A little detail no reactor ever gets- the score at the end as Joe is dying on the steps is the same as is playing during Roy’s “tears in the rain” monologue in the first movie. Cinematic perfection.
This movie never got the credit it deserved because it was always in the shadow of the original, but it truly is a masterpiece. When you pick up all the nuance in the facial expressions and cryptic dialogue you realise how incredible it is.
Luv calling in a drone missile strike while getting her nails done is one of my favorite character moments ever. She is such a terrifying villain in this.
Yes but well written in that you can feel real sympathy for her based on looking at it from her situation. Who knows how many replicants she has watched born and die on their birth day simply because they cannot reproduce. A short coming that she shares with every one of them. She knows she is absolutely disposable to Wallace and her only hope of surviving and not being replaced is to please Wallace as much as possible.
Her final words " I'm the best one" were so dark you know Wallace has told her that and she's held onto it to believe she's safe all while knowing he could replace her tomorrow.
Ana De Armas is so gorgeous as Joi. And a really interesting role to make us care for what is essentially a digital assistant. In the neo-noir of BR2049, she functions as a combination girl Friday/red herring, helping K while misleading him and the audience away from the truth. Not out of malice or incompetence, but simply because she's programmed to say what her owner wants to hear (and by extension the audience). That he's special. A real boy. But K's just K, and that's enough 😉 For K to find out the name she gave him is something all Joi's say, beaten and bloodied while faced with a giant naked billboard of his love literally talking down to him, is really powerful imagery.
@@SlamminGraham Yup, and that's why Joi is such a great character. Just to what extent she is programmed, to what extent she is real and to what extent it even matters. At the end of the movie you can still argue both sides.
@@alexeyserov5709Oooh! That was superbly articulated. All the comments in this thread, to be honest. But I hadn't previously considered your viewpoint as a possibility. Specifically, we're all familiar with the angst associated with "are these genuine emotions being shown or is it just clever programming?" And yeah, that line of questioning breaks my heart in a dozen different ways. Because both sides are equally plausible and it hurts to consider that it was all an illusion. But that statement, "and to what extent it even matters", really caught me off guard. That's an excellent (and very important) question that I hadn't considered. That really made me ponder. Cheers! That was very thought provoking
@@alexeyserov5709 Well you get a real big hint after his Joi is gone (yeah word play) and he sees the generic Joi advertisement while walking and she says "You look like a good Joe". The question of what was "her" and what was programming is a deep one to be sure.
It is an incredible achievement to follow up many of us thought could never have a sequel... and to do it in a way that elevates both films is stunning.
This movie was so much more magnificent than I think anyone expected, and I love how it's a natural continuation of the story rather than a retread of the first movie.
5:05 What you're hopefully thinking about after watching this film is; how do you define real? Is real what you can physically touch? Is real defined by feeling love? Is real defined by your ability to create life? Or is real defined by your ability to conceive a baby? When you feel remorse for K/Joe, does that make him real because you're emotionally invested in him? This is why I love Blade Runner 2049 even more than the first Blade Runner, it takes what the first movie stated and builds upon it without losing the respect. It's a beautiful movie that's so thought provoking.
@@hendrikscheepers4144 I think if the first movie is asking if bioengineered humans are life/human than this movie moves beyond that with Deckard essentially saying it doesn't matter and the new question is with silicon/programming and if that has a humanity--all centered around side character Joi. She's preprogrammed, but clearly gains experience/memories that alter her behavior. Being excited by an eminator could be argued to be implanted so customers will spend more, but her saying he should remove her from the server and destroy the antenna clearly goes against the original programming that was being used to surveil K/Joe. The knife twist of the advertisement calling him "a good Joe" I see as being there to push K/Joe to a low point before he makes his own humanizing decision. Just a wonderful movie!
@@oneopinion6806 What I really like about the "good Joe" scene is that it can be understood in two ways. Many people think that this is when K realises that Joi was just faking it, and he comes to realise the fleetingness of identity, having nothing left to lose. But I'd like to think it's the opposite. That K is reminded we are each individually in control of who we perceive as being valuable to us. That relationships are a choice, and in many ways we choose who we love, we choose the life we want to live; our reality. So K chose to save Deckard because he wanted to.
I love that moment with K in the rain in front of the giant hologram ad of Joi where he makes the choice, the *human* choice, to do the right thing and save Deckard at the expense of his own life. Also, I love Luv as a villain. She’s so dangerous and unbalanced, but you can see she’s struggling like most Replicants do with her emotions and her desire to please her maker Wallace
Did you notice the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev? The theme goes off 7 times: 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse 7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard. The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes: 1. Peter 2. The Grandfather 3. The Bird 4. The Duck 5. The Cat 6. The Hunters 7. The Wolf I matched up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed. 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf. 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf. 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat. 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf. 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters. 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more. 7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
The sad interpretation of that scene is that K realizes and accepts that the one thing that was human about him and that gave him hope in his life was a lie, just like his dream about being special and that his existence is meaningless and nothing is lost if he sacrifices himself. I think that is how most people take that scene, me included.
@@TrangleC see I took it that K, as well as the general message of the Blade Runner series, is humanity is relative and really only realized in how one shows it, usually through love, care, or sacrifice. Roy Batty showed it by saving Deckard. Deckard showed his by sacrificing his relationship with his daughter (“sometimes to love something you have to be a stranger”), Joi showed hers by sacrificing herself (“like a real girl”), and K shows his by sacrificing himself to give the daughter that which he wished he could have (“sacrificing oneself for another is the most human thing one can do”)
@@deanthemachine8879 I'm afraid you didn't get the point of that scene with the giant Joi. That is the moment when K realizes and accepts that she never loved him and never really existed, but is just a product, just a computer program that was programmed to act as if she was sentient and loved him. It is the moment when he realizes there is no love for him and there never was. He was just fooled by a super advanced Tamagotchi. The giant Joi advertisement makes him realize she was never more than a digital sex doll without sentience and without real emotions. It is a super bleak and sad moment. That isn't just me interpreting it that way. The film maker and writer said in an interview that this was a comment on what is currently happening with the young men loneliness crisis and people numbing their pain with porn and technology.
Blade Runner never needed a sequel. But, if it got one, this is what the story deserved. I also love how this is paced like 70s Tarkovsky film. I remember seeing this movie all alone in a mostly empty theatre, and it was all I could think of for months, until it was released physically. Then I forced everyone I knew to watch it. What beautifully subtle ending. When Ford touches the glass, I tear up too.
There are so many layers to this film. Consider the following: in Blade Runner, Roy (mis)quotes "America, a prophecy" - Fiery the angels rose, and as they rose deep thunder roll'd around their shores, burning with the fires of Orc (some say Roy's deliberate misquote is an acto of rebellion in itself). K's "baseline" is a fragment of a poem. Deckard's first words in BR2049 is a quote from Treasure Island. I guess replicants have a thing for literature. Also - the scene where Deckard, and K crawl out of the water - like life that crawled out of the sea - very symbolic. One of my favorites is the contrast between Deckard when he shoots Zora - you can almost feel how heavy that trigger pull is, how all of Deckard's willpower is channeled into that shot. When K shoots, it is mechanical, fast, and clean - double tap, and done. And the exchange between K, and Gaff (Edward James Olmos), who says that Deckard is "retired" - a phrase with double meaning in the BR universe. Also - the little origami he makes in that scene is of a sheep - Blade Runner is based on the novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" Also - fun detail about the gorse memory - all the boys in the orphanage have shaved heads, but the kid we see has (short) hair - indicating that it's a girl in the memory. Specifically - the memory maker put one of here real memories in. Then you have the questions. In Blade Runner, the question is what it means to be human. Is Deckard a replicant? And does it really matter? If the replicants (Roy, Leon, Zora, and Priss) are more human than the blade runner hunting them, down, does it matter if he's a "real" human? In BR2049, the question is "what is real". Is K's relationship with Joy real? We know people on the internet, people used to have penpals they exchanged letters with, but never met, does it matter if Joy is a virtual person? But then again - is she doing all those things out of love that comes from self-awareness, or was she programmed to do it, like that giant X-rated Joy advertisement hologram? Another fun fact - if you'd like to own a piece of Blade Runner 2049 memorabilia, the knife that Sapper Morton uses in the beginning is a commerciall available piece - it's called Hurricane Razor 2049 (a larger version of Hurricane Razor 2.0) by AmslerTools (find him on Etsy). The "medical bag" used to be available too - Tallboy Trauma kit by Imminent Threat Solutions (ITS Tactical), but has since been discontinued, and replaced by the ETA2 trauma pouch.
The original Blade Runner was my favorite film of all time, so it was a big relief that this film ended up so good because it didn't screw up the legacy of the first film.
The sad truth is that the fact that both blade runner films didn't really make much profit is a blessing in disguise. Because they always perform poorly at the box office, a cash in sequel doesn't get made. It ensures somebody who picks up the blade runner name does so out of respect and dignity rather than a quick cash in.
So glad you did this so soon after the first one. I REALLY love the tone of this film and how quiet it is, something about it just gives chills and a nostalgic, bittersweet feeling.
There are three 'mini-movies' that fill in some of the years between both movies: (1) animated one explaining the 'blackout'. (2) Wallace trying to sell his 'better' replicants to the government. (3) Sapper being discovered and snitched on. They are great too.
I think Blade Runner 2049 is one of the rare cases of a sequel that not only is better than the original, but arguably enriches and makes it even better than it was previously. It builds on the themes and core ideas of the original film and does so in a powerful and emotionally satisfying fashion, adding more weight to the original story while still being highly compelling in its own right. Plus, it's got an absolutely stellar cast, Hans Zimmer and Ben Wallfisch kill it with the score, and the whole film is just breathtakingly beautiful - no wonder this got Roger Deakins his first long overdue Oscar for cinematography. Denis Villeneuve really pulled off the impossible with this film - making a worthy sequel to Blade Runner - and pretty much guaranteed his place in the directors hall of fame
I’m so glad that this movie didn’t forget that sometimes the question is more important than the answer. One of the strongest aspects of both movies for sure.
I have no clue why folks think this is the equal let alone better than the original. Let's come back to it in 42 years and see if it has the impact that the 1982 original still has in 2024.
I think Villeneuve's strengths are in grandiose visuals and strong academic story telling, and that he struggles to deliver emotionally engaging characters that the audience cares about. Here almost all the characters are stoic one-dimensional emotionless robots that we are invited to observe in a clinically detached manner via wide sweeping shots and a sterile score. The only characters with any emotional depth are Deckard, his daughter, and Joy. Great visuals, a well-progressed and intelligent story, but unlike the original, it fails to make me care much about any of the characters.
One clue that gets overlooked is when Farayza says "We all wish it was us" she probably means that all her fellow rebels have the same orphanage memory that K does. So it was probably implanted in numerous individual Replicants and that became their shared experience that would pay off in the future. Although, there's an Easter Egg in a deleted scene in PROMETHEUS that heavily suggests that BLADE RUNNER takes place in the ALIENverse, which takes place about 50 years after this. So if it were true, it would mean the Replicant uprising doesn't pan out well since androids become the servant class in that universe.
I really do not think it meant that they all had the same memory implants. 1, she was around since the girl was born, meaning she predates the memory in question anyway. And 2, K was the first one to go to the orphanage and find the horse, which would've been very simple to do.
So glad you loved this film as it really is amazing. Denis Villeneuve's grand slam of 4 of the best sci-fi films ever made is such an incredible feat, and his use of color in this film really stands out against the dark beauty of the original. But, don't discount his drama/thrillers films, all of them are amazing as well, especially "Sicario" and "Prisoners", which might be my favorite thriller of all time, and definitely my favorite Hugh Jackman performance. Great reaction, as always, Addie!
Blade Runner 2048 is one of the shorts created to market 2049. It stars Dave Bautista, and it shows how Joe was able to find Sapper Morton. It's available on YT.
The soundtrack song for the water crash fight is one of my fav sountrack songs. Sea wall is its name. You can hear the sea crash against the wall in the music.
There was a popular game called 2048 some years ago, maybe that's the reason for the confusion. 😅 And one thing that always stuns me on this movie is that the most human character is a hologram.
Such as fantastic sequel. I just wish Rachael was alive, and maybe K/Joe aswell. His story is sad/tragic. Atleast he brought Deckard and his daughter Ana together. This movie gives the true reason for the unicorn references in the first movie. Clearly the unicorn represented Rachel, because she could have children. I think its very possible Deckard and Rachaels daughter Ana isn't actually sick. That the illness was made up to trick authorities and keep her safe from discovery. If so I hope she can now be free to leave and get to know her father Deckard and he can tell her about her mother. I wonder why Ana didn't tell Joe the memory was hers. She even teared up looking at it. I know some people like to think otherwise but, Deckard is completely human, according to the author that wrote the Blade Runner novel for which the movies are based. So no other option is really relevant. He said Deckard was writen as human. Thats also what makes the fact Deckard and Rachael had a child extra special/miracle. It proves replicants are essentially human, but (enhanced) and should have the same rights as us.
After the first time I saw this movie I went on social media and wrote, "Blade Runner 2049 is more Blade Runner than Blade Runner" and I still consider that an accurate review of the film.
It’s incredible how well Denis made a sequel to a movie with so many open-ended questions by adding more of them. Great cast, incredible visuals, great score. I was really worried when this came out how faithful it was to the original, and I thing they nailed it.
The ending made me cry too on 2nd viewing. Strange it didn't the first time. But the 2nd is when it just hit me because I saw him reconnecting with Rachel through connecting with his daughter.
I love the fact that you saw the first film before seeing this one, you get a lot of references and understand the universe and characters much more. react to the film stand by me stand by me (1986), hugs from brazil addie
This film is a masterpiece. I first got to know Villeneuve's work back in the day with the movie Incendies (that I absolutely recommend to anyone) but I believe this one is his masterpiece.
Also, also ... if you didn't know this already, Amazon Studios and Ridley Scott's company are currently working on a TV mini-series titled "Blade Runner 2099" which is going to star Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer (the only two cast members to be announced so far). I'd like to think that with those two companies involved it will be great, but I guess we'll have to see.
@@harrybirchall3308 - I think he's more in an executive producing scenario now just since he was the OG for bringing it to life. Per IMDB: 'Jonathan Van Tulleken, who has taken over directorial duties from Jeremy Podeswa due to a scheduling conflict. Tulleken brings his experience from acclaimed series like Shogun and The Changeling. Silka Luisa, known for her work on Shining Girls, serves as the writer and showrunner."
Denis Villeneuve really can pay attention to the details. "More Human than Humans" says one of the androids, and if you look back, all original humans were somehow look "sick". Bald, pale, scrawny, or just ugly, you name it! But the androids all looked if not always beautiful, but healthy and strong.
Loved your reaction, also there is a prequel animated series called Blade Runner: black lotus and apparently it takes place in the year 2032. I also heard that there would be a live-action tv series serving as a sequel to the 2049 movie. It is called Blade Runner: 2099
We are going to have to face this same question at some point in the future. "When is a feeling being equal to a human?" There are people who argue even other animals have no soul and no right to live either, so there might be wars over this.
a little fun fact - when the word "replicant" appears in the upper left corner of the screen it cause the viewer to look in that direction to show if they too are replicants
Not since "Empire Strikes Back" have I seen a sequel that rocks me harder than the original. Keeping the authenticity of the first movie, then taking us on a whole new and unexpected journey.
Yeah it's up with the best sequel's ever really. Godfather 2, Empire Strikes Back, Aliens, Terminator 2, Fury Road, Blade Runner 2049, Dune 2. That's about all I can name because 9 times out of 10 sequels are shitty cash jobs simply because they can.
One of the few times when the sequel is just as amazing as the first film. It takes a few watches to get everything. Ex: the music cue when K/Joe is laying on the steps dying is the same cue that was playing when Batty gives his Tears In Rain speech. Fitting.
the film actually already gave a hint that the child in K's implanted memory was actually a little girl because in the orphanage only the boys were shaved, unlike the girls
This movie and Drive are the two standout Ryan Gosling movies in my mind where as a complex character that he portrays... some of his motivations are left unsaid but you see them manifest in his actions throughout the film.
Blade Runner has been my favorite film since I saw it in 11th grade for the first time. The odds were stacked against this sequel, after more than 2 decades yet somehow, I love it even more than part 1.
The opening sequence with K driving out of the city to retire a replicant living on a farm (including him waiting while the pot is boiling on the stove) is actually lifted straight from Ridley Scott's original script for Blade Runner. In the storyboards Deckard has a trenchcoat and Stetson hat...but when Scott met up with Steven Spielberg in London during the shooting of "Raiders of the lost Ark" he noticed that Harrison Ford was wearing the same hat as Indiana Jones, so he then ditched it...
If you haven't seen them yet, a couple other good and very iconic cyberpunk movies that shaped this genre would be Ghost in the Shell (primarily the original anime, not the recent live action adaptation, but both are worth watching if you want to do both), Akira (anime), Alita Battle Angel (a live action adaptation of a manga franchise).
There are some short films in the universe that were released before this movie you might be interested in watching. Pretty cool Lauren Daigle song at the end of the last one.
Hi Addie, there are three short prequel short-story movies that are officially sponsored and recognized. They are each quite different from each other in style and story, and add a lot of interesting and informative background to this movie. They are called "Blackout 2022", "2036: Nexus Dawn", and "2048: Nowhere to Run", You can watch a compilation of all three here: ua-cam.com/video/Ffxo_6Cg0Cw/v-deo.html
When I saw the original Blade Runner as a kid in the '80s, thought it was boring. It later became my favorite movie for over a decade. The sequel did not disappoint.
The fact that this film was a box-office flop is a sad reflection of modern movie viewership. It's visually stunning, evocative, nuanced... and the way it builds on the themes of the original - "more human than human", as real humans become the empathy-free monsters hanging on to a grim existence built on their more empathetic and more worthy "slaves" who simply want to be and to feel what humans have lost/given up.... It stays with you long after the movie is over.
some good news, I heard they are working on a TV series. but I don't know if it's going to be an entire remake of one and two or if it's going to be a continued story where part 2 left off. if the idea is concrete not sure I just heard it when someone was playing this film in a club and there was a die hard fan shouting excitedly about it. two tables down.
The one thing they really messed up in this movie is that Vangelis was still alive and composing when they made this movie and they didn't even ask him if he wanted to compose for the film.
I think it was a non-starter really. Vangelis was semi-retired and had health issues too. Remember Vangelis scores were hand-crafted and hugely time-consuming, a young man's game, really and Vangelis was over 70 at the time. He'd moved on so much from his Nemo-era days it wouldn't necessarily sound anything like that 'Blade Runner sound' anyway.
You know what's sad: David Bowie was considered for the role as Niander Wallace.. but since he passed away due to cancer... Jared Leto was picked.. and to be fair.. he did a great job!
man, I"ll never not be sad that this movie didn't do that well in the box office... it's just an amazing movie and the visuals/cinematography alone are next level. Villeneuve found mainstream success with Dune, but I still think this is one of his best movies. He also directed Sicario, which was another amazing movie. And ya, Dune I and II.
The books by KW Jeter are direct sequels to Phillip K Dick's short story and the first film. While not canon to THIS film, it is considered canon by the PKDick family. Good reads if interested more in this universe. Will prob offer you more closure too considering I sadly highly doubt we will see a Blade Runner 3 film.
I know this one has it's critics especially among hard core Blade Runner fans who think Deckerd was handled disrespectfully but even while ill concede some points there still there are so many fascinating ideas being explored that to me it's a worthy successor
BR2049 is mesmerisingly beautiful & the soundtrack is just incredible; so glad I saw it in IMAX. It’s worth checking out the two shorts that tie into this film; they were directed by Ridley Scotts son. Villeneuve truly honoured the original & this film is such a worthy sequel. MPC VFX absolutely knocked it out of the park with the digital version of Rachel; it’s awesome that they got Sean Young involved with the recreation of her character. It made ILM’s digital Tarkin & Leia we saw in Rogue One look amateurish. Fun Fact: Joe’s boss, Joshi, was played by Robin Wright, who played Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride. Did you notice the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev? The theme goes off 7 times: 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse 7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard. The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes: 1. Peter 2. The Grandfather 3. The Bird 4. The Duck 5. The Cat 6. The Hunters 7. The Wolf I matched up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed. 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf. 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf. 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat alright. 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf. 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters. 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more. 7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
I saw it in the theater. This film left me sitting in my seat for a while after it was over. The rest of the evening I just kept thinking about life - meaning, purpose, love... the difficult and complex nature of reality etc. I love this film and consider it the greatest sci-fi next to Terminator 2 and Aliens. The film score was magnificent too. I ended up writing a summation after having seen it a second time: There was no real decoy. It was purely on paper. K/Joe is utterly, completely, unequivocally unremarkable, thus his name, Joe, as in average Joe. Joi does not possess a soul. She is completely fake. She is the other side of the Replicant coin and is made solely to please and coddle her owner/lover. Her entire branding scheme is that she'll be anything you want. Joi is K's fleeting dream of being special -- to be human... or as he put it, "to have a soul" -- so she always reinforced this to him. Just before Luv crushed her emanator in her final moment, she made sure to tell him that she loved him. Wallace posed a question about whether Deckard was moved by love or by programming. To me there's no doubt whatsoever Deckard is fully human. The original movie is about a bad man finding his humanity through the grace of a machine. Wallace's question is not a literal "Are you human or machine?" question, but pondering what the difference is. If love is just neurochemistry, and if we are products of biological programming or something higher, like a soul. The ultimate takeaway is that it really doesn't matter. What matters is what we choose to do with our lives. We find and create our own meaning and purpose. In summary, 2049 is about dreams and delusions. K wants desperately to feel special so Joi tells him this constantly and he quickly assumes all the evidence points to him because it's his dream. He becomes deluded and forces himself into the situation even as it destroys him. He thinks this is what it means to be human - to grapple with one's humanity. Then upon meeting Freysa, K comes to learn that in fact he is not special after all. Not born but manufactured. He is torn between two sides telling him what his identity is and should be; the LAPD who informs his identity as that of a slave, and the resistance which informs his identity as that of a free Replicant. When K comes across the giant advert Joi on the bridge, she says to him "You look like a good Joe". He then realizes that not even the name his own Joi gave him was special. Her feelings for him were never real... just programming. K, at this point an emotionally broken Replicant, it is in this moment that he chooses to follow his own path and not let anyone tell him who he is or what he should do. He makes the most human decision of all and takes his life into his own hands. He saves Deckard for the same reason Roy did in the first Blade Runner. He wanted someone to remember him, for his final decision that fully validates him as human to not be in vain. No one else gave him his identity, only he did, and his sacrifice ensured forever that he was by every metric a human being, even if the world would ultimately forget him.
There’s something interesting about the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. The theme goes off 7 times: 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse 7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard. The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes: 1. Peter 2. The Grandfather 3. The Bird 4. The Duck 5. The Cat 6. The Hunters 7. The Wolf So I lined up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed. 1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf. 2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf. 3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat. 4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf. 5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters. 6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more. 7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
@@davidanderson1639 That's some Dark Side Of The Moon/Wizard Of Oz-level effort you put into that! It's an interesting theory, for sure, although from what I've read, the film's sound designer didn't intentionally infer a connection to the story when he and Villeneuve chose to use the Prokofiev piece as the Wallace brand identifier.
@@aaroncollins6411 Who cares about the box office for the original movie? It was a completely different time back then when it didn’t have a franchise tag on it.
Ryan Gosling was awesome in this movie, plus Ana De Armas played Joi perfectly especially when she changes her clothes and hairstyles throughout the movie
They gave the slave a slave, to hammer home the idea that it doesn't matter where you come from or how you're made. A big complaint I saw a lot about the original, one that I never shared mind you, was that it wasn't really very deep at all because the premise is so patently unbelievable, because obviously replicants are as real as humans. Well, this movie basically proved that the theme was deeper than people gave it credit for, especially with the number of viewers who wholly discounted Joi as fake, that none of what she seemed to think or feel, and none of what she did, was the result of true sapience but rather that she's just a product. In my opinion, that alone proves how important this is. Besides, these sorts of justifications were used toward actual slaves, but that's just so difficult to internalize as a thing that happened, in this day and age, so it's discounted as a given. But that's why scifi like this is so powerful, because it can help people internalize things like this by approaching them from a different context. I think it's a rare sequel that truly builds upon the themes of the original, without retreading the same ground. God I love this movie.
When I saw this movie in cinema I cried; I was so scared it would tarnish the original like so many other sequels, but no, it was a masterpiece, as good if not better than the original. The cyberpunk genre made me who I am as an adult, Bladerunner was fundamental in my adult values, the tragedy of Roy and the other repilcants you perceive initially as the villains turn out to be slaves who just want to live. That told me a lot about narrative framing and opression systems in society.
A little detail no reactor ever gets- the score at the end as Joe is dying on the steps is the same as is playing during Roy’s “tears in the rain” monologue in the first movie. Cinematic perfection.
That is one of my favorite pieces of music.
That Denis guy seems to be pretty good at the whole movie making thing.
ye a bit ;-)
They should get him to direct a new adaptation of Dune, I reckon he'd do very well with something like that
@@christianwise637 duh. He's done parts 1&2
@@michaelhughes838twas sarcasm good sir
@@michaelhughes838 it must be really early where you are
This movie never got the credit it deserved because it was always in the shadow of the original, but it truly is a masterpiece. When you pick up all the nuance in the facial expressions and cryptic dialogue you realise how incredible it is.
Agreed.
Absolutely. Masterpiece indeed. In some ways it's even superior to the original.
Luv calling in a drone missile strike while getting her nails done is one of my favorite character moments ever. She is such a terrifying villain in this.
Yes but well written in that you can feel real sympathy for her based on looking at it from her situation. Who knows how many replicants she has watched born and die on their birth day simply because they cannot reproduce. A short coming that she shares with every one of them. She knows she is absolutely disposable to Wallace and her only hope of surviving and not being replaced is to please Wallace as much as possible.
Her final words " I'm the best one" were so dark you know Wallace has told her that and she's held onto it to believe she's safe all while knowing he could replace her tomorrow.
This is in the top of my favorite movies; taking the best of the original and added layers, beautiful designs and endlessly compelling existentialism
Ana De Armas is so gorgeous as Joi. And a really interesting role to make us care for what is essentially a digital assistant. In the neo-noir of BR2049, she functions as a combination girl Friday/red herring, helping K while misleading him and the audience away from the truth. Not out of malice or incompetence, but simply because she's programmed to say what her owner wants to hear (and by extension the audience). That he's special. A real boy. But K's just K, and that's enough 😉
For K to find out the name she gave him is something all Joi's say, beaten and bloodied while faced with a giant naked billboard of his love literally talking down to him, is really powerful imagery.
that's KENough, you mean
I'm going to argue that soft lies to your partner in a romantic relationship are necessary in order to make it work. Human, bot, or otherwise.
@@SlamminGraham Yup, and that's why Joi is such a great character. Just to what extent she is programmed, to what extent she is real and to what extent it even matters. At the end of the movie you can still argue both sides.
@@alexeyserov5709Oooh! That was superbly articulated. All the comments in this thread, to be honest. But I hadn't previously considered your viewpoint as a possibility. Specifically, we're all familiar with the angst associated with "are these genuine emotions being shown or is it just clever programming?" And yeah, that line of questioning breaks my heart in a dozen different ways. Because both sides are equally plausible and it hurts to consider that it was all an illusion.
But that statement, "and to what extent it even matters", really caught me off guard. That's an excellent (and very important) question that I hadn't considered. That really made me ponder. Cheers! That was very thought provoking
@@alexeyserov5709 Well you get a real big hint after his Joi is gone (yeah word play) and he sees the generic Joi advertisement while walking and she says "You look like a good Joe". The question of what was "her" and what was programming is a deep one to be sure.
This movie is so beautiful, the visuals alone brought me to tears when I was watching it in theatres.
You should also watch the 3 short films that the released in the run up to this movie. Dave Bautista really shows off his acting ability.
I liked that Adam Savage got to be in one of them!
I agree
bautista?? 🤮🤮🤮
@@-scrim ?
@@-scrim as surprising as it is, Bautista is actually a pretty good actor
This was straight up one of my favorite theater experiences.
Same! This and Gravity in 3D made me feel like I was in the movie.
Same! Saw it twice in IMAX the opening weekend
I saw it twice. It's a shame we were the only 4 who went to see it.
@@adam-v7w-w9i 🍻
unfortunately it bombed in my country. watched it in imax and absolutely no one was there
One of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Blade Runner is iconic and they made this sequel with all respect for the original.
It is an incredible achievement to follow up many of us thought could never have a sequel... and to do it in a way that elevates both films is stunning.
This movie was so much more magnificent than I think anyone expected, and I love how it's a natural continuation of the story rather than a retread of the first movie.
17:42 that scene... it still blows my mind how they did that! the special effects are amazing.
"Dying for a cause we believe in is the most human thing we can do." And that's what K does in the end.
The actress who plays the film's antagonist is called Sylvia Hoakes ,she is dutch and was a model .
5:05 What you're hopefully thinking about after watching this film is; how do you define real? Is real what you can physically touch? Is real defined by feeling love? Is real defined by your ability to create life? Or is real defined by your ability to conceive a baby? When you feel remorse for K/Joe, does that make him real because you're emotionally invested in him?
This is why I love Blade Runner 2049 even more than the first Blade Runner, it takes what the first movie stated and builds upon it without losing the respect. It's a beautiful movie that's so thought provoking.
Even Joy is more human than the real humans.
@@hendrikscheepers4144 I think if the first movie is asking if bioengineered humans are life/human than this movie moves beyond that with Deckard essentially saying it doesn't matter and the new question is with silicon/programming and if that has a humanity--all centered around side character Joi. She's preprogrammed, but clearly gains experience/memories that alter her behavior. Being excited by an eminator could be argued to be implanted so customers will spend more, but her saying he should remove her from the server and destroy the antenna clearly goes against the original programming that was being used to surveil K/Joe. The knife twist of the advertisement calling him "a good Joe" I see as being there to push K/Joe to a low point before he makes his own humanizing decision. Just a wonderful movie!
@@oneopinion6806 What I really like about the "good Joe" scene is that it can be understood in two ways. Many people think that this is when K realises that Joi was just faking it, and he comes to realise the fleetingness of identity, having nothing left to lose. But I'd like to think it's the opposite. That K is reminded we are each individually in control of who we perceive as being valuable to us. That relationships are a choice, and in many ways we choose who we love, we choose the life we want to live; our reality. So K chose to save Deckard because he wanted to.
I love that moment with K in the rain in front of the giant hologram ad of Joi where he makes the choice, the *human* choice, to do the right thing and save Deckard at the expense of his own life.
Also, I love Luv as a villain. She’s so dangerous and unbalanced, but you can see she’s struggling like most Replicants do with her emotions and her desire to please her maker Wallace
Did you notice the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev?
The theme goes off 7 times:
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse
7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard.
The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes:
1. Peter
2. The Grandfather
3. The Bird
4. The Duck
5. The Cat
6. The Hunters
7. The Wolf
I matched up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed.
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf.
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf.
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat.
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf.
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters.
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more.
7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
The sad interpretation of that scene is that K realizes and accepts that the one thing that was human about him and that gave him hope in his life was a lie, just like his dream about being special and that his existence is meaningless and nothing is lost if he sacrifices himself.
I think that is how most people take that scene, me included.
@@TrangleC see I took it that K, as well as the general message of the Blade Runner series, is humanity is relative and really only realized in how one shows it, usually through love, care, or sacrifice. Roy Batty showed it by saving Deckard. Deckard showed his by sacrificing his relationship with his daughter (“sometimes to love something you have to be a stranger”), Joi showed hers by sacrificing herself (“like a real girl”), and K shows his by sacrificing himself to give the daughter that which he wished he could have (“sacrificing oneself for another is the most human thing one can do”)
"I'm the best one" i absolutely *love* that line from her
@@deanthemachine8879 I'm afraid you didn't get the point of that scene with the giant Joi.
That is the moment when K realizes and accepts that she never loved him and never really existed, but is just a product, just a computer program that was programmed to act as if she was sentient and loved him.
It is the moment when he realizes there is no love for him and there never was. He was just fooled by a super advanced Tamagotchi.
The giant Joi advertisement makes him realize she was never more than a digital sex doll without sentience and without real emotions.
It is a super bleak and sad moment.
That isn't just me interpreting it that way. The film maker and writer said in an interview that this was a comment on what is currently happening with the young men loneliness crisis and people numbing their pain with porn and technology.
The soundtrack in these films are just something else altogether. Incredible music!
The faithfulness to Vangelis is a large part of why this movie is so incredibly satisfying.
Yes I agree with both comments here.
Blade Runner never needed a sequel. But, if it got one, this is what the story deserved.
I also love how this is paced like 70s Tarkovsky film. I remember seeing this movie all alone in a mostly empty theatre, and it was all I could think of for months, until it was released physically. Then I forced everyone I knew to watch it.
What beautifully subtle ending. When Ford touches the glass, I tear up too.
I'm so glad I saw this at the cinema. It was so much better on the big screen than on my TV.
There are so many layers to this film.
Consider the following:
in Blade Runner, Roy (mis)quotes "America, a prophecy" - Fiery the angels rose, and as they rose deep thunder roll'd around their shores, burning with the fires of Orc (some say Roy's deliberate misquote is an acto of rebellion in itself).
K's "baseline" is a fragment of a poem.
Deckard's first words in BR2049 is a quote from Treasure Island.
I guess replicants have a thing for literature.
Also - the scene where Deckard, and K crawl out of the water - like life that crawled out of the sea - very symbolic.
One of my favorites is the contrast between Deckard when he shoots Zora - you can almost feel how heavy that trigger pull is, how all of Deckard's willpower is channeled into that shot. When K shoots, it is mechanical, fast, and clean - double tap, and done.
And the exchange between K, and Gaff (Edward James Olmos), who says that Deckard is "retired" - a phrase with double meaning in the BR universe. Also - the little origami he makes in that scene is of a sheep - Blade Runner is based on the novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep?"
Also - fun detail about the gorse memory - all the boys in the orphanage have shaved heads, but the kid we see has (short) hair - indicating that it's a girl in the memory. Specifically - the memory maker put one of here real memories in.
Then you have the questions. In Blade Runner, the question is what it means to be human. Is Deckard a replicant? And does it really matter? If the replicants (Roy, Leon, Zora, and Priss) are more human than the blade runner hunting them, down, does it matter if he's a "real" human?
In BR2049, the question is "what is real". Is K's relationship with Joy real? We know people on the internet, people used to have penpals they exchanged letters with, but never met, does it matter if Joy is a virtual person? But then again - is she doing all those things out of love that comes from self-awareness, or was she programmed to do it, like that giant X-rated Joy advertisement hologram?
Another fun fact - if you'd like to own a piece of Blade Runner 2049 memorabilia, the knife that Sapper Morton uses in the beginning is a commerciall available piece - it's called Hurricane Razor 2049 (a larger version of Hurricane Razor 2.0) by AmslerTools (find him on Etsy). The "medical bag" used to be available too - Tallboy Trauma kit by Imminent Threat Solutions (ITS Tactical), but has since been discontinued, and replaced by the ETA2 trauma pouch.
The original Blade Runner was my favorite film of all time, so it was a big relief that this film ended up so good because it didn't screw up the legacy of the first film.
The sad truth is that the fact that both blade runner films didn't really make much profit is a blessing in disguise. Because they always perform poorly at the box office, a cash in sequel doesn't get made. It ensures somebody who picks up the blade runner name does so out of respect and dignity rather than a quick cash in.
So glad you did this so soon after the first one. I REALLY love the tone of this film and how quiet it is, something about it just gives chills and a nostalgic, bittersweet feeling.
A film so good even Jared Leto can't ruin it
Fight Club would like a word...
It's gratifying to know I wasn't the only one that laughed when Robin Wright's head bounced off the desk!
everybody laughed in the theater
All those years we wanted another Blade Runner, but were always worried in case it was less than the first. We were so lucky it was this movie.
I think the trick is is to leave about 40 years between sequels, hopefully I should be around for part 3.
Man, Jared Leto as an egotistical insane man is just perfect casting.
"... as himself"
i don't think he was acting.
This is my favorite role of his, specifically because it suits him so well.
😂
@@WolfHredaI really hope you didn’t mean that in a good way
There are three 'mini-movies' that fill in some of the years between both movies: (1) animated one explaining the 'blackout'. (2) Wallace trying to sell his 'better' replicants to the government. (3) Sapper being discovered and snitched on.
They are great too.
Yeah the Wallace trying to sell his new replicants was just another level of disturbing from Wallace.
I think Blade Runner 2049 is one of the rare cases of a sequel that not only is better than the original, but arguably enriches and makes it even better than it was previously. It builds on the themes and core ideas of the original film and does so in a powerful and emotionally satisfying fashion, adding more weight to the original story while still being highly compelling in its own right. Plus, it's got an absolutely stellar cast, Hans Zimmer and Ben Wallfisch kill it with the score, and the whole film is just breathtakingly beautiful - no wonder this got Roger Deakins his first long overdue Oscar for cinematography. Denis Villeneuve really pulled off the impossible with this film - making a worthy sequel to Blade Runner - and pretty much guaranteed his place in the directors hall of fame
I’m so glad that this movie didn’t forget that sometimes the question is more important than the answer. One of the strongest aspects of both movies for sure.
I have no clue why folks think this is the equal let alone better than the original. Let's come back to it in 42 years and see if it has the impact that the 1982 original still has in 2024.
@@JamesJoyce12 Well if you have no clue, then you have no clue. You were not put on this earth to "get it", Mr. Burton.
I think Villeneuve's strengths are in grandiose visuals and strong academic story telling, and that he struggles to deliver emotionally engaging characters that the audience cares about. Here almost all the characters are stoic one-dimensional emotionless robots that we are invited to observe in a clinically detached manner via wide sweeping shots and a sterile score. The only characters with any emotional depth are Deckard, his daughter, and Joy. Great visuals, a well-progressed and intelligent story, but unlike the original, it fails to make me care much about any of the characters.
Its not better than the original and its too long.
One clue that gets overlooked is when Farayza says "We all wish it was us" she probably means that all her fellow rebels have the same orphanage memory that K does. So it was probably implanted in numerous individual Replicants and that became their shared experience that would pay off in the future.
Although, there's an Easter Egg in a deleted scene in PROMETHEUS that heavily suggests that BLADE RUNNER takes place in the ALIENverse, which takes place about 50 years after this. So if it were true, it would mean the Replicant uprising doesn't pan out well since androids become the servant class in that universe.
easter eggs are not canon
@@SebastianSyrinx Tell that to PREDATOR 2.
Ridley Scott flat out stated in the Alien DVD commentary that Ash was a replicant.
I really do not think it meant that they all had the same memory implants. 1, she was around since the girl was born, meaning she predates the memory in question anyway. And 2, K was the first one to go to the orphanage and find the horse, which would've been very simple to do.
@@aaroncollins6411 i have that DVD and Scott said no such thing.
So glad you loved this film as it really is amazing. Denis Villeneuve's grand slam of 4 of the best sci-fi films ever made is such an incredible feat, and his use of color in this film really stands out against the dark beauty of the original. But, don't discount his drama/thrillers films, all of them are amazing as well, especially "Sicario" and "Prisoners", which might be my favorite thriller of all time, and definitely my favorite Hugh Jackman performance. Great reaction, as always, Addie!
Blade Runner 2048 is one of the shorts created to market 2049. It stars Dave Bautista, and it shows how Joe was able to find Sapper Morton. It's available on YT.
masterpiece indeed, playing the soundtrack regularly as well
Addie's hand gestures brighten my day.
Amazing how good this is and set design story and music really took its cues from the first!
"Hes been through a lot over last few days.I don't know if this is exactly what is on his mind." Clearly she doesn't understand the male brain. 😊
The soundtrack song for the water crash fight is one of my fav sountrack songs. Sea wall is its name. You can hear the sea crash against the wall in the music.
I totally agree with you!! I've listened to Sea Wall a hundred times more than any other track off the soundtrack.
There was a popular game called 2048 some years ago, maybe that's the reason for the confusion. 😅 And one thing that always stuns me on this movie is that the most human character is a hologram.
Okay I definitely played that game, so that must be it 😂😂
Such as fantastic sequel. I just wish Rachael was alive, and maybe K/Joe aswell. His story is sad/tragic.
Atleast he brought Deckard and his daughter Ana together.
This movie gives the true reason for the unicorn references in the first movie. Clearly the unicorn represented Rachel, because she could have children.
I think its very possible Deckard and Rachaels daughter Ana isn't actually sick. That the illness was made up to trick authorities and keep her safe from discovery. If so I hope she can now be free to leave and get to know her father Deckard and he can tell her about her mother. I wonder why Ana didn't tell Joe the memory was hers. She even teared up looking at it.
I know some people like to think otherwise but, Deckard is completely human, according to the author that wrote the Blade Runner novel for which the movies are based. So no other option is really relevant. He said Deckard was writen as human.
Thats also what makes the fact Deckard and Rachael had a child extra special/miracle.
It proves replicants are essentially human, but (enhanced) and should have the same rights as us.
After the first time I saw this movie I went on social media and wrote, "Blade Runner 2049 is more Blade Runner than Blade Runner" and I still consider that an accurate review of the film.
GREAT line!
This is really a Sean Young week of films. Addie watched Ace Ventura and now Blade Runner. Also, this film subverts so many tropes in the best ways.
She should watch Stripes and No Way Out.
This film is a gift.
It’s incredible how well Denis made a sequel to a movie with so many open-ended questions by adding more of them. Great cast, incredible visuals, great score. I was really worried when this came out how faithful it was to the original, and I thing they nailed it.
#JoshiIsAReplicant
One of the best movies of the last decade. I was so worried he was going to blemish the original but he did the exact opposite.
This was the only movie I’ve seen in theaters three times. It was just an incredible experience every time
This has one of my all time favourite soundtracks. Amazing music. Amazing movie.
The ending made me cry too on 2nd viewing. Strange it didn't the first time. But the 2nd is when it just hit me because I saw him reconnecting with Rachel through connecting with his daughter.
Amazon Series of Bladerunner 2099 can't come early enough. Can't wait!
I watched this in theaters (not sure if it was in 4DX) but the soundmixing was so on point!
This movie instantly became one of my all-time favorites. What does it mean to be human? What are the best parts of us?
I love the fact that you saw the first film before seeing this one, you get a lot of references and understand the universe and characters much more.
react to the film stand by me stand by me (1986), hugs from brazil addie
This film is a masterpiece. I first got to know Villeneuve's work back in the day with the movie Incendies (that I absolutely recommend to anyone) but I believe this one is his masterpiece.
Loved watching this thru your eyes! Awesome!!
Also, also ... if you didn't know this already, Amazon Studios and Ridley Scott's company are currently working on a TV mini-series titled "Blade Runner 2099" which is going to star Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer (the only two cast members to be announced so far). I'd like to think that with those two companies involved it will be great, but I guess we'll have to see.
@@harrybirchall3308 - I think he's more in an executive producing scenario now just since he was the OG for bringing it to life. Per IMDB: 'Jonathan Van Tulleken, who has taken over directorial duties from Jeremy Podeswa due to a scheduling conflict. Tulleken brings his experience from acclaimed series like Shogun and The Changeling. Silka Luisa, known for her work on Shining Girls, serves as the writer and showrunner."
Denis Villeneuve really can pay attention to the details. "More Human than Humans" says one of the androids, and if you look back, all original humans were somehow look "sick". Bald, pale, scrawny, or just ugly, you name it! But the androids all looked if not always beautiful, but healthy and strong.
Loved your reaction, also there is a prequel animated series called Blade Runner: black lotus and apparently it takes place in the year 2032. I also heard that there would be a live-action tv series serving as a sequel to the 2049 movie. It is called Blade Runner: 2099
"because you've never seen a miracle"
one of the best lines since "tears in the rain"
We are going to have to face this same question at some point in the future. "When is a feeling being equal to a human?"
There are people who argue even other animals have no soul and no right to live either, so there might be wars over this.
This film is off the charts good.
a little fun fact - when the word "replicant" appears in the upper left corner of the screen it cause the viewer to look in that direction to show if they too are replicants
Not since "Empire Strikes Back" have I seen a sequel that rocks me harder than the original. Keeping the authenticity of the first movie, then taking us on a whole new and unexpected journey.
Shrek 2
Yeah it's up with the best sequel's ever really. Godfather 2, Empire Strikes Back, Aliens, Terminator 2, Fury Road, Blade Runner 2049, Dune 2. That's about all I can name because 9 times out of 10 sequels are shitty cash jobs simply because they can.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 in 30 minutes - that's what I need before I go to bed. This is the commentary version, it looks like. Oh, why not.
The blonde woman is from the movie : Forrest Gump - Jenny
Yes, people know who Robin Wright is.
Love this movie! Glad to you decided to see it!
Bummed you didn't include the giantess scene - it's the film's most iconic.
One of the few times when the sequel is just as amazing as the first film. It takes a few watches to get everything. Ex: the music cue when K/Joe is laying on the steps dying is the same cue that was playing when Batty gives his Tears In Rain speech. Fitting.
the film actually already gave a hint that the child in K's implanted memory was actually a little girl because in the orphanage only the boys were shaved, unlike the girls
the cityscape was practical. wetaworks made a Huge set with all little windows etc etc. amazing
This movie and Drive are the two standout Ryan Gosling movies in my mind where as a complex character that he portrays... some of his motivations are left unsaid but you see them manifest in his actions throughout the film.
Blade Runner has been my favorite film since I saw it in 11th grade for the first time. The odds were stacked against this sequel, after more than 2 decades yet somehow, I love it even more than part 1.
The opening sequence with K driving out of the city to retire a replicant living on a farm (including him waiting while the pot is boiling on the stove) is actually lifted straight from Ridley Scott's original script for Blade Runner. In the storyboards Deckard has a trenchcoat and Stetson hat...but when Scott met up with Steven Spielberg in London during the shooting of "Raiders of the lost Ark" he noticed that Harrison Ford was wearing the same hat as Indiana Jones, so he then ditched it...
If you haven't seen them yet, a couple other good and very iconic cyberpunk movies that shaped this genre would be Ghost in the Shell (primarily the original anime, not the recent live action adaptation, but both are worth watching if you want to do both), Akira (anime), Alita Battle Angel (a live action adaptation of a manga franchise).
There are some short films in the universe that were released before this movie you might be interested in watching. Pretty cool Lauren Daigle song at the end of the last one.
Hi Addie, there are three short prequel short-story movies that are officially sponsored and recognized. They are each quite different from each other in style and story, and add a lot of interesting and informative background to this movie. They are called "Blackout 2022", "2036: Nexus Dawn", and "2048: Nowhere to Run", You can watch a compilation of all three here: ua-cam.com/video/Ffxo_6Cg0Cw/v-deo.html
When I saw the original Blade Runner as a kid in the '80s, thought it was boring. It later became my favorite movie for over a decade. The sequel did not disappoint.
This is one of my 5 favorite movies. 5k plus and it’s near the top.
The fact that this film was a box-office flop is a sad reflection of modern movie viewership. It's visually stunning, evocative, nuanced... and the way it builds on the themes of the original - "more human than human", as real humans become the empathy-free monsters hanging on to a grim existence built on their more empathetic and more worthy "slaves" who simply want to be and to feel what humans have lost/given up.... It stays with you long after the movie is over.
Best science fiction movie ever made. A rare sequel that surpasses the first. Great reaction!
some good news, I heard they are working on a TV series. but I don't know if it's going to be an entire remake of one and two or if it's going to be a continued story where part 2 left off. if the idea is concrete not sure I just heard it when someone was playing this film in a club and there was a die hard fan shouting excitedly about it. two tables down.
The first thing this movie makes you do, is look up and to the left at the red lettered word "Replicant"
I had to see this three times in the theater.
The one thing they really messed up in this movie is that Vangelis was still alive and composing when they made this movie and they didn't even ask him if he wanted to compose for the film.
I think it was a non-starter really. Vangelis was semi-retired and had health issues too. Remember Vangelis scores were hand-crafted and hugely time-consuming, a young man's game, really and Vangelis was over 70 at the time. He'd moved on so much from his Nemo-era days it wouldn't necessarily sound anything like that 'Blade Runner sound' anyway.
You know what's sad: David Bowie was considered for the role as Niander Wallace.. but since he passed away due to cancer... Jared Leto was picked.. and to be fair.. he did a great job!
Bowie would have been menacing, but Leto is the perfect tech bro.
I think Prisoners is still the best one. You'll be amazed at what he does with visuals in rural PA in winter.
You make me smile with your reactions👍
man, I"ll never not be sad that this movie didn't do that well in the box office... it's just an amazing movie and the visuals/cinematography alone are next level. Villeneuve found mainstream success with Dune, but I still think this is one of his best movies. He also directed Sicario, which was another amazing movie. And ya, Dune I and II.
One Villeneuve movie you might want to react to because it's so different from the others is Sicario.
The books by KW Jeter are direct sequels to Phillip K Dick's short story and the first film. While not canon to THIS film, it is considered canon by the PKDick family. Good reads if interested more in this universe. Will prob offer you more closure too considering I sadly highly doubt we will see a Blade Runner 3 film.
I know this one has it's critics especially among hard core Blade Runner fans who think Deckerd was handled disrespectfully but even while ill concede some points there still there are so many fascinating ideas being explored that to me it's a worthy successor
19:44 RIP Buttercup. What will Wesley say?
BR2049 is mesmerisingly beautiful & the soundtrack is just incredible; so glad I saw it in IMAX.
It’s worth checking out the two shorts that tie into this film; they were directed by Ridley Scotts son.
Villeneuve truly honoured the original & this film is such a worthy sequel.
MPC VFX absolutely knocked it out of the park with the digital version of Rachel; it’s awesome that they got Sean Young involved with the recreation of her character. It made ILM’s digital Tarkin & Leia we saw in Rogue One look amateurish.
Fun Fact: Joe’s boss, Joshi, was played by Robin Wright, who played Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride.
Did you notice the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev?
The theme goes off 7 times:
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse
7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard.
The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes:
1. Peter
2. The Grandfather
3. The Bird
4. The Duck
5. The Cat
6. The Hunters
7. The Wolf
I matched up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed.
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf.
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf.
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat alright.
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf.
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters.
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more.
7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
There were 3 short films
I saw it in the theater. This film left me sitting in my seat for a while after it was over. The rest of the evening I just kept thinking about life - meaning, purpose, love... the difficult and complex nature of reality etc. I love this film and consider it the greatest sci-fi next to Terminator 2 and Aliens. The film score was magnificent too. I ended up writing a summation after having seen it a second time:
There was no real decoy. It was purely on paper. K/Joe is utterly, completely, unequivocally unremarkable, thus his name, Joe, as in average Joe. Joi does not possess a soul. She is completely fake. She is the other side of the Replicant coin and is made solely to please and coddle her owner/lover. Her entire branding scheme is that she'll be anything you want. Joi is K's fleeting dream of being special -- to be human... or as he put it, "to have a soul" -- so she always reinforced this to him. Just before Luv crushed her emanator in her final moment, she made sure to tell him that she loved him.
Wallace posed a question about whether Deckard was moved by love or by programming. To me there's no doubt whatsoever Deckard is fully human. The original movie is about a bad man finding his humanity through the grace of a machine. Wallace's question is not a literal "Are you human or machine?" question, but pondering what the difference is. If love is just neurochemistry, and if we are products of biological programming or something higher, like a soul. The ultimate takeaway is that it really doesn't matter. What matters is what we choose to do with our lives. We find and create our own meaning and purpose.
In summary, 2049 is about dreams and delusions. K wants desperately to feel special so Joi tells him this constantly and he quickly assumes all the evidence points to him because it's his dream. He becomes deluded and forces himself into the situation even as it destroys him. He thinks this is what it means to be human - to grapple with one's humanity. Then upon meeting Freysa, K comes to learn that in fact he is not special after all. Not born but manufactured. He is torn between two sides telling him what his identity is and should be; the LAPD who informs his identity as that of a slave, and the resistance which informs his identity as that of a free Replicant.
When K comes across the giant advert Joi on the bridge, she says to him "You look like a good Joe". He then realizes that not even the name his own Joi gave him was special. Her feelings for him were never real... just programming. K, at this point an emotionally broken Replicant, it is in this moment that he chooses to follow his own path and not let anyone tell him who he is or what he should do. He makes the most human decision of all and takes his life into his own hands. He saves Deckard for the same reason Roy did in the first Blade Runner. He wanted someone to remember him, for his final decision that fully validates him as human to not be in vain. No one else gave him his identity, only he did, and his sacrifice ensured forever that he was by every metric a human being, even if the world would ultimately forget him.
I had the "Peter & The Wolf" clip as my incoming text message ringtone for a while.
There’s something interesting about the recurring “ringtone” of Peter’s theme from Peter and The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev.
The theme goes off 7 times:
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse
7. And when K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard.
The number 7 happens to be the amount of characters in Peter and the Wolf with themes:
1. Peter
2. The Grandfather
3. The Bird
4. The Duck
5. The Cat
6. The Hunters
7. The Wolf
So I lined up the ‘ringtone’ with a character in Peter and the Wolf & this is what I noticed.
1. When Joi experiences rain for the first time - The Duck. Also means that she will later be killed by the wolf.
2. When Luv is going to see Wallace in the Tyrell Pyramid - The Wolf.
3. When K is approached by Mariette and the prostitutes, the girl wearing fur comes out and hits on K. That’s the cat.
4. When K is looking at the DNA of the ‘miracle child’ - The Bird. This was really fun on first watch because it’s a Red Herring. You see K staring at this DNA and you assume that the DNA is his and this ringtone is supposed to represent Peter. However we learn later that he isn’t the miracle child and that he is in fact looking at the DNA of Dr. Ana Stelline. Stelline spends her scene making very heavy algories to her ‘cage’ and freedom but never gets a ‘ringtone’ moment cementing her as the bird. We learn later that this is because we get the ‘ringtone’ moment here. When we are looking at her DNA. Also the bird, being so nimble, escapes the wolf.
5. When K crashes in San Diego and is surrounded - The Hunters.
6. When Mariette examines the wooden horse - The Grandfather. The horse, made by Deckard the Grandfather. Deckard is so obviously the Grandfather in this metaphor it hurts. But like Stelline we don’t get a ‘ringtone’ moment with him on screen. However we do see later that he made the horse and carved quite a few more.
7. When K is hit on by the giant ad right before he saves Deckard - Peter K finally decides what needs to be done. He has been through all these trials and accepts his role in this story as Peter. He goes out and uses his cunning to kill the Wolf.
@@davidanderson1639 That's some Dark Side Of The Moon/Wizard Of Oz-level effort you put into that! It's an interesting theory, for sure, although from what I've read, the film's sound designer didn't intentionally infer a connection to the story when he and Villeneuve chose to use the Prokofiev piece as the Wallace brand identifier.
love the movie and your reaction
This movie bombed at the box office, but it is indeed a masterpiece. Glad you loved it!
The original bombed too
@@aaroncollins6411 Who cares about the box office for the original movie? It was a completely different time back then when it didn’t have a franchise tag on it.
This movie bombed because it sucks.
Ryan Gosling was awesome in this movie, plus Ana De Armas played Joi perfectly especially when she changes her clothes and hairstyles throughout the movie
They gave the slave a slave, to hammer home the idea that it doesn't matter where you come from or how you're made.
A big complaint I saw a lot about the original, one that I never shared mind you, was that it wasn't really very deep at all because the premise is so patently unbelievable, because obviously replicants are as real as humans.
Well, this movie basically proved that the theme was deeper than people gave it credit for, especially with the number of viewers who wholly discounted Joi as fake, that none of what she seemed to think or feel, and none of what she did, was the result of true sapience but rather that she's just a product.
In my opinion, that alone proves how important this is. Besides, these sorts of justifications were used toward actual slaves, but that's just so difficult to internalize as a thing that happened, in this day and age, so it's discounted as a given. But that's why scifi like this is so powerful, because it can help people internalize things like this by approaching them from a different context.
I think it's a rare sequel that truly builds upon the themes of the original, without retreading the same ground. God I love this movie.
Joy will give you the best lies while Love will break your heart
When I saw this movie in cinema I cried; I was so scared it would tarnish the original like so many other sequels, but no, it was a masterpiece, as good if not better than the original. The cyberpunk genre made me who I am as an adult, Bladerunner was fundamental in my adult values, the tragedy of Roy and the other repilcants you perceive initially as the villains turn out to be slaves who just want to live. That told me a lot about narrative framing and opression systems in society.
Clue 4. [[. Someone. ]]. Lived this.