SLEEP INDUCING SCI-FI EPIC
I AM honestly gobsmacked to see the highly positive rating has earned from foreign movie critics. They call this sci-fi flick “moving”, “powerful”, “visually stunning”, “emotionally devastating” and “deeply philosophical”.
I agree with what they say about the visuals though. It’s an upgrade (thanks to technology, I guess) yet it retains the essence of the 1982 movie
But the storyline as a whole? I say it’s a “so-boring-and-long-that-I-wanted-topull-my-hair-out”.
I suppose it is thought-provoking but why does the plot have to move at a snail’s pace?The whole movie is 163 minutes long, for crying out loud! Some scenes could have been tighter and the pace could have been made faster to increase the drama and suspense.Instead, we get a very long-winded story with a rather monotonous tone.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t watch the original 1982 one so I couldn’t feel the exact impact it had made on viewers. Maybe that’s why I can’t understand why is such a big deal to the movie industry. So be warned. This review is based on the opinion of an individual who didn’t watch the first movie.
I did read the synopsis though so I kind of knew the setting but I still found it hard to get used to.What you need to know is that special police units called Blade Runners are tasked to kill Replicants (androids) who are considered illegal.
The opening of offers viewers a short summary, but I found that further into the film the plot often refers to the first movie. is set 30 years after the first events in Los Angeles. Blade Runner Officer K (Ryan Gosling) uncovers a secret that can turn society upside down.
It leads him to a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.At the same time, K feels the sudden urge to find his true identity and origin.
general plot is actually easy to understand but what makes it seem complicated is its fancy, elaborate and complex script. The first and second acts are rather uneventful. Things pick up only at the film’s climax but even then it’s draggy so after a while, the suspense level dissipates.
A question on humanity is highlighted and it makes you wonder what our own future will be like. As for the visuals, I had expected a more modern-looking LA. Instead the neon-lit city looks somewhat dystopian and rundown. But there are some futuristic elements that are worth the praise, such as a hologram Elvis singing in a nightclub. And the vistas of LA, the postapocalyptic wasteland of Las Vegas, the sandy orange desert and the abandoned buildings were overall visually pleasing.
Also eye-catching is Gosling, who looks exceptionally handsome in K’s trench coat. Ford looks old! Jared Leto plays the film’s creepily calm antagonist Niander Wallace, Ana de Armas plays K’s cute holographic girlfriend Joi while Robin Wright is K’s no-nonsense boss. Acting-wise they do an okay job but it’s nothing to shout about.
Although I found no enjoyment in the dreadfully slow storyline, I loved director Denis Villeneuve’s music score choices. Instead of fancy orchestral compositions, he used blaring music and sound effects that perfectly describe the urgency and climatic nature of the scenes, making the latter more engaging.
Watch the film at your own risk!