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Blade Runner 2049 - Blu-ray Review

4 starsIt is a valley of ash that fills the screen; dull and without expression. Little hope resides here. It is a dull and gray atmosphere that washes over us; full of cold notions as K (Ryan Gosling) arrives at a protein farm with the sole duty to retire the replicant who operates this farm. Welcome to Blade Runner 2049, the visually stunning continuation to 1982’s original film.

Gosling as K, is a “Blade Runner” contracted through the LAPD to hunt down rogue bioengineered human beings. His search for the latest assignment has brought him to this remote place. He’s good at his job; thorough at least. But his current assignment opens a whole new can of worms as it is revealed – due to the discovery of a mysterious box buried on the property – that these replicants can reproduce through natural means.

After 35 years, this cold beginning is the first impression of the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s cult classic, Blade Runner. And here you expected fights with laser swords. No, this film soldiers on in the dystopian manner of the original, complete with complex scenes of moody silence and saline visuals, dark-tinged and full of tears.  Instead of rain, we have tears in the snow.

Writer/director Denis Villeneuve’s slow-moving film was always going to be a box office bomb. After all, the first Blade Runner built its legacy upon midnight viewings; it was never – due to its thematic complexities – going to be a box office charmer. The same can be said of its sequel, which – if you ask me – makes it a solid continuation of what came before. Both films are slow in their rollouts. Both are technical wonders – even if they remain emotionally distant as they set out to break the world as we know it.

The problem is – thanks to a large amount of previous viewings of the original film – fans can guess all too easily exactly where Blade Runner 2049 is going, especially with its inclusion of a small toy; a wooden horse to be precise. With few real surprises (other than an unclear ending which could or could not be revealing the truth), Villeneuve’s film can only mirror the attitude of what previously felt so damn inspired. All of which makes reviewing the film a tough nut to crack. Is it good? Yes, it is. Is it difficult to review as an isolated narrative? Indeed, it is. The numbers 6, 10, and 21 make it so.

Co-starring Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, and Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, Blade Runner 2049 isn’t based upon Phillip K. Dick’s work, but it does successfully extend his vision into a future where sons and daughters must confirm whether or not their memories are real or are based on artificial designs. Am I playing the video game or is the video game playing me? It is truly the world of Dick’s fertile imagination, even if he would have pushed it a little further out there in the void, leaving behind destroyed versions of San Diego.

Wanted. Loved. Like a child pushed into the world, Blade Runner 2049 exists because we wanted it so badly.  It is truly a case of like father, like son even if we can only stare through the glass globe at the true marvel in the film.

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Blade Runner 2049 - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R for violence, some sexuality, nudity and language.
Runtime: 164 mins
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green
Cast: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas
Genre: Drama | Sci-fi
Tagline: The key to the future is finally unearthed.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Pain reminds you the joy you felt was real. More joy, then."
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site: bladerunnermovie.com/
Release Date: November 16, 1976
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 6, 2017
Synopsis: A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Blade Runner 2049 - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - January 16, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD); Digital copy; Movies Anywhere; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Blade Runner 2049 arrives onto 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Digital HD courtesy of Warner Bros. The 1080p transfer is perfection. Colors are solid – even if the color has been a bit drained for mood – and black levels are definitive. The plunging depth of the picture is vivid and striking. With an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and a kickass Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the HD film is a marvel of visual treats. The world of this film is a striking one and, thanks to this wonderfully shot film, is faithfully recreated here awash with synthesizers and gloomy atmospheres. This release does not disappoint.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

Interviews with cast and crew are full of solid information concerning the legacy of the film and its continuation. We get a look at the thought behind recreating the look of the world and its casting. We also get highlighted areas to focus our attention upon. Complete with three prologue films, the world of this visual marvel gets extended satisfactorily.

  • Designing the World of Blade Runner 2049
  • To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049
  • Blade Runner 101: Blade Runners
  • Blade Runner 101: The Replicant Evolution
  • Blade Runner 101: The Rise of Wallace Corp
  • Blade Runner 101: Welcome to 2049
  • Blade Runner 101: Joi
  • Blade Runner 101: Within the Skies
  • 2036: Nexus Dawn
  • 2048: Nowhere to Run
  • 2022: Black Out

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Blade Runner 2049 - Blu-ray Review

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