Blade Runner 2049


I watched Blade Runner 2049 last night but decided to go to sleep before the end. I cannot see what there is about this film's story structure that could keep a viewer interested enough to watch the entire film.

The key plot points of the film were predictable. I knew K was a replicant from the start and I knew there would be a fight between him and the other replicant, despite K averting his eyes from the other replicant. In fact, since he was there to kill the other replicant, the other replicant's only option was to try to kill K first. So K putting his gun on the table and averting his eyes makes no sense and it seems its inclusion is merely a lazy cinematic trick to create tension, nothing more.

I also guessed K was the replicant who was born – or at least the film implies this up to the point I switched it off – and I was profoundly underwhelmed by this reveal.

Another underwhelming feature is how drearily slow the pace of the film is, and how difficult to follow it often is. There are scene of acute opaqueness with almost impenetrable dialogue – or maybe it me not paying attention enough – but certain scenes I found confusing with characters appearing into the narrative then disappearing again, like the scene where a man with funny eyes stabs and kills a naked woman replicant, or the bit where some junk yard inhabitants are bombed and killed.

Then we have the section involving K's AI girlfriend – more scenes that drag on far too long. I found nothing sweet or endearing about a fake man in a relationship with a piece of software, and I'm not sure I even thought of his girlfriend as being entirely sentient. Rather than posing the question what is life? These scene were boring and ridiculous and seem to exist purely to show off the reasonably impressive special effects. The way she kept standing inside people's bodies was annoying and the part she stands inside the prostitute seemed only to be there to legitimise the realness of their mundane relationship, while being an excuse for more special effects. Her lack of ability to sync well with a person seemed to be a bit unrealistic since we have pretty decent motion detection already, but I suppose a seamless synchronicity would give the special effects team less to do.

So by about a three-quarter way through I had an accumulation of: dreary scenes, confusing side narratives, the not-so-intriguing reveal that a replicant gave birth to a baby replicant, and the insinuation that the born replicant K was ordered to find and kill was K himself. At this point what is there to keep me watching? What was the next story development I desperately needed to stay awake for?

Over and out for now, guys!

xxx

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