellent especially Ryan Gosling.
3) Most of the questions in your mind at the end of the first movie are answered fully and in a satisfying manner.

The negative points:
1) The movie is very sloooooooooow! Many scenes are of the “stand and look at the snowflake” variety, and make the “2001” early man scenes or “Star Trek The Motion Picture’s” “look at Enterprise” sequence look like the Ben Hur chariot race.
2) The 3D here was almost undetectable, and I lifted my glasses throughout the movie to often see an almost perfect screen. The previews in 3D were fine as was the opening sequence, so it wasn’t the theatr’s system.
3) The movie is just to long. Each scene could have been pared down.

 

[dpippel]

Just got back from viewing it on a 60' IMAX screen. LOVED IT. Bravura filmmaking. Too long? Not in my opinion.

 

[Walter Kittel]

A little late to the conversation, but regarding the nature of the replicants...

In the original film when Roy Batty confronts Eldon Tyrell and proclaims "I want more life, fucker." Tyrell's response is: "The facts of life... to make an alteration in the evolvement of an organic life system is fatal. A coding sequence cannot be revised once it's been established.

after more dialog Tyrell says "..., so the newly formed DNA strand carries with it a mutation - and you've got a virus again..."

Clearly organic as per the first film. While this does not in and of itself preclude some form of mechanical augmentation it seems likely that a simple x-ray or cat scan would detect non-organic material and the blade runners would not need to employ the Voight-Kampff test to detect replicants. So I'll argue 100% organic.

- Walter.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think they're likely to be organic components. Good quote pull above, Walter!

The thing that I don't think is as resolved is - are they "grown" as full beings, or are they assembled as individual components? Based on the scene in the first film where Deckard visits the Asian man in his shop, who says he only does eyes, it suggests that they're assembled from pieces rather than grown as embryos.

 

[Worth]

...Clearly organic as per the first film. While this does not in and of itself preclude some form of mechanical augmentation it seems likely that a simple x-ray or cat scan would detect non-organic material and the blade runners would not need to employ the Voight-Kampff test to detect replicants. So I'll argue 100% organic.

- Walter.

The Voight-Kampff test in the first film makes no sense anyway. They already know exactly how many and which replicants have escaped - Deckard is even shown pictures and video of them.

 

[WillG]

Clearly organic as per the first film. While this does not in and of itself preclude some form of mechanical augmentation it seems likely that a simple x-ray or cat scan would detect non-organic material and the blade runners would not need to employ the Voight-Kampff test to detect replicants. So I'll argue 100% organic.

- Walter.

Agreed

The Voight-Kampff test in the first film makes no sense anyway. They already know exactly how many and which replicants have escaped - Deckard is even shown pictures and video of them.

Well, we know that Deckard's assignment wasn't to VK the escaped replicants. Still though the VK was a bit of a plot hole. Why did Leon need to be VKed in the opening if the BR unit already had his dossier? What was the purpose of sending Deckard to do the VK on Rachel. If I remember correctly it was mentioned by Bryant that Deckard was going to be testing the new Nexus model, different than what Roy and co. were.

 

[WillG]

the new Dune!

I hate to be a Debbie Downer here but due to the relative faliure of this new Blade Runner, I would have a hard time believing that Dune is going to move forward.

 

[dpippel]

Agreed


Well, we know that Deckard's assignment wasn't to VK the escaped replicants. Still though the VK was a bit of a plot hole. Why did Leon need to be VKed in the opening if the BR unit already had his dossier? What was the purpose of sending Deckard to do the VK on Rachel. If I remember correctly it was mentioned by Bryant that Deckard was going to be testing the new Nexus model, different than what Roy and co. were.

It wasn't clear that they knew the identity of the escaped replicants when Leon was given the VK test at the beginning of the film.

 

[TravisR]

Too long? Not in my opinion.

I had two different friends who griped about how long it was but I didn't think it felt too long. And I'm the guy who spends his days complaining about how movies are way too long today.

 

[dpippel]

I enjoyed the relatively slow burn of this film. To see a movie of this genre and budget in 2017 without 3 second cuts all over the place was a MIRACLE. I loved the pacing! Villeneuve isn't afraid to let his camera linger on an actor or a scene when it serves the story, and it's one of this film's biggest strengths.

I also have to say that I'm in love with Ana de Armas. She's quite possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

 

[SamT]

Blade Runner is a classic but on the whole, isn't it bad that we don't know the basics, the rules of this world? It's like nobody clearly thought about establishing a coherent world and story. All we know is just half guesses and interpretation that are not necessarily true. Is this a good thing?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

At the beginning very beginning of this thread, months and months ago, I was making the argument that the original film was good but flawed for that reason. I'm ok with films that don't reveal everything to the audience, that don't answer all the questions, as long as it's clear that the people making the film know those answers. And I don't necessarily feel that when I watch BR.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I think some ambiguity is okay in entertainment.

We know that individuals in the Tyrell corporation such as the doomed Chew worked on various elements of the replicants. I've always took that to mean genetic coding of various sub-sections of the entire replicant DNA strand. We know that J.F. Sebastian designed and brought to fruition a variety of companions who live with him in his apartment building. (Great use of the Bradbury building BTW.)

I tend to favor the idea that genetic modification is the foundation of Tyrell's endeavors and that on that basis the replicants are grown. This of course means that in addition to the various augmentations the replicants sport, Tyrell must have discovered how to accelerate their growth to bring them to full adult status in a short time. Not sure where Occam's razor falls on the whole grown vs. assembled question. (?)

(We know that in HBO's West World the artificial entities are assembled and are fully mature specimens.)

- Walter.

 

[George_W_K]

My first impression is this movie was really good as a whole. The music was OK, but I didn't feel like it was much more than generic synth sweeps with drums. The original's music was better to me.

The flyovers of the city took a step back effects-wise to me and the city didn't feel as real as in the first. Too much CGI maybe. Everywhere else looked great though. Great atmosphere. I loved the style of this film.

The runtime went by mostly fast for me. There were a couple of spots I was ready to doze off, but I attribute that to only having 3 hours sleep.

The acting was really good by everyone. The story was good. Although if a miracle happens and they give a sequel a go ahead, I fear a Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions situation. Just the sense i got when meet eye patch lady and her group.

Amyway, really good sci-fi and I'm glad they made this sequel. I hope to get a chance to see this again before it leaves the theater.

 

[Edwin-S]

As far as ratings go I would agree that rating has nothing to do with the film's under performance. The rating for this film in BC was 14A which covers a good portion of the teenage demographic. People in North America just are not interested in SF that isn't mindless, Arrival notwithstanding.

 

[SamT]

How Blade Runner 2049 Was Able to Pull Off That One Incredible Cameo