Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049                                                                                                          October 6, 2017

Blade Runner 2049 (a.k.a. 2049) and the original Blade Runner are more like siblings than twins. They share DNA but are uniquely different. The original Blade Runner is classic film noir with gloomy rainy Los Angles of the future (2019) and murderous replicants hunted by Blade Runners. 2049 is a journey to find answers dating back to the original Blade Runner. At the heart of both movies are the perils and evolution of artificial intelligence.

 It is not necessity to see the original Blade Runner before watching 2049. 2049 is a sophisticated standalone sci-fi movie with a solid plot. Parts of the original Blade Runner are referenced in 2049 so seeing the original film will give a more holistic experience.

The movie is exhausting with a run time of 163 minutes (the original master piece is 117 minutes). There are some slow parts and surgical editing would have been welcomed.

Ryan Gosling is the replicant Blade Runner working for the LAPD. He is named K but is later called Joe. He shows some human tendencies making him reluctant to perform his duty. Gosling performance for the most part is monotone. A sadness permeates his performance. He is more introspective than Deckard (Harrison Ford).

His LAPD boss is Lt. Joshi played by Robin Wright. Wright gives her usual frosty performance. She is abusive treating Gosling like a disposable non-human. She tasks him with a secret mission.

K has a hologram girlfriend named Joi (what else) played by Ana de Armas (Cubana). When they have sex (very safe sex) another female is used as a proxy and melds with Joi. Not a critical plot point, but interesting to watch.

Jared Leto plays Niander Wallace. He takes over the failed Tyrell corporation and manufactures replicants. Eventhough, he looks like Jesus, he exudes evil. His screen time is unfortunately short but his performance is effective. Wallace’s replicant henchwoman in named Luv, played by Sylvia Hoeks (Dutch model). She beats the crap out of Gosling with round house kicks to the head. Aside from her physically she gives a very effective and surprisingly tender performance.

In last 30 minutes Harrison Ford finally shows up. He is best be described as grizzled.  Ford is in hiding in an abandoned Las Vegas like city. He gives an excellent performance. This is where parts of the original movie come into play. This is the crux of the movie. He and Gosling have great chemistry.

The director of 2049 is Denis Villeneuve director of “Arrival”. His directorial style is decidedly different from Ridley Scott’s. Both films are moody. The original is heavy with darkness and endless drizzle. 2049 is less damp but the mood is anticipatory of something profound to come.

In fear of my life I will not comment of the movie’s plot but I will say it is an intriguing extension of the original film. Philp K. Dick would have approved.

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle                                                                       September 30, 2017

The first Kingsmen film was a sleeper hit racking up $414m in worldwide box office; a sure formula for a sequel. The original film was a fantastical secret agent film. This film goes further and is more cartoonish. The villain, Julianne Moore, has a 1960 replica “Happy Days” village in Cambodia complete with a diner and bowling alley. She dispatches a henchman into a meat grinder and makes hamburgers, something Wile e Coyote would do.  

The basic story line is that the Kingsman’s headquarters in London is destroyed. Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) go to Kentucky to get help from their American counter parts, the Statemen, who are cowboys headquartered is a whisky distillery. Code names for the Kingsmen are derived from Knights of the Round Table and their American cousins are named after liquors; Whisky, Tequila, Jack Danial’s. Jeff Bridges code name is Champagne, a name eliciting more chuckles than fear.

The marque actors: Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Michael Gambon have basically extended cameos.  The coming attractions oversells them. The exception is Halle Berry, Ginger Ale, the Statemen’s techie, who has a more featured role. Her character is drab and unglamorous and she has the most hideous hairdo. Her sex appeal is peeled away.

Julianne Moore plays Poppy Adams the drug lord, who infects narcotics users worldwide with a fatal poison. The role is kinder to Moore than to Halle Berry, showcasing Moore’s glowing Ivory Snow looks and bright smile. Unfortunately, her hands betray her age and are best kept out of frame.

Elton John is in the movie and mercifully plays himself. He is in full regalia with rainbow feathers, sliver platform shoes and rhinestone glasses. He is a bit overweight, as we all are, but he can still bang out the piano. In a farce, such as this film, acting is not a requirement.

A major subplot of the film is the resurrection of Harry Hart, Colin Firth, who was shot in the face point blank in the first movie. I will not say how he was revived but clearly the writers are devoid of any medical knowledge.

If you are a fan of the Kingsman or Elton John, by all means see this film. Otherwise rent the first one.