Blade Runner 2049 is a new sci-fi dystopian future move and a sequel to the original Blade Runner which was released in 1982. It stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, with Ford reprising his role from the first film. The series takes place in a future Los Angeles, where artificial beings called replicants live amongst humans. Replicants were created to serve humans and essentially act as slave labor to help explore new planets. Over time, the replicants began to develop human level understandings and emotions, with some rebelling against the humans. Replicants that have gone rogue are then hunted down and “retired” by special police called Blade Runners.

The first Blade Runner is a sci-fi noir film, with Ford playing as Rick Deckard, a washed-up Blade Runner who is tasked with tracking down a group of replicants who have gone AWOL and are loose in Los Angeles. This film is very similar to the classic black and white crime dramas of the early 1940’s and late 1950’s, however, it takes place in a bleak future where pollution and overpopulation have drastically changed earth’s environment. Replicants are created by the Tyrell Corporation and are given limited life-spans to control them.

After violent revolutions led by the replicants, they were banned from earth. When four replicants come to earth to find a way to increase their life-spans, Deckard is given the task of hunting them. Along the way, Deckard meets the mysterious Rachel, a replicant works for the Tyrell Corporation, and challenges his understanding of the replicants. The movie delves into the question of what it means to be human, and it’s a mystery whether or not each character is a replicant. Blade Runner has incredible special effects and cinematography, and the film has been the inspiration for many other science fiction films released since then.

One thing to note though about the first film is that there are three different versions of it: The Theatrical Cut, The Directors Cut, and The Final Cut. The movie went through several artistic changes, where many scenes were added or removed in each of the cuts. I believe the Final Cut was the best of the three, as it is the only version over which director Ridley Scott had complete artistic control. Ridley Scott also directed The Martian, Gladiator and Alien.

Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the events of the first film. Officer K, played by Ryan Gosling, is a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department. He unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what is left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard, who had gone missing after the events of the first film. The movie has an incredible cast, with a stand-out performance by Ana de Armas, K’s personal AI and love interest. The movie is directed by the incredible Denis Villeneuve, who also directed the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival, and the 2015 crime thriller Sicario. With the addition of amazing cinematography and music, you have a beautiful movie. Every scene looks like a painting that could go into a museum. It is an incredible story, and I would say one of the best sequels ever made.

Both movies have very deep themes, and many vague and ambiguous moments that are meant to be discussed and theorized. These films aren’t for everybody, but I highly recommend watching both.

Blade Runner (Final Cut edition) 4 out of 5 Spurs.

Blade Runner 2049 5 out of 5 Spurs.