Tag: Blade Runner 2049

  • Review: Blade Runner 2049

    Review: Blade Runner 2049

    Blade Runner is arguably one of the most influential sci-fi films of the last few decades. It’s difficult to even imagine what the landscape would look like without Ridley Scott’s future noir. BLADE RUNNER 2049 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel so much as alter its shape.

    Set 30 years after the events of the first film, replicants have now been upgraded to new legal models, with their obedience ensuring their integration into society. Detective K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner charged with hunting down illegal older models and ‘retiring’ them. After finding old-school skin job Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista), K uncovers details that could crack open the fabric of the delicate human/replicate society.

    Blade Runner 2049

    Returning screenwriter Hampton Fancher and Michael Green’s script is more concerned with exploring K’s world than any particular sense of urgency. BLADE RUNNER 2049 might begin with some large-scale action, but soon settles into the detail. His domestic life is reminiscent of Alain Delon’s hitman in Le Samouraï, save for a romantic subplot with the holographic Joi (Ana de Armas).

    Yet while this sometimes acts in the film’s favour, there’s an inherent weakness to the approach. With a seemingly endless series of story strands, a number of which fail to bloom even in the weighty 163 minute running time, director Denis Villeneuve falls into the same trap as Arrival by over-explaining and complicating what should be simplicity itself. Indeed, the laden second act is simply dull, more concerned with style than substance.

    Which makes this incredibly problematic as a sequel, abandoning the understated aesthetics of the 1982 original and turning the lights all the way up. Gone is the subtlety, the noir, and even the gorgeous soundtrack. In its wake is a score that has Hans Zimmer’s oppressive fingers all over it, blasting the senses into smithereens instead of conjuring audible tendrils of smoke out of thin air.

    Blade Runner 2049

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 still has a great deal to offer, and it certainly fulfils some of its promise in being a modern take on a classic. Almost every frame is profoundly beautiful. There’s room to contemplate some of the Big Issues that plague our own world, while still leaving us with a certain ambiguity. It’s also hard not to get a little bit excited about seeing Harrison Ford back as Deckard, who has a much meatier role than publicity would indicate.

    Yet it’s a film that invites you to compare the two Blade Runner films with its deliberate callbacks beginning in the opening shots, and the comparison was never going to be favourable to the newer model. It’s a shame they don’t make them like they used to. Then again: who does?

    [stextbox id=”grey” bgcolor=”F2F2F2″ mleft=”5″ mright=”5″ image=”null”]2017 | US | DIR: Denis Villeneuve | WRITERS: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green | CAST: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Jared Leto | DISTRIBUTOR: Sony (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 163 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 5 October 2017 (AUS) [/stextbox]

  • ‘Blade Runner 2049’ featurette asks ‘What is a Blade Runner’?

    ‘Blade Runner 2049’ featurette asks ‘What is a Blade Runner’?

    Hot on the heels of the World of Blade Runner featurette comes a new piece that asks ‘What is a Blade Runner?’ Clearly designed for the uninitiated, it holds few surprises for existing fans, but it does open with a very familiar piece of white and red text.

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 is set 30 years after the events of the first film. A new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    There’s very little new footage in this brief featurette, at least none that we could find, but there are new interview snippets with Ryan Gosling, director Denis Villeneuve, and the one and only Ridley Scott.

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 opens in Australian cinemas on 5 October 2017 from Sony Pictures Releasing.

  • Featurette explores the world of ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    Featurette explores the world of ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    If there is one thing that the original Blade Runner did spectacularly, then it’s building a complete world that its characters inhabited and explored the surface of. In a new featurette, we get a glimpse on how that translates to BLADE RUNNER 2049.

    In the short film, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto, and Ridley Scott discuss the importance of that aesthetic to the modern popular culture, and how the original film sent a shock wave through the industry. While it doesn’t necessarily show us a massive amount of that world in the sequel, we do get a handful of scenes we haven’t seen before. There is actually a nudity warning on this one too.

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Office K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 opens in Australian cinemas on 5 October 2017 from Sony Pictures Releasing.

  • Shinicihro Watanabe making ‘Blade Runner’ prequel anime

    Shinicihro Watanabe making ‘Blade Runner’ prequel anime

    Cowboy Bebop creator and general anime legend Shinicihro Watanabe is releasing BLACK RUNNER: BLACK OUT 2022, an animated prequel short to the upcoming Blade Runner 2049.

    “As an anime professional, the film that’s had the greatest influence on me has to be Blade Runner,” he says in the short video below (as translated by SoraNews 24). “When I was presented with the opportunity to work on this, I knew it was something I definitely wanted to do.”

    As you can surmise from the title, the short film will bridge the gap between the original film’s 2019 setting and the 30 years that have passed before the upcoming sequel.

    It’s due to be released on 26 September 2017, in anticipation of the October release of Blade Runner 2049. You can check out the ‘making of’ video below, along with a few key screenshots of the work in progress.

    Blade Runner 2022 Blade Runner 2022 Blade Runner 2022

  • ‘Blade Runner 2049’: international TV spot showcases epic scale

    ‘Blade Runner 2049’: international TV spot showcases epic scale

    Sony Pictures Releasing has unveiled the first international TV spot for BLADE RUNNER 2049 ahead of its 5 October 2017 release in Australia. It gives us a sense of the broader story in the universe, and why K (Ryan Gosling) seeks out Deckard (Harrison Ford).

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Office K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Jared Leto and Dave Bautista, it is directed by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival).

  • ‘Blade Runner 2049’ trailer is mysteriously beautiful

    ‘Blade Runner 2049’ trailer is mysteriously beautiful

    The long-awaited trailer for BLADE RUNNER 2049, the sequel to the 1982 Ridley Scott classic Blade Runner, has arrived. Teasing just enough information to hook us back into the world of replicants and ‘Runners, this one looks set to be your basic pleasure model.

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    What’s immediately striking about the trailer is that it has the same grand sense of world building and city design that dwarfs the characters at the centre of it. The perpetual rain of the original is contrasted with the dryness of the desert that peppers the short piece, one that builds on the future noir of the existing world.

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 is released in Australia on 5 October 2017 from Sony, and in the US on 6 October from Warner.

  • 7 new images from ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    7 new images from ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    Sony Pictures Releasing has unveiled 7 new hi-res photos from BLADE RUNNER 2049, the highly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic. The film is released to Australian cinemas on 5 October 2017.

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Office K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Jared Leto and Dave Bautista.

    Blade Runner 2049 - Ryan Gosling

    Blade Runner 2049 - Ryan Gosling

    Blade Runner 2049 - Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford

    Blade Runner 2049 - Denis Villeneuve

    Blade Runner 2049 - Harrison Ford

  • Most anticipated films of 2017

    Most anticipated films of 2017

    By any standard, 2017 is going to be a big year for film. 2016 broke a number of records in terms of box office and releases, but the sequel is going to be huge. There’s at least 8 superhero movies alone coming out from DC and Marvel next year, and that’s before we even dip into the Star Wars, Alien and Blade Runner end of the spectrum. 

    Indies won’t be immune to the trend either, with Trainspotting getting a sequel, and slated entries from indie royalty like Greta Gerwig or Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Here’s a list of some of films coming out in the next 12 months that fancy our tickles or something.

    T2: Trainspotting 2

    LANDLINE – 20 January (US)

    Gillian Robespierre’s follow-up to 2014’s Obvious Child will be very anticipated in indie circles, with returning cast member Jenny Slate joining Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, John Turturro, and Jay Duplass in a film about a family in Brooklyn during 1995. It’s set to debut at Sundance.

    T2: TRAINSPOTTING – 23 February (AUS)

    Trainspotting, Danny Boyle’s second feature, was released back in 1996 and in many ways captured the zeitgeist of a generation. Its follow-up, based on Irving Welsh’s Porno, takes the energy of the original and tempers it through 20 years of (less than) graceful ageing.

    GET OUT – 24 February (US)

    Having wrapped up Key & Peele in 2015, Jordan Peele makes his directorial debut not with an expected comedy, but with a horror film. Having said that, Peele has said that it’s “a horror movie, but it’s a satirical premise.”

    A CURE FOR WELLNESS – 16 March (AUS)

    We highlighted the trailer for this back in October, and our excitement levels have been high since. Sitting somewhere between Stanley Kubrick and that dream you’ve told yourself isn’t real, Gore Verbinski’s 2017 entry is set to be one of the creepier entries for next year.

    WILSON – 24 March (US)

    Debuting at Sundance in January, this highly anticipated adaptation of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel has been in the works for a few years. The Skeleton Twins director Craig Johnson helms a screenplay by Clowes himself, with a massive cast including Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Isabella Amara, Judy Greer, and Cheryl Hines. Yes please!

    GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 – 25 April (AUS)

    Already one of the most viewed trailers of 2016, the sequel to the surprise 2014 blockbuster already has our money, and a fair cut of merchandising. The big question will remain as to whether director James Gunn can recapture the magic of the first, or if we’ve only just seen him get started.

    ALIEN: COVENANT – 18 May (AUS)

    So confident are Fox in this Alien prequel/Prometheus sequel that they moved the date forward by several months. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, and Guy Pearce, returning in their roles from Prometheus, with newcomers Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Billy Crudup and James Franco. In space, nobody can hear you squee.

    Wonder Woman (2017)

    WONDER WOMAN – 1 JUNE (AUS)

    Directed by Patty Jenkins, it is the fourth film in DC Extended Universe, a series that began with Man of Steel, and continued with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. It also seems to be the first one that has the lights turned on and a sense of fun and adventure about it. The lasso wouldn’t lie, would it?

    BOOK OF HENRY – 16 June (US)

    After director Colin Trevorrow’s amazing indie success with Safety Not Guaranteed, he graduated to Jurassic World and even bigger franchises ahead. So it’s terrific to see that in 2017 he will get to release a dramatic film that returns him to his roots, with an impressive cast that includes Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace, Maddie Ziegler and Dean Harris.

    THE BEGUILED – 30 June (US)

    Sofia Coppola tries her hand at another period piece, this time remaking (or at least re-adapting) Don Siegel’s 1971 film of the same name. The Gothic horror piece collects a “best of” Coppola cast that includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst and Australia’s Angourie Rice.

    Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer

    SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING – 6 July (AUS)

    The seventh cinematic outing of the wallcrawler since 2002, this marks the first solo adventure of Peter Parker under the Marvel Studios banner, allowing Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) to make good on some promises he made in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. This one is going to be huge.

    DUNKIRK – 20 July (AUS)

    Have we had enough of Second World War films yet? Christopher Nolan doesn’t think so, shooting a grand scale (IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large format film stock) film about the infamous 1940 battle, with a cast that includes Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Harry Styles.

    Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

    VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS – 21 July (US)

    The film is an adaptation of the French comic Valérian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières, which Luc Besson will write and direct. Starring Cara Delevingne, Dane DeHaan, Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke and Rihanna, it is sure to be one of the most stylish sci-fi films of 2017.

    Blade Runner 2049

    BLADE RUNNER 2049 – 5 October (AUS)/6 October (US)

    Please be good, please be good, please be good. Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

    THE SNOWMAN – 12 October (AUS)/13 October (US)

    There is so much to get excited about with this film. Its based on the novel by Jo Nesbø, but even more importantly, it’s directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). Even though his regular photographer Hoyte van Hoytema isn’t on board this time, due to his involvement in Dunkirk (see above), we’re sure Dion Beebe will make this look amazing .

    JUSTICE LEAGUE – 16 November (AUS)

    Past performance is not an indicator of the future quality. At least that’s what we are hoping. DC Comics’ first cinematic union of their major heroes has all the promise of still being something memorable, despite Zack Snyder at the helm and several series entires that have been less than lustrous. 

    Coco (Pixar)

    COCO – 22 November (US)

    Initially controversial for Disney’s attempt to trademark the term “Día de los Muertos” for merchandising, we’re excited because Lee Unkrich (Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3) has rarely put a foot wrong as a director. Plus, it’s Pixar’s only non-sequel for the next few years at least! 

    DARKEST HOUR – 24 November (US)

    Expect the word ‘transformative’ to be used a lot in describing Gary Oldman’s performance as Winston Churchill, but Oldman is Churchill from the photos we’ve seen. Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, he must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. We smell Oscar already.

    STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII – 14 December (AUS)

    Do we really need to explain this one? Vale Carrie.

    UNDATED FILMS

    • SUBMERGENCE – Wim Wender’s returns with a romantic thriller starring James McAvoy and Alicia Vikander.
    • BATTLE OF THE SEXES – Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris round up Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, and Sarah Silverman for a tennis drama, and that’s all you need to know.
    • UNDER THE SILVER LAKE – David Robert Mitchell already has us hooked with a neo-noir thriller crime film starring Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, and Topher Grace.
    • OKJA – Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer) brings his talents to Netflix, who haven’t announced a date, but have announced a cast that includes Ahn Seo-hyun, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, and Lily Collins.
    • LADY BIRD – Indie queen Greta Gerwig makes her directorial debut with a film about a woman living in northern California for a year.
    • HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES – John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) adapts Neil Gaiman’s sci-fi set in Croydon. Stars Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman.
    • THE SHAPE OF WATER – Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War era film is his first since 2015’s Crimson Peak.
  • First teaser trailer for ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    First teaser trailer for ‘Blade Runner 2049’

    Sometimes all it takes to evoke an emotion is a bit of synth music, especially when Vangelis is doing the synthing. The first teaser trailer for BLADE RUNNER 2049 dropped this morning, as Warner Bros. Pictures and Alcon Entertainment unveiled the first look at the highly anticipated sequel to the 1982 classic. It is released in Australian cinemas on 5 October 2017, and on 6 October 2017 in the US.

    Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. The trailer gives us very little of that story, focusing more on grandiose imagery and moments, conjuring up our collective memories of the original. This is wholly in keeping with the spirit of that film, and this gives us our first glimmer of hope that they get it right. 

    Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, with Dave Bautista and Jared Leto, the film is directed by Denis Villeneuve, the acclaimed director behind films like this year’s Arrival, along with SicarioPrisoners and Incendies.

    Australian teaser trailer:

  • ‘Blade Runner 2049’ is the official sequel title

    ‘Blade Runner 2049’ is the official sequel title

    It’s been five years since the sequel was first announced, and now Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment have announced that BLADE RUNNER 2049 is the official title of the follow-up to the 1982 Ridley Scott film.

    The title indicates that the film is set 30 years after the original film, which was in turn based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Directed by Dennis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) and written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, the sequel will see Harrison Ford return as Deckard, alongside Ryan Gosling.

    Other cast members include Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, David Dastmalchian, Hiam Abbass, Lennie James, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.

    The film is set for release on 6 October 2017.