Short Attention Span Review - Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Short Attention Span Review - Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner is a film that I cherish, and I avoided this belated sequel for some time.  Honestly, I didn't think there was anything worthwhile left to say where this property is concerned, and I love the questions and discussion that the 1982 masterpiece from Ridley Scott generated.  Last night, I decided to take a look at Blade Runner 2049 in spite of my misgivings.  I'm not really sure why, and I admit that I fully expected to find myself at odds with the material.  From the onset, however, I realized that while Denis Villeneuve may not have matched Scott's brilliance, he authored a dazzling spectacle of his own.  The visuals are extraordinary, the sound is amazing, and the script is equally impressive.  While it is a bit slow, the methodical approach serves the intricate plot well, and allows the viewer to bask in all the breathtaking artistry on display.  It really is a treat for the eyes, with both the design elements and the special effects representing the best that the film industry has to offer.  Mind-boggling stuff, peeps.  The performances are just as compelling, with Ryan Gosling carrying the picture, while Harrison Ford is fully invested in a smaller role that gives the proceedings a strong center.  Jared Leto's extremely creepy work as an icy villain also warrants praise, and Sylvia Hoeks is a veritable powerhouse as his devious vessel of destruction.  Most importantly, like the original, Blade Runner 2049 grapples with difficult questions and big ideas--and it encourages us to explore many of the most important threads on our own.  Less a sequel than another distinct story inolving a shared vision of the future and many of the same characters, it doesn't tarnish what came before in any way.  In fact, I am shocked to admit that I feel that Blade Runner 2049 adds to this stirring landscape.  The pace and the runtime are likely to present issues for some viewers, and many others will long for more action.  This isn't for everyone, to be sure, but those who hope to discover invigorating science fiction ripe with dangerous ideas will find much to enjoy.    

Final Grade: A

Dark and introspective, Blade Runner 2049 is a brooding opus that features some of the best effects you're apt to see. 

#JokerLeto, I'm Not Sure I Can Dig You (Alternate Title: Joker or Juggalo?)

When it comes to early looks at various elements of production design for movies, I try to be a "wait and see" kind of guy.  So many things can change and some things wind up looking a lot better on the screen than expected.  Hell, sometimes images leak or get thrown out there and shit that looks really dope comes across as totally lackluster when the movie finally arrives.  Having said all that, and with my Bat bias* thrown to the wayside, I'm not feeling it.  You know what?  I think Jack was the best, and I've got Cesar Romero higher on my list than you guys do.  Yet I'm not some crusty old dude who hates the new stuff.  I didn't hate the idea of Ledger in the role like many of you did.  I thought he would make it work.  I didn't dislike the initial images that I saw of him in character.  Can you say likewise?  But--you knew it was coming--I have to be honest here, kids, I'm not feeling this shit. 

Please let the joke be on us.  Get rid of the grill and the tats and maybe we can talk.  Until then, it's just not happening for me.  Now, I'm still buying Leto.  I think he's talented enough to make it work if they trot him out there looking like Ronald McDonald and have him rap with the Fresh Prince over the opening credits.  He'll kill it, I'm putting money on it, but the production team doesn't have to make it hard for him.  Personally, the tats just don't do it for me, but some of these are downright ridiculous.  The "J" tear?  Do what?  The smile?  The "HaHaHa" tats?  "Damaged" on his forehead?  Are you dead fucking serious right now?  He looks more like some Joker-obsessed scene-kid than the Joker himself.   

I'm seriously hoping that this is a trial run and not a finished product.  I'd rather not see the Joker covered in tats, but it might work better with tats that weren't so self-referential and dopey.  And let's drop the grill.  Come on.  I look at this, and I imagine the production team trying different things out while some dude with a lot of influence kept saying "It's getting better, but we still need more Flavor Flav."  Like I said earlier, I'm still down with Leto in the part, but I'm asking nicely: can we please avoid saddling him with a silly look? Yeah, it will generate a lot of short-term buzz, but it will probably yield a lot of long-term "we shit the character design bed" guilt as well.

*Honestly, I'm a comics guy, so it's not like I hate Batman or anything.  He's a cool character and he has a nice rogues gallery.  Some of you motherfuckers, though, wow.  The craziest and goofiest Spider-Man fan on the planet is a very normal cat when compared to roughly 40% of Batman aficionados.  Those dudes who are always ready and willing to tell you at length about how Batman could defeat _________** with enough time to prepare give the rest of us comic book lovers a bad name.

**Just fill in the blank.  It could be another comic book character.  It could be Godzilla.  It could be a black hole, an earthquake, . . . it doesn't matter.  These people and their Batman worship will never bow to reason.

"Jimmy's right, I did it better--and I didn't even shave my moustache!"