Movies: Blade Runner 2049 (2017): Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford. Directed by Denis Villeneuve.

[NyQuil]

Would one recommend watching the first movie before watching this one?

Some of the plot elements won't seem as significant if you don't.

From my perspective, some sequences that are taken directly from the original have an additional gravitas that I think is borne from nostalgia. I'm not sure if it's something that will have the same impact if you watch both films immediately back to back.

I've found that about sequels in general.

I feel differently about sequels that I've seen in rapid succession (for the first time) as opposed to the enduring film experience that includes the time spent in between the films.

In this case, it's an awful long time between sequels. People tend to gloss over the imperfections as it is gradually canonized.

It's a pretty tall task to try and meet the standard of the original film as well as its enduring legacy on the medium.

It would be interesting to hear what you think.

 

[les Habs]

I literally just asked this 6 posts up.

Thanks for pointing that out. Very helpful.

Some of the plot elements won't seem as significant if you don't.

From my perspective, some sequences that are taken directly from the original have an additional gravitas that I think is borne from nostalgia. I'm not sure if it's something that will have the same impact if you watch both films immediately back to back.

I've found that about sequels in general.

I feel differently about sequels that I've seen in rapid succession (for the first time) as opposed to the enduring film experience that includes the time spent in between the films.

In this case, it's an awful long time between sequels. People tend to gloss over the imperfections as it is gradually canonized.

It's a pretty tall task to try and meet the standard of the original film as well as its enduring legacy on the medium.

It would be interesting to hear what you think.

Thanks for the thorough and well written response. Don't hold your breath on my seeing it though. I'm inclined to see them in order, but the lure of HBO having the sequel has been strong. Rather amazing to some I'm sure that someone hasn't seen the original, but I was to a degree probably too young at the time and it was just off my radar. What I will say though is that I've generally only heard good things and the sequel looks quite stunning visually. I also like a lot of the cast involved. Too bad HBO didn't get the original like they did with the Alien franchise when they aired Covenant.

 

[NyQuil]

I find that people who enjoy a film based on its mood and style generally have a better time than people who prefer convoluted plots and extended dialogue.

The one advantage I think the original had was that the film was simpler and more direct which is a challenge to successfully execute I think.

The sequel is more involved and thus it lacks a little bit of that singlemindedness.

Sequels often tend to suffer in terms of the overly complicated plot department.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Watched it tonight...excessively long and a complete snoozefest for most of it.

 

[RandV]

I watched Blade Runner for the first time maybe 7 years ago, enjoyed it I guess but was kind of underwhelmed. Without the nostalgia and getting no wow factor from the technical feat it was for its time, unlike other classics of that decade it just felt too "80's" to me.

2049 on the other hand had it available on an international flight a few weeks ago and didn't want to watch on the tablet-sized screen, but buckled and watched it on the return flight... and was thoroughly engrossed by it. Thought it was exceptional and I wish I saw it on the big screen.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

You never know.

Sometimes seeing the older film second makes it feel dated.

I was shocked for my nieces to dislike Star Wars and Return of the Jedi compared to the prequels. They did like Empire Strikes Back.

Return of the Jedi is legit bad though.

 

[jules6565]

....

Dude, you need to find a way to re-watch it on IMAX, I did the month it was released and it was very enjoyable

 

[Shareefruck]

As someone who didn't grow up with any of these films (saw everything for the first time within the last dozen years), I find the nostalgia factor in general to be way overblown, and unfairly assumed in place of recency bias, which is every bit as likely yet is never brought up.

I think that the original Blade Runner holds up great, and to a lesser degree, A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back does as well (although I don't love Star Wars like other people do). Return of the Jedi was pretty lame, IMO, and I imagine that I'd feel that way even if I hypothetically saw it at the time, at my current age.

On a technical level, Blade Runner 2049 does the original justice, even improving on it in some ways, but the appeal of this franchise is too heavily reliant on style and mood to warrant the over-complication of throwing as many events in there as they did. It just ends up feeling bloated and convoluted, and by the time you get through it all, the payoff seems fairly standard and superficial.

The original worked better within its limitations, knew to just allow the style and atmosphere to simply stand on its own, throwing in just a handful of weighty, perfectly placed memorable moments that bookended everything really nicely. A strong case of less being more, IMO. You have the initial intrigue of the premise, then those Deckard/Rachel exchanges, some chase sequences, the Roy Batty monologue, and finally that cool unicorn + outro scene-- and that's pretty much all you need.

 

[Blender]

My biggest problem with this film as it is completely missing the flamboyant character to balance out the straight man. Roy Batty was the best part of Blade Runner and his soliloquy is one of the greatest ever. K is as cold and distant as Deckard was for most of the original film, but there is no one who really balances that out.

 

[NyQuil]

K is as cold and distant as Deckard was for most of the original film, but there is no one who really balances that out.

I did like the moments of sudden abject rage that both K and Luv exhibit on rare occasions.

It's in keeping with the original and emblematic of their status as "children" without fully developed emotions.

 

[Newsworthy]

Not a bad film

 

[TheAngryHank]

Cought the end half, thought it was filmed beautiful.
Visually a beautiful movie.