Blade Runner 2049

[MintyTheCat]

I saw the new Blade-Runner in Berlin on a large screen. I was overall impressed. I do not wish to give too much away for anyone who plans on seeing it but will say it was worth seeing at the cinema. I very rarely watch any films at the cinema these days but it is worth it.

My audience were well behaved, kept quiet and did not insist on getting up every two seconds. I saw it in english (there's no way I want to hear Ford's german language counterpart).

Does it let the original down? Not really, it is also not just a remake. It gives more as to the fabric of the world.

Did anyone notice the theme of water and pick up on its meaning? I'd be interested to hear if any of you picked up on that too.

[Strider77]

You should have at least mustered a huge fart and pointed it at her.

Agreed

Speaking of farts.... I saw this review before I saw the movie.

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/blade-r ... 49-review/

To be honest, it made it kind of fun to be tainted before going into the theater for once. I saw the movie with a friend so it was kind of fun being hyper sensitive to anything that could be seen as #misogyny and whispering "I bet that's one" to each other.

Then I saw the same reviewer squirt out another article claiming the low box office results is due to #misogyny a few days later. The Dailydot has no shame when it comes to this crap and man are they heavy handed on that drum.

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/women-b ... ox-office/

"While 2049 was praised for its visual effects and direction, some critics found it to be surprisingly sexist." I love how she refers to herself in the third person here.

[schnuth]

Some related BR 2049 cool swag:

And here's the official BR 2049 2-disc CD OST set -- https://bladerunner2049.shop.musictoday.com/store/

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Thanks for posting this. I went looking for the OST on CD and could only find digital. I appreciate it!

[GaijinPunch]

Double Dipped

Saw it on the proper screen... totally immersive. Much better experience. So much good... maybe more feels than the first time.

[Strider77]

I saw it a second time in Imax Saturday. Definitely anticipating the bluray.

Caught several things that I didn't catch my first go around... was pretty blazed for my 1st viewing.

[MintyTheCat]

I saw it a second time in Imax Saturday. Definitely anticipating the bluray.

Caught several things that I didn't catch my first go around... was pretty blazed for my 1st viewing.

There's a lot to take in - it's a decent film. I have been discussing the film with some others and comparing notes

[Despatche]

Agreed

Speaking of farts.... I saw this review before I saw the movie.

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/blade-r ... 49-review/

To be honest, it made it kind of fun to be tainted before going into the theater for once. I saw the movie with a friend so it was kind of fun being hyper sensitive to anything that could be seen as #misogyny and whispering "I bet that's one" to each other.

Then I saw the same reviewer squirt out another article claiming the low box office results is due to #misogyny a few days later. The Dailydot has no shame when it comes to this crap and man are they heavy handed on that drum.

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/women-b ... ox-office/

"While 2049 was praised for its visual effects and direction, some critics found it to be surprisingly sexist." I love how she refers to herself in the third person here.

These are both pretty good articles, though. They are definitely not examples of overly-sensitive PC wank. Maybe find something else?

[GaijinPunch]

These are both pretty good articles, though. They are definitely not examples of overly-sensitive PC wank. Maybe find something else?

The Jezebel article is bullshit. "The original isn't really known as a guy flick"? It's not, but it's a nerd flick and those are almost always inherently guy flicks. I get it, after wonder woman people some femmenists want to be pandered to, but this isn't a happy movie where everything is fantastic and equality is king. That's actually the point.

Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford received more attention than the film’s female lead Ana de Armas, a little-known actress who plays Gosling’s sexbot hologram girlfriend.

Wow, imagine that. Two household names playing the main characters got more attention than the unknown supporting character. K's boss is a domineering female, as is the main antagonist. I'm liberal as fuck but these people need to get the fuck over it. That or go watch Wonder Woman again... Gits which was even more financially disappointing (rightfully so) with a strong female lead. Such short memories.

[Baileyes]

I m going to watch this movie this week

[Skykid]

How does the line "some critics found it to be surprisingly sexist" not qualify as overly-sensitive PC wank? It sounds like the very definition of.

Blade Runner is a dystopian sci-f. Literally anything is possible because fiction. If they chose to relegate the entire female population to sex objects/workers for the purpose of social commentary it wouldn't make it sexist in the slightest.

In-fact, should a dystopian fiction happen to side with today's snowflake generation by envisioning a future for the everything is sexist, everything is racist brigade, I'm pretty sure it would still go over the average liberal gender study graduate journalist's keyhole radar and just end up labeled as sexist and racist instead.

[Ixmucane2]

Despite her somewhat excessive screen time, K's girlfriend is only very indirectly participating in the plot (even less than the first or second impression might suggest) and therefore she isn't a lead character by any means: she's only an appendix of K's personality, his sex life consolidated into about 1 representative person.
On the other hand SPOILER has only two scenes but she is a more important character than K himself; men in BR 2049 are appropriately more expendable than women.
Of course, attempts to reason with certain journalists about certain subjects would be lost in time, like tears in rain.

[Despatche]

The article covers that exact thing. An entire third of the article is all about that.

The Jezebel article is bullshit. "The original isn't really known as a guy flick"? It's not, but it's a nerd flick and those are almost always inherently guy flicks. I get it, after wonder woman people some femmenists want to be pandered to, but this isn't a happy movie where everything is fantastic and equality is king. That's actually the point.

The statement you're referring to explains itself. You actually went out of your way to cut off the bit that matters. Why would you do something like that?

Half of the premise of this article is that this seems like an oddly specific point to model your movie around, whether it's 1982 or 2017. The other half is that there are a few such points in this film, and these points seem to be at odds with the film's otherwise really important message. I'm just not seeing the problem here, it's a sound conclusion.

Wow, imagine that. Two household names playing the main characters got more attention than the unknown supporting character. K's boss is a domineering female, as is the main antagonist. I'm liberal as fuck but these people need to get the fuck over it. That or go watch Wonder Woman again... Gits which was even more financially disappointing (rightfully so) with a strong female lead. Such short memories.

Nothing about putting multiple female characters in such unsavory roles, in such a terrible world, seems off to you? What is so fundamentally necessary about this imbalance?

Again, it's a pretty legitimate movie, but these articles are also pretty legitimate. There are some truly terrible people in feminism, just as there is in any group. But the person who wrote these articles does not seem to be one of those people at all, at least not from this work. It sounds to me like people are jumping the gun about people jumping the gun. It also sounds like you guys aren't really reading the articles, such as whatever's going on in the above post. All of your complaints are covered.

[ZacharyB]

I just came back from seeing it, and I liked it more than the original (which I had just seen for the first time 4 days prior), because the central plot was very focused and strong. I never analyzed the original for any kind of hidden meaning, though.

[Leandro]

I got free tickets this tuesday for Blade Runner 2049, but only for 2D sessions. I'm kicking myself in the nuts for not going to see it on the same tuesday or yesterday (I was tired), because the cinemas around here already removed today almost all of the 2d showings and there are only 3D versions now, just one week after release. Released here october 5.

The remaining 2d showings are all on difficult areas for me to access, I'm so pissed off.......

[GaijinPunch]

Nothing about putting multiple female characters in such unsavory roles, in such a terrible world, seems off to you?

No. It's a movie.

What is so fundamentally necessary about this imbalance?

Art should never be unapologetic for starters... followed by no imbalance. The only thing I missed were strong ethnic Asians in the mix, considering there was Japanese text everywhere. I took it as a hat tip to Japan becoming less and less international... even though I doubt that's what they were going for. There was plenty of ethnic diversity though.

Again, it's a pretty legitimate movie, but these articles are also pretty legitimate.

They fail to notice that the film is set in a dystopian setting. If artists pander to everyone then we get some shitty Jennifer Lopez rom com. Dunno... if I told these people my mantra they'd probably brand me a neo-con. If you don't like something, don't go see it. Speaking with your wallet gives you the loudest voice. But then they'd have nothing to base their click-bate article on.

[MintyTheCat]

Who really gives a flying shit about 'gender equality' in a dystopian future? I think they lack the ability see beyond their own agenda and have to thump and beat the tired stanzas of how unfair everything is.
Bollocks, just enjoy the film I say. It is a film that depicts the fragility and brutality pretty well. Like it or not but people have been subjugated and exploited since he beginning of time and this aspect cannot be washed away to make Gender Studies 'students' feel good about the universe. In the truest sense it has no value. The world of Blade-Runner is a world of hard vacuum, of merciless industrial processes, of patched and limping social services, of a dross of a population under-employed and reliant on the state for their portion of sustenanse, of rampant reliance on agents to alter mood, a gigantic collision of surviving remnants of culture, where in a horizontal society people will stamp on others to survive. I think if we choose to constrain our perspective to the 'gender aspects' we lose far too much and it says more about the limited perspective of people who have to frame a piece of art in such limited terms.

[NYN]

Went to the cinema for it. First time in almost a decade. Glad I did.
My concerns before were about the relevance of a sequel. It does well in opening up the world, make it larger, not that intimate, more anonymous on scale. I enjoyed most how it's not an itinerary of philosophy in oh, so many words. It's more like "Did you catch that?" and not a noisy parade of themes. Relieved that Leto's character wasn't in tone the zealous priest or the hubris creator, just more after the fact. The visionary, what does he see with his 'eyes'? Surprise to me that Ford wasn't wasted. Not even rolled my eyes at his action scenes. I do think there's a lot of misogyny in it, but only the best kind. The one that challenges you to take a look around. It would not take me long to see why comercially this fine film wouldn't fare any different than the original. It's not made to entertain. It needs the viewer to decide what exactly is relevant in her or his own life. Which other piece of industry product can claim that?

[MintyTheCat]

Glad that you liked it. It has got a few people talking and that's often a good thing.
I hope that there will not be umpteen sequels and additions though as it doesn't need it I feel.
I liked how the scene where K is eating is like a 'food court' on steroids rights next to the express knocking-shop Reminds me a lot of the comic Incal,

[NYN]

I liked how the scene where K is eating is like a 'food court' on steroids rights next to the express knocking-shop

There's a lot to ponder over the following day. You brought it back for me. Isn't he standing with his back to it? Like fidelity to his relationship? That makes the unfolding events much sweeter (in a dystopian way). Again, imagery over dialog.

What about the score?
It was fine to me, but my fellow companian was dismissal of it. She felt that it's more of a remix of Vangelis' epics, failing in never coming close. Knowing her to not being too deeply invested in the BR I was surprised to hear that. Furthermore she demanded more own identity of 2049. Meaning in tone, style, fashion, imagery. "It's 30 years later, right? Transparant rain jackets, again? Dude." I replied that maybe the most trickiest bit in this production is that it's not the first of the two films. Being a sequel here is tough.

I watched 'Black Out 2022' on the tube.
Having a soft spot for Watanabe, I think. Definition of short short. Trixie's combat moves are lovley, so I was smitten. They kept the doll theme here.

[MintyTheCat]

I liked how the scene where K is eating is like a 'food court' on steroids rights next to the express knocking-shop

There's a lot to ponder over the following day. You brought it back for me. Isn't he standing with his back to it? Like fidelity to his relationship? That makes the unfolding events much sweeter (in a dystopian way). Again, imagery over dialog.

What about the score?
It was fine to me, but my fellow companian was dismissal of it. She felt that it's more of a remix of Vangelis' epics, failing in never coming close. Knowing her to not being too deeply invested in the BR I was surprised to hear that. Furthermore she demanded more own identity of 2049. Meaning in tone, style, fashion, imagery. "It's 30 years later, right? Transparant rain jackets, again? Dude." I replied that maybe the most trickiest bit in this production is that it's not the first of the two films. Being a sequel here is tough.

I watched 'Black Out 2022' on the tube.
Having a soft spot for Watanabe, I think. Definition of short short. Trixie's combat moves are lovley, so I was smitten. They kept the doll theme here.

He does indeed have his back to the knocking-shop's entrance as he's happy with his VR partner. But later Joi (forget her name) calls the one who speaks English to him to the apartment.

The score is amazing and I have been listening to it a lot since I saw the film. I have also been listening to the original film's soundtrack too - had it on CD for a long time now and it gets a whirl from time to time.
No, it uses some motifs that are now 'blade runner' sure but the two new musiciains on this film have come up with their own take on things. Plus, the music technology is a bit more expressive these days.
Maybe they had a 2020s revival in the world of BR in 2049 - like we are constantly brining back the 70s and 80s fashion wise - ask her that

Yes, I watched the BR2049 shorts after having seen the new film and each gave a bit more background to the situation and some of the characters.

I think the best thing is that they didn't lay it on too much for the audience in the new film - it's good for people to be asking questions and trying to work things out. I watched it with a girl too and she quite enjoyed it but I insisted that she saw the original film before she saw the new one

[NYN]

Yes, it feels right not being molested with too much backround or exposition.

I remember in the making-of material of Final Cut called Dangerous Days the mentioning how one early idea was scrapped. The introduction of the Blade Runner character. I was delighted to recognize that they did it in the end. It's now K's first apperance, sitting in the chair, waiting. Another one was the introduction of Roy Batty, crawling out under a heap of dead bodies, birth-like, after a battle off-world. That one is left for the imagination.

[GaijinPunch]

Went to the cinema for it. First time in almost a decade. Glad I did.
My concerns before were about the relevance of a sequel. It does well in opening up the world, make it larger, not that intimate, more anonymous on scale. I enjoyed most how it's not an itinerary of philosophy in oh, so many words. It's more like "Did you catch that?" and not a noisy parade of themes. Relieved that Leto's character wasn't in tone the zealous priest or the hubris creator, just more after the fact. The visionary, what does he see with his 'eyes'? Surprise to me that Ford wasn't wasted. Not even rolled my eyes at his action scenes. I do think there's a lot of misogyny in it, but only the best kind. The one that challenges you to take a look around. It would not take me long to see why comercially this fine film wouldn't fare any different than the original. It's not made to entertain. It needs the viewer to decide what exactly is relevant in her or his own life. Which other piece of industry product can claim that?

<golf clap>

What about the score?
It was fine to me, but my fellow companian was dismissal of it. She felt that it's more of a remix of Vangelis' epics, failing in never coming close.

Maybe Vanegelis' original score goes under my head, but I generally dismiss people that say the 2049 score is "a mere derivative of the original" as not really knowing much about music. Vangelis' score doesn't have a single saw wave in the whole fucking thing. There's my 1 liner response.

Furthermore she demanded more own identity of 2049. Meaning in tone, style, fashion, imagery. "It's 30 years later, right? Transparant rain jackets, again? Dude." I replied that maybe the most trickiest bit in this production is that it's not the first of the two films. Being a sequel here is tough.

Sounds like her fashion sense is about where her music sense is. Here's a few bullet points to bullet that down
- 2049 has loads of contemporary styles. (fur jackets, fur hats, gray t-shits... well, one gray tshirt)
- fashion is cyclical (somewhere to the tune of 30 years). How many people wear shit from the 80's now? I still wear vintage pants from the 70's.
- the mid-century modernism throughout the film is relentless. (see comment about cyclical), much more so than the original
- Ambient Light
- Daylight!
- More snow than rain
- Barren wastelands
- No film grain

In fact anyone that tells me this doesn't look like a cleaner, more modernized shit hole, to me, is a replicant.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I'm curious to read what Skykid's take on Blade Runner 2049 is (in terms of a film review). It'd make for an interesting read, for sure.

Sure, the portrayal of the Joi character wearing a transparent rain slicker jacket is an insider nod to the scene of the female replicant character donning one after she takes a shower in the original BR film, indeed.

According to imdb.com, Hampton Fancher was asked to write the story/screenplay for BR 2049 and he did so. Mr. Fancher also said he did not want to be bothered again and left alone. So does that mean a 3rd proper BR sequel won't be in the works/greenlit? Hmmm.....

I'm surprised that the hologram technology featured in that run-down casino still works post-Blackout 2022 incident (shown in the BR 2022 Blackout anime short) -- perhaps it's running on back-up power. The rest of what used to be the old LA area (pre-2022 era) looks more like a vast wasteland but still intact and pretty much abandoned for good (unless you count the lone stragglers "here & there" besides Deckard trying eke out a living in those harsh conditions). I can see the reasoning to build the new section of modern day 2049 LA all the way to edge of the Pacific Ocean -- gotta make all that precious real estate space (or what's left of it) count for something, right? I'd imagine that the use of "desalination plants" to make the sea water fit for human consumption/drinkable has been perfected years earlier (this is something that the State of California, seriously, needs to look into despite the initial high costs and the possible coming years of dry years/drought spells in the nearby future with climate change -- the Middle East already does this).

Notice how short the shower scene was when K was taking a shower? It shows that water is such a valuable & precious commodity in 2049. Of course, the wealthy can afford the usage of water like no tomorrow -- a luxury or indulgence if you will.

Plus the fact that the entire San Diego area is considered a vast wasteland/dump for the scavengers to rummage through.

Interesting to learn that the Wallace Corporation has access to military weapons or "eyes in the sky" as they say to further it's own agenda/needs as fit. So is the Wallace Corp. considered a corporation with military ties? Seems like it to me.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Limbrooke]

I saw it and enjoyed it. The music was great and the style of the film was excellent and varied. The pacing while slow didn't take away from my interest at all.

Spoiler

I appreciate how much Officer K gets his ass kicked. I enjoyed the Luv character, ruthless to the very end. The fight scene on the rocks was superb. I did see the whole "I have a planted memory of a wooden horse" be realized before it happened and pardon the runtime it also seemed to play out faster than I would've liked. I initially thought Fords comeback in SW EP7 was unnecessary, but this time it feels ok. I would've preferred he not be revealed in trailers/commercials/posters for it pre-release but it can't be helped, a surprise would've been much better to be sure. Robin Wright also does a great job as the Lieutenant.

[NYN]

<golf clap>

Ok, then.

From now on, I'll put questionable thoughts in spoiler tags.

In fact anyone that tells me this doesn't look like a cleaner, more modernized shit hole, to me, is a replicant.

Spoiler

Isn't this kinda racist?

See?

But thanks for the bullet points anyway. You enrich my perception as I diminish your stake in the human species.

Spoiler

No homo.

[MintyTheCat]

Vangelis' score doesn't have a single saw wave in the whole fucking thing. There's my 1 liner response.

I like that. But yes, expressing to her spectral content in the harmonics is one way to counter It's not Vangelis' per say as it's not him but two others so I agree: she's being a bit dismissive to say that it's 'all the same' when it really isn't. What I found was that they injected the right emotions into the music and it really compliments the visuals in my book but each to their own and people work at different levels and they take different things away from the experience all the same. I am glad you lot 'get it' for the most part. My uncle raised a few points too.

The one that gets me still:

Spoiler

Why did Wallace kill the new Replicant type? Was it purely symbolic or something that was more out of disdain and his displeasure at 'another failed to conceive'. It's also kind of ironic that given all the processes in production that the standard methods of procreation win out. You can imagine how crazy it would be in a universe populated with these 'breeding' Replicants - I mean you'd have to keep it quite right? But how would you do that? There are so many loose-ends and 'what ifs'.

[GaijinPunch]

<golf clap>

Ok, then.

From now on, I'll put questionable thoughts in spoiler tags.

I don't think you offended any spoiler gods. I actually liked what you wrote (hence the golf clap).

In fact anyone that tells me this doesn't look like a cleaner, more modernized shit hole, to me, is a replicant.

Spoiler

Isn't this kinda racist?

See?

But thanks for the bullet points anyway. You enrich my perception as I diminish your stake in the human species.

Spoiler

No homo.

Hmm... thinking the nature of forums has stripped some of my intentions.

[NYN]

I actually liked what you wrote (hence the golf clap).

Ha. I interpret the golf clap as a sarcastic gesture. And that my post would be profane, given the heights of the conveying of the piece. I would not argue that. Afraid words fall short for these kind of feelings. Notes seem insufficient.

Hmm... thinking the nature of forums has stripped some of my intentions.

Only with me as the all too human recipient. I've got it now.

The tree part bloomed later on me. I saw the metal around it. Didn't put it together. The dialog smacked me in the neck.
From memory.

Spoiler

"It's a tree."
"Never saw one before. Looks nice."
"It's dead."

Regarding Deckard.

Spoiler

It's easy to get suspicious. But it is actually late when it is confirmed in the bar dialog between K and Deck. He says Rachel's name. The heights. And it dawns then that Scott's opinion is out.

I'm not disappointed. But it wasn't personally that relevant to me. One way or the other.

"Her eyes were green."

Spoiler

I gasped at the gesture how Wallace takes Deckard's arm. And how Ford's own mannerism is used when he pulls it back. Didn't think the short flashback of a certain woman approching is mandatory. Yet there are people who havn't seen it and undoubtably it reinforced what follows. I'm assuming SFX were used to make the apperance. Could have fooled me. Also pointing how the flashback moves from the left and how the apperance comes from right. A reference to the brain?

Don't be too strict with my girl, but she actually said that, as far as dystopia goes, she prefers 'Dredd'. I was quick to remind her that that one has monolog as introduction and a summary in the husky voice of Karl Urban. An anchor."Mega blocks. Mega highways. Mega City One." Enough said. Literally. Verhoeven's Robocop is one fave of hers, so I wouldn't call her ignorant.

[GaijinPunch]

Spoiler

I gasped at the gesture how Wallace takes Deckard's arm. And how Ford's own mannerism is used when he pulls it back. Didn't think the short flashback of a certain woman approching is mandatory. Yet there are people who havn't seen it and undoubtably it reinforced what follows. I'm assuming SFX were used to make the apperance. Could have fooled me. Also pointing how the flashback moves from the left and how the apperance comes from right. A reference to the brain?

Spoiler

That shit blew me away. I didn't know Sean Young was cast at all, and I'm like, "how the fuck did they find someone that looks just like her". And then, saw her name. I've seen her recently... it's been 30 years. She's aged... but they really pulled that off. Why did Princess Leia look so cheesy in Rouge One?

[NYN]

Spoiler

Why did Princess Leia look so cheesy in Rouge One?

Colour me jaded, but maybe that is just catering iconography to the semi-religious masses.
2049, on the other hand, plays on heart strings for an emotional response. We call it Voight-Kampff for short.