Now Watching: Blade Runner 2049

After seeing Blade Runner 2049 someone asked me ‘was it good?’ and all I could think to reply was ‘it wasn’t bad.’ I was conflicted. It took some time – and a second viewing – to figure out exactly how I felt, but I finally struck upon the word that best summed it up – inconsequential.

Blade Runner 2049 isn’t a ‘soft reboot’ but a direct sequel to the original – detrimentally so, in my opinion. The opening act is strong, as we’re introduced to Officer K (Ryan Gosling) and Joi (Ana de Armas). Their relationship, and K’s investigation build a compelling and engaging first act. The second, with the reintroduction of Deckard (Harrison Ford) is equally so.

But it’s with the opening to the third and final act, that I feel Blade Runner 2049 loses its way. Everything up to this point in terms of pacing, structure and dialogue is nearly perfect. But as the film should be building upon this fantastic foundation to an equally fantastic conclusion – it rapidly falls apart.

The dialogue becomes noticeably clunky. The pacing is off. The plot suddenly feels contrived. It almost feels like the entire final act was rewritten and re-shot. Either that, or they just didn’t know how to appropriately end it. It’s hard to be sure, but I get the impression they had one eye on a potential sequel – and in doing so, didn’t deliver the satisfying conclusion this film desperately deserves.

The ending to Blade Runner 2049 feels like misguided sequel bait. It’s a real kick in the nuts, because it results in a film that ultimately feels inconsequential. I felt deflated at the end, as if nothing I’d seen had really led to anything. It felt a little like sitting through a two and a half hour prologue to the next story they want to tell.

In many ways, I kind of wish 2049 wasn’t a direct sequel at all, and instead focused on its own original story and characters. After my first viewing, I wondered if it was the old plot elements intruding upon the new that bothered me. But after my second viewing, it became clear the problems only really begin with the opening of the third act.

As a result, 2049 doesn’t end in a manner that feels satisfying for either K or Deckard. Very little feels resolved. It’s an awkward, abrupt final act that bothers the hell out of me, because everything up until that point is so damn fantastic.

Overall, I’d probably say I enjoyed 2049 more than the original, but it just doesn’t provide the satisfying conclusion I feel it deserves. It fell flat for me, leaving me confused and disappointed and wondering why it went so wrong. It ends up feeling like a misfire – so much fantastic build up, only for the final shot to be a dud. But hey, at least it’s a very pretty one.

7/10