Justice League Review

As the year comes to an end for superhero films after the supremely funny, satisfyingly entertaining return of Thor, we have one final comic book film of this year to close out 2017 with a bang.  That is the team-up, action/adventure film of DC’s mightiest heroes to form the Justice League.  This film has had an interesting journey to the cinema as it had two directors Zack Synder and Joss Whedon with Synder having to leave for personal reasons and Whedon stepping in to reshape and fix the issues the film might have had during its post-production edit.  That and the lukewarm opinions on the DC films as of late and it has an uphill battle to justify as well as revitalize the world for future installments of these iconic superheroes in cinematic form. Does this film succeed where the others have failed despite its fundamental flaws that were unavoidable due to the troubled production schedule and creative input or does it suffer the same issues as its predecessors before it with its tone-deaf storytelling or its disconnected direction on display? Let’s form up and really become heroes, just for this review by going into the story first.

It has only been a few months since Superman (Henry Cavill) gave his life to kill Doomsday and save Gotham City and Metropolis from destruction at the hands of the Kryptonian monster.  The world has spiraled back into its chaotic and violent ways with Batman (Ben Affleck) working in the shadows of Gotham City along with Wonder Woman (Gal Godot) remaining incognito from the problems of the world in Paris (with the occasional Superheroic acts from time to time).  However, that all changes when Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) invades Themysicra and defeats the Amazonians as his conquest of Earth begins, searching for the Mother Boxes.  This spurs Wonder Woman to work with Batman to recruit superheroes from all over the world with The Flash (Erza Miller) from Central City, Aquaman (Jason Momoa) who is living in exile in Iceland, and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), a Gotham varsity college student transformed into a cybernetic hybrid courtesy of his father and the Mother Box from S.T.A.R.R Labs after a tragic accident that claimed his mother’s life.  With the assault on Earth from Steppenwolf and his legion of Para demons, the superheroes from all the corners of the world must learn to work together and unite against a common enemy to form the Justice League, an organization of Superheroes united to defend the universe against all threats on a global and galactic level.

There is no easy way to write this but to be upfront, yes, this story is simplistic, straightforward and, yet it is quite a mess due to the troubled production problems that rear their ugly problems onto the big screen.  It is amazing to see a lack of narrative structure to each scene as it transitions moment to moment for each character to be developed or introduced as well as checking off the necessary clichés and troupes needed to get everyone to their starting positions before the mayhem begins.  However, it does move along briskly to allow for character moments to shine by letting the viewers really see how these characters click with each other.  It does come at the cost of plot inconsistences (to cover up for the creative choices made in previous films) and retcons to liven and present a fun, adventurous tone to the entire proceedings.  It works but it is a double-edged sword problem as well. 

To explain the consequences of simplifying the story, it lacks any form of emotional depth or the ambitious but darkly weighty themes/character arcs of the previous films before it.  This is evident to the connective tissues of each scenes absent from each cut that makes it a bit messy and nonsensical especially with the subplots being condensed into either a pointless action scene (Wonder Woman taking on European terrorists) or does not seems to matter to the plot at all (Supes and his first meeting with the Justice League, great scene but not relevant to the main plot).  There is also a stronger emphasis on a lighter, campy tone to the proceedings that it feels like it is in line with the animated efforts of the DC characters but not as compelling or memorable as those interpretations.  This clashes with the occasional grim and somber moments in the film that feels out of place with this lighter, audience friendly atmosphere of the story, unintentionally creating tonal shifts that can be felt throughout this film.

This is compounded by another aspect of the major reshoot that is evident in this film, mainly with the characters interacting as well as the quippy jokes and witty drawl dialogue writing being a trademark for Joss Whedon.  It does flesh out the characters with their own distinctive traits particularly the course correction with Batman to be less arrogant, as well as the fan favorite Flash (despite issues with the character and performance itself).  It is the moments when the heroes interact where the characters come into their own, the film really showcases what this film series should have established first especially with an organic, yet endearingly funny scene near the end involving Aquaman and a rope (enough said).  These moments are only sprinkled throughout the film in between generic, cookie cutter save the world plot with the dull villain and not so complex narrative structure and pacing on display here (as another critic pointed out, a discount version of Avengers with the cube like artifact that can destroy the world). 

There is just one more aspect to discuss regarding the story that does work, the team interactions and Superman himself (no spoilers with story elements that explains his purpose here).  These moments between the heroes are very much apparent reshoots and it adds some levity but also character personality to them, which were lacking in previous films.  When it was about the heroes themselves, the film shines brightest in what could have been with these series of films, but it is brought back down to mediocrity with its weak, generic brute of a villain and thin main plot to motivate the joining of these characters.  As for Superman, his resurrection is forced and contrived, with characters bringing up good points as to why that might be a bad idea, but the character is allowed to finally be the hopeful, powerful boy scout character that has made him endearing to fans of the comics for years.  If it seems like too few positives to establish with this film’s story, there is not much else to go on as it has literally been condensed, trimmed, and reshaped for better as well as for worse.

Let’s get into the cast of characters, starting with the Justice League themselves.  Ben Affleck returns as Batman/Bruce Wayne after his surprisingly memorable introduction in the previous film and his performance is an interesting one to explore.  He is still providing a solid portrayal of the character in his older years but there are unfortunate signs that his heart and enthusiasm is not in this as much as it was in the previous film.  It was apparent in the reshot scenes that he is phoning it in as some have mentioned, and it shows, especially when he is supposed to originally be the main center of the team (which may have shifted to another character due in part to the success of a certain DC film recently).  That is not to diminish what he has done for the character, but it really feels like he is coming to his end with the character and it matches how out of place the character is with this conflict feeling a bit out of his depth.  Anyway, a decent performance but isn’t quite as remarkable or intensely passionate as before in the previous films.

The real heroic center of the team is Wonder Woman played by Gal Godot, who is still passionate and absolutely game to be the Amazonian warrior we enjoyed watching in her origin film.  She provides a commendably solid performance and embodies that great qualities of the character once more as well as being reshaped in the reshot scenes to be the character that represents the qualities of a hero (this is evident in ADR lines that reword it for Wonder Woman instead of Superman as she was established better in her own film than even the Man of Steel).  Her moments with the characters are brief but she still has some great subdued moments with Batman, which especially her as a heroic figure that both Batman and Superman haven’t been in any of their film entries.  Her presences lift the film a bit but not enough to hide the fundamental problems with the script and tonally conflicted direction on display here in the final edit.

This brings us to the new additions to the team, starting with the speedster himself, the Flash played by Erza Miller.  He is one of the purposefully made comic relief characters brought in to liven up the proceedings and for at least most of the film, he works just fine as such.  Unfortunately, there are times when he tends to be annoying and a bit too tried hard to be cool with his personality and character, but Erza Miller is a proper fit for the role and does inspire some confidence in his solo outing in the future (when it happens).  He does provide some cool moments especially in showcasing the speed force of his powers despite the extensive use of slow motion as it is a trademark of the director’s visual style.  Barry Allen is a decent audience surrogate character despite being a bit obnoxious at times and the humor/quips being hit and miss from him.

Now with Aquaman played by Jason Momoa, this will be this character’s first ever live action debut in film form and it is certainly a unique yet a pleasantly fun addition to this series.  It must be said that he is clearly have a blast playing the Atlantean King that is tore between being a human and royalty.  He is another cast member that can bring some lively energy to the film and it clearly shows in his performance, making his scenes fun to watch for sure.  While his development is limited and condensed due in part to the studio mandate for the editing, he makes his character pop out and at least inspire interest in his upcoming solo outing at the end of next year.  Jason Momoa provides a good interpretation of the character for Aquaman’s first film outing and has the most fun out of the whole cast. 

The same can be said for Ray Fisher as Cyborg but it is the opposite as his performance and character development suffered the most from the reshoot and change in direction.  He is the moody, cynical new cybernetic hero that has difficulty conforming and accepting his rebirth after a tragic accident.  He kind of becomes the McGuffin of the story as well as just a techie of the team, as well as feeling like the least developed or interesting character in the team.  The actor is perfectly fine in the role and his character was liven up from the reshoot by injecting more snark to his personality.  Just about ok but not memorable or noteworthy to be a part of this team despite the adequate but bland performance from Ray Fisher.

To close out the cast of superheroes, we finally look at the Man of Steel himself, Superman played by Henry Cavill.  He finally gets the chance to play the character the way he was intended to be in the comics and other interpretations, but it feels like too little, too late in this case especially when he only factors into the last act of the film.  His performance is still adequate and is finally given the chance to have some semblance of a personality to his character for once.  However, his time is limited and is more of a Deus Ex Machina to resolve the conflict and act as a plot point that just brings the story to a close.  He finally showcases how he was a great choice for the character but he is still squandered in a shortened appearance in this film.

The next set of performers are clearly wasted or just generic to be forgettable and kind of pointless to the story at hand.  Many of the same actors from previous films like Lois Lane played by Amy Adams and Martha Kent played by Diane Lane return for brief roles and add very little to the characters we are focusing on this time around.  Even Commissioner Gordan played by J.K. Simmons is given only a brief time to set up an action sequence and that is it.  This is made worse with one of the dullest and cookie-cutter villain to ever grace superhero films so far Steppenwolf played by Ciarán Hinds and it really undercuts the motivation for this team-up to take place.  It really is the superheroes’ film and the supporting cast along with the average human being in these films are nothing but afterthoughts to its typical beat-em-up nature of the story itself.

Let’s get to the technical aspects of the film, starting with the action set pieces themselves which the film has plenty of throughout its runtime.  The film kicks off with Batman tracking down ParaDemons and it ends with one big, chaotic battle with the big baddie and his generic CGI army, making for a film that really gets weigh down by the action itself.  This is an interesting point to make but the film shows it promise when the characters interact with each other regarding the team building and developing their trust with one another.  The typical big superhero action sequences are rather pedestrian in contrast to the other films in this genre outside of the brief moments of creative energy with Superman’s return and the individual characters’ fights (Aquaman taking on Steppenwolf and Wonder Woman taking on terrorists in the opening act).  So, the film is at its most engaging when the punching and explosions don’t take place and that is a sign of how familiar and repetitive the action in these films have become in this sub-genre.

When it comes to CGI effects, this is where the film’s problematic post production work is put on display especially in the weightless, washed out quality of these effects throughout the entirety of the film.  It does look fine during the big battles in the beginning and displaying the character’s powers especially with the Flash’s speed force ability (which does look cool).  However, it does seem to have a rollercoaster rhythm of quality going from decent to just completely odd and fake looking especially with the controversial reshoot for Cavill and his removal of the mustache along with the floaty and rather dull finale when our heroes take on Steppenwolf and his para demons.  It really feels out of place at times as well with the actors being superimposed into the CGI environments along with dodgy character CGI especially with Cyborg feeling a bit overly designed at times, highlighting the effects too much.  The CGI is somewhat okay when it is just big battles but becomes questionably lackluster and lacks polish up close on certain characters and as the climax takes place.

This leads into the editing as it also suffers the woes of the rushed, shortened post production schedule as well.  The film would seem to be a byproduct of both directors, but it really is not as it feels more like a studio mandated film through and through.  To explain this further, it feels like it is both grim and serious, yet it is offset by the light, campy adventurous tone that seems to be evidence of the reshoot and change in direction for the film.  It also feels like studio executives influenced the edit by making sure there were jokes galore from Flash and everyone in the cast as well as rectifying all the criticized and problematic elements of previous films.  There is also a lack of connective tissues to critical scenes that are missing throughout the film, creating a bit of a mess in the narrative flow, making the scenes feel like moments that are unrelated to each other.  This has the unfortunate result of creating a disjointed rhythm to the whole edit that at times shines through when it gives the characters time to develop but becomes messy as it devolves into action set pieces especially for the majority of the second half.

Finally, we get to the musical score as it has also had problems behind the scene as well with Junkie XL leaving the production upon the start of post-production work and Danny Elfman stepping into start from scratch.  He brings back the iconic themes of Batman and Superman (composed by John William) in subtle but notable musical motifs that you can hear in different parts of the film featuring these characters.  Otherwise, the score is kind of background noise that really feels like typical epic soundscapes that does not leave much of an impression on its own.  It feels like the composer just recycling typical themes from his previous work, other composer’s themes, and even just what to expect from a superhero film along with lacking any distinctive main theme to be considered the music for Justice League.

There is a reason for the delays and struggle to convey the positives and negatives of this film and it is because Justice League is just an average, mediocre superhero film that checks off all the traits needed in this type of film as well as playing it safe to the genre’s troupes and clichés.  That is why this is painful but also frustrating in writing and discussing this film as it is just average, and this is a team up of all the iconic and remarkable superheroes of DC, but it was unable to inspire confidence, passion, and excitement for more adventures with characters we have not gotten used to besides Wonder Woman.  While it does steer the series into a more hopeful and fun tone/outlook for future films, it feels already dated by its similar yet tired plot of finding McGuffins to stop baddie from destroying the world along with been tone deaf and uncaring about the characters when the action kicks in.  The worst part of all this is that it may be fun and enjoyable on the surface, but it is a messy yet simplistic film that is good enough for a viewing but for fans that were excited to see this team-up in live action, it should not have been this forgettable.

Score *** out of *****

Justice League is the team-up of DC’s Mightiest Heroes teaming up to fight the dullest, bland villain to grace cinema in a long time while the entire film is quite a mess in its action, CGI and editing, it shines at its best when it takes time to develop the heroes as well as their interactions with each other.  There is a lighter tone and shorter run-time that at least feels like it has some form of narrative to follow easily but it comes at the cost of being too simplistic and lacking of emotional/character substance as well as trimming out necessary character development that might have been used to set up certain characters (Cyborg, Aquaman, and Flash suffered the most from the editing down of individual story elements).  It doesn’t help that the effects are rather inconsistent throughout and really shows clearly the effects of the reshoots in a negative light, along with the disjointed nature of the editing.  This could have been special and iconic like Marvel’s The Avengers, but it ended up being nothing more than a harmless, fun yet unremarkable superhero adventure film that leaves the series in limbo creatively as to where these DC characters can go next. 

Blade Runner: 2049 Review

It has been nearly 35 years since a certain science fiction crime noir film came out in theaters and captured the imagination of the few viewers that gave it a chance despite not making back its money in production cost considering its lukewarm reception from critics and audiences alike.  However, with the numerous refined cuts and the final cut released in 2007, it has been recognized as a classic film that defined a visual language for many sci-fi films, TV shows, anime, and video games to move away from campy/exaggerated styles of the future to blend those ideals and themes with a grounded yet believable world that could exist.  What makes the seminal crime noir drama Blade Runner stand out from most films of that genre is the practical use of effects and set/art design that feels tangible despite the distinctive nature of each design.  It also was timely with its themes of humanity being duplicated in better form but at the cost of individuality and freedom to choose who we want to be, evident in the constant struggles of Richard Deckard (Harrison Ford) and Roy Batty (Rugter Hauer) as they face their own mortality and values towards humanity throughout the story.  It has aged reasonably well in its effects and visual storytelling despite its rather thin plot and somewhat weak character development throughout all the cuts.  This is a film that truly embodies the “show, don’t tell” philosophy of filmmaking that is sorely lacking in today’s films these days.

As of today though, we now have a sequel from a talented and quality director Denis Villeneuve fresh off of his critically acclaimed films such as Sicario and Arrival with a star studded cast of new and returning characters.  We also have Michael Green (fresh off the surprisingly entertaining show American Gods) and Hampton Fauncher (one of the original writers of Blade Runner) as writers this time out.  On top of all that promise, we have a higher budget cost to recreate the world that sci-fi fans fell in love with throughout the decades.  An influential film that inspired the visual style, look, and tone of stories within its genre is now back to tell another story set in this unique yet relevantly believable world of Los Angeles set in 2049.  Let’s get right into the case file and look at the story profile for this film.

It has been 30 years since the 4 skin jobs called Replicants were discovered and retired by Blade Runner officer Richard Deckard (Harrison Ford).  He went into hiding with a female experimental replicant model named Rachel (Sean Young).  As the convening years went by, a terrorist attack caused by replicants and human sympathizers caused an EMP explosion over Los Angeles, plunging the city into total chaos.  This lead to the prohibition of all Replicant productions until a certain scientist/bio engineer with a god complex, Wallace (Jared Leto) provided new models that can be controlled through a hive mind program/bio mechanics that prevents the replicants from being nothing more than slaves.  However, these replicants would slip through his control as evident from Sapper’s violent actions (Dave Bautisa) which forces the initiation of the Blade Runner unit once more, with Agent K (Ryan Gosling) as Los Angeles’ best officer/blade runner.  It is now 2049 and the world has kept on spinning and picked up the pieces with Tyrell Corp. completely dissolved and Wallace Corporation is on the forefront of Replicant production for all of Earth and its colonies.

This leads to the story’s present, as Agent K is employed by LAPD Chief (Robin Wright) to track down a fugitive Nexus 8 Replicant name Sapper, who is wanted for murder and property destruction close to a year ago.  What Agent K discovers from Sapper is that the former Blade Runner, Deckard is alive and discovers that Deckard and Rachel were hunted leading up to the Blackout for a certain secret that could change the very foundation of humanity and machines forever. Agent K also learns that Deckard’s love for Rachel may have created a secret that could very well bring the world to the brink of war.  He sets off to investigate the case along with his girl name Joi (Ana De Armas) who haunts his dreams and appears occasionally in his life throughout his investigation.  What he discovers and finds could change not only the world but change himself and the very nature of humanity.

This story synopsis is based on the trailers, short films, and the basic beats without spoiling the entire plot or revelations in the film.  So, no worries on that as the only discussion that will take place now is how the story is executed, written and directed based on the screening.  This is (to put it safely in words) the “Aliens” of this series as it not only honors and expands on the first film greatly in this sequel but tells a compelling continuation of the story before on a grander scale, while carving its own path with the new lead character as well as a different yet noir story scenario befitting for its setting and world.  Each moment leads to revelatory changes in each character but also the story as well, which is what this film does better than the original film.  By tying the character arcs with the major plot beats that shape them and push them further along to the end, they found a way to modernize the story but only to enrich what has come before and not belittle it at all.  Each character moment is truly wonderfully written and finds unique ways to develop the themes that made the first film so iconic and influential for today’s audience and for this new chapter in the story.  It begins on a tense, creepy note and ends on a high, emotionally satisfying note but the middle is where the film does falter a bit for viewers depending on expectations and importantly, the genre it exhibits shamelessly as sci-fi crime noir.

It is a very ambitious, location driven story that goes into different areas of California that feel distinctive to each other but the pacing of the middle act is where the issues do appear mainly in its detours and slow build to the payoff of those subplots.  That is not to say that more is not better but it does feel weighty at times particularly in the moments when Agent K is investigating the case or certain character moments happen that take a bit of time to get to the climax of an arc.  It is also very much a crime/detective noir story through and through, meaning there are moments throughout the film that are very slow, ponderous, and methodical that may not be doable for certain viewers to sit through.  Otherwise, it is a worthy follow up to the original film and barring some pacing issues in the middle act and perhaps a few contentiously odd moments and approaches to certain themes/ideas, it can tell its own story set in the same universe and world as the first film along with tying the stories together organically without feeling forced or fan-servicey to its own detriment.  Which leads to the last point about the first film being important to watch, as there are story/characters arcs as well as the ending from that film that are emotionally meaningful and tied into this film’s narrative overall.  That is all for the story but rest assured, it is directed, written, and structured with creative spark and enthusiasm to explore a different, self-contained story in this world more so than most sequels are capable of in the film industry today.

As for the performances, there are a few noteworthy ones’ worth mentioning especially from the new characters and returning character from the first film.  For starters, Ryan Gosling as Agent K pretty much exudes the same cool, stoic demeanor of his previous work like Drive as an example and it works well for the thick, dark atmosphere of the story at play here.  He may not emote as much here but it is intentionally written and performed as such to be crucial to the character’s story arc from the first minutes to the end.  As the film progresses though, he does handle his emotional beats appropriately and to the story’s progression as well.  He ultimately works as our new entry point into this world and as such, fits the sleuthing yet conflicted detective, bounty hunter that is the tradition for this genre of storytelling in crime drama. 

Another notable performance is Ana De Armas as Joi, the lived-in girlfriend of Agent K, who provides much of the emotional weight of K with their scenes together.  In many ways, she becomes the most human character in the sea of cold, emotionless beings that inhabit this world.  In a way, she serves as a fantastic contrast that further deepens and explores new avenues of familiar themes regarding humanity and love particularly.  Her role in the story is the emotional anchor for Agent K and allows for him to grow as a character with her contrasting character traits and personality.  She does play an important role in Agent K’s changes as a character and his overall arc that drives the story forward.

As it was revealed in the trailers, Harrison Ford does come back as Deckard, retired and gruff as well as a bit jaded after turning his back on the world.  He comes in at the right moment for the story and has a fantastic yet heartbreaking story arc that ties beautifully into the first film as well as a solid conclusion to the cliffhanger at the end of the first film.  This is also the most animated and sentimental he has been with his performance yet, allowing for him to have a purpose to be a part of this story instead of being a forced in cameo/nostalgic addition to the story.  So, no worries, Ford delivers a charismatic and driven performance for his character to return and play a crucial role to the investigation and the mystery surrounding it.  His appearance in this film is a deliberate and comforting addition to the story that continues his character arc from the first film by concluding it in a satisfying, emotionally cathartic way.

As for the rest of the cast, they play their respective roles skillfully and in tune (with one exception) with the sinister, cold world of California 2049.  Robin Wright is actually one of the few supporting cast members to stand out from rest of the cast, as well as provide some much needed strength to a familiar character archetype as well as urgency to the main story.  Sylvia Hoeks plays the cunning and deadly cleaner Luv, right hand woman of Wallace with confidence and memorable menace that provides conflict to the main characters in the right moments.  While Sapper is basically a one off character, Dave Bautista actually does rather well in playing his role in a low key way as well as providing a great action beat to kick the film off.  As for the omnipresent, ego driven modified human boss Wallace (Jared Leto), he provides context and importance to the main plot in the scenes he is in but tends to be one of the stranger performances as he goes between different styles of acting that makes him a bit inconsistent and the only odd performance out of the whole that felt off with the rest of the film. Otherwise, a rock solid cast of talented actors and some truly great leads in the bunch.

It’s time to get to the area where this film truly shines and is worth the trip into a premium theater especially with high quality sound systems, the technical aspects of the film from art/costume/set designs to cinematography, sound design, and finally the music score to this film.  There is a great blend of analog and digital in use with the art direction here with a greater emphasis on the cold, snowy looks of Russia/Europe in contrast to the wet, humid styles of Asia in Los Angeles/California this time around.  This maintains the growth of technology within the world’s given rules and still relevant to today’s world, to a certain degree (VI’s and Androids created for labor work).  It is also starkly cold and harshly ruined that compliments the passage of time from the short films to this film’s present especially as the state is more spread out compared to the claustrophobic and packed in cityscape of Los Angeles in 2019.   In a way, this film establishes its own visual style and is a compellingly great evolution of the world that has changed for better and most certainly, for the worse.

The costume designs are quite distinctive to this world as it is a blend of everyday and fashion day wear for most of the characters.  Agent K sports a look that is reminiscent of the cyborg Assassins of a top down, isometric assassination shooter game Syndicate with his dark, encased trench coat with a face cover for it that looks really cool to see them inject great art designs from elsewhere.  Joi has the most varied costume changes to fit the mood of herself with Agent K that injects the somewhat campy sci-fi elements but still exude a sense of foreboding sexuality that seems to pervade throughout California.  As for the rest of the characters, they are interestingly dressed in European designs with the visual identity towards Russia/Ukraine, particularly with the citizens of LA and the slums in the outskirts of California.  There is also a certain KGB/Gestapo quality to the uniformed looks of the LAPD particularly the Blade Runner Division that feels familiar but truly its own identity and expansion of the world before it.  It is a contrast to the pan-Asia style of the original film but it feels properly different and sets itself apart for the better.  The art designs deserved their own section for being truly different from most sci-fi films and quite timely for the time they are made in.

We finally get to the best and most noteworthy aspect of the film, the cinematography from none other than the legend himself, Roger Deakins.  This is his 3^rd collaboration with Denis Villeneuve from Prisoners to Sicario and his team created the most beautiful yet moody and depressing view of dystopian Sci-Fi ever conceived on the big screen.  This is one of his finest in a long line of great works that deserves praise and accolades for truly capturing the desolate yet lived-in look of a ruined world.  Each shot feels like a work of art and captures the gritty yet larger than life sci-fi elements of this world that realize the very future that the author of this world, Phillip K. Dick had envisioned within his works.  The soft yet contrasting lighting and mix of vibrant, subdued colors are extraordinary to watch as it is quite gorgeous yet insidiously creepy to watch as each location is lit appropriately to their place in the world.  This is coupled with the amazing effects and editing at work here as well with some caveats particularly with the editing.

The editing for the film is on point for the most part with the pacing issues coming down to certain scenes that do go on for a bit too long that it may be to the detriment of some viewers in theaters.  Each of the scenes seem to go on for as long as they need to, which is usually fine when you are telling a complex, sprawling mystery that lays out the trail for viewers to follow.  However, there are certain points of the film mainly with K’s investigation scenes that do go on a little too long as if to ensure that we pick up on the visual cues that lead to the next development of the main plot or subplot that pays off dramatically later.  With the way this story unfolds, it is quite effective in that regard as a detective story but not for an audience that may be going in for something faster paced, filled with cheap and referential humor, and asks nothing from the audience to see what they need to know but tell them out right what they should know.  While the editing needed to be tighter in a few scenes, it still moves along at a great pace for its investigation to take place and the brutal moments of action to occur in accordance to the moments in the story.

The action beats are only a few sequences but they give the film the jolt of energy it needs at the right moments to really ratchet up the urgency and tension of the story.  While Agent K tends to start or pulled into the action, they are fast, brutal, and quite violent especially with the nature of his character and the dangerous forces that follow his trail.  As seen in the trailer, he has one of the tensest cat and mouse confrontation with Deckard that is quite ominous yet creepy and is accomplished by the assured direction and wonderful cinematography at work in that scene.  Lastly from the trailer, you do see a shootout sequence on a waterway/stormy night that is quite possibly the most brutal fight scene and befitting location for its noir story genre ironically enough.  As you can see, there are only a few action beats in the film but when they happen, they are mesmerizing and engaging to watch as well as providing some much needed energy when the film needs it.   

There is a great blend of both CGI and practical effects on display here that rivals and surpasses even today’s films especially the ones coming up in the next 2 months.  The world feels truly lived in and designed with a great amount of care to show how the world has advanced but also little has changed from it.  There are also some great use of on set locations particularly with the outskirts of California with the ruined junkyard of the old world and scavengers traversing its lands to steal, pillage, and kill if necessary.  Without spoiling anything, the CGI effects on certain characters are quite possibly the most realistic that has ever come close to duplicating human performances yet, along with blending two performances together without seeming hokey.  Those moments are truly going to be the most memorable parts of the film that will define its own legacy in its behind the scenes stories as well as filmmaking history.  This is a marriage of two different styles of effects to create this new world and honor what was created before in the original film.

Blade Runner - Vangelis

Lastly, we get to the score itself which has had an interesting and tumultuous history in its creation mainly with the choices of composers.  Johann Johannsson was originally going to create the music for this film, making this his 3^rd collaboration with the director.  However, from possibly conflicted interests or creative differences, he left and Han Zimmer with Benjamin Wallfisch stepped in to create the music for this film.  What makes this interesting but also a concern, is that they were brought on board at the last minute, following up to the film’s premiere which could mean either a generic score or something that is interesting but not quite memorable.  They had a ton of roadblocks ahead especially in following up Vangelis’ dreamlike, memorable score of the original film.

 Blade Runner 2049 - Han Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch

After hearing the music in context with the film, it works quite well on its own merits without needing to contrast it with Vangelis despite only using a few musical motifs from that score to tie the two films together.  The music is more akin to moments, a popular form of scoring that relies on the music to be in sync with the story/character beats when it occurs.  This film does it well and works in tune with the action and dramatic moments for sure but does have some problems standing on its own as it does featured recycled themes from Zimmer and Wallfisch’s previous work, making it difficult to really listen to it on its own outside of a few tracks.  The music works in tandem with the film overall in conforming to the new story/character motifs of the film but not quite a score you can listen to on the go.

This brings us to the question that most people would like to have an answer to, how does it live up to the original film as well as justify its reason to exist as a sequel to it?  This is another story in the Blade Runner world and quite frankly, a great story/mystery that works in creating a new story to follow and concluding the storylines left unresolved in the first film.  The passionate and captivating performances from the cast are on point and fit well with the dreary, noir atmosphere of the world.  Watching this film cold is really a good idea as each revelation and secret that unfolded were hard hitting and emotionally tragic and satisfying to see both new ways to embellish on the themes of humanity within machines and individuality in a conformed future.  The visual effects and sound designs are absolutely exquisite, powerful, and resonate with you beyond the end of the film especially if seen in a premium theater like IMAX.  Does it live up to the hype? Yes, it does, despite not clicking with audiences and ultimately, it will take time before people start to see this as a worthy, admirably made sequel to an influential, iconic sci-fi detective film that really defined the look of the genre for decades.

Score: ***** out of *****

Blade Runner 2049 has a spellbinding, memorable quality to its timely story of humanity and machines coexisting along with the search for freedom of our own identity and purpose in a world devoid of such beliefs.  It is starkly bleak and embodies the visual sensibilities and creative motifs of noir storytelling at its finest.  The performances range from cold and alienating to human and lively, providing a contrast of great conflicts with each character especially with Agent K’s interaction with the entire cast of characters in this film.  Its slow, methodical pacing is evident to the genre of crime drama, with its emphasis on mystery story writing and hardboiled detective story.  It is also the most visually captivating view of a dark, dystopian future captured on film since the original film itself.  This will have its share of fans and haters just like the original film as well as the demanding 2hrs. and 33 minute run-time (plus 10 minutes of credits) and the expectations of what you want to get out of this film.  This is a rare film to be made in today’s culture of fast paced TV production blending with film-making and a reminder of the power that cinema can still project, even in today’s fast paced and attention deficient world of ours.  This is one meditative and engaging sci-fi crime noir film that should be seen on the best screen and sound setup if possible.