Blade Runner 2049 2017

Denis Villeneuve did not waste time world building on the first few frames. Sa first few frames pa lang, ramdam mo na agad yung scale and tone. And he and Roger Deakins already flexed their muscles dun pa lang sa opening scene with K (Ryan Gosling) and Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista). They kept the aesthetic of futuristic California, but this one is cleaner and brighter compared to the original. Hindi na ganun ka-grimy, pero may lungkot pa rin sa bawat frame. I forgot that Ana de Armas and David Dastmalchian were here, and most especially Robin Wright. Wow. Even the pirate from Captain Phillips! Solid cast. I really like the ever moving light versus shadow inside the Wallace Corporation. Parang buhay yung architecture, constantly shifting, unsettling, and godlike. When K burned Sapper’s house, it reminded me of a scene from Incendies. May parehong emotional weight at finality sa imagery. I like the detective vibes of this film. Quiet, methodical, at mas introspective kaysa action driven. Some shots of Denis here look like the color tone of the first Dune film, especially the home planet of the Sardaukar. I think Denis learned a lot doing this film and applied it to the Dune franchise. Hope this will also have an IMAX re release. Ang daming IMAX worthy, painting like shots. Even Hans Zimmer has tones here that feel similar to Dune. May desolation, loneliness, but also a hint of hope underneath. The special effects of explosions are nice, very tangible and believable. My first viewing inantok ako dito, but now I’m more invested and immersed. Medyo slow paced din kasi talaga, and iba expectations ko before. Akala ko action flick siya, but this one really leans more on cinematic language and mood. The green drenched, snow covered streets of California are siiiick. Very memorable visual identity. The syncing of Joi and the hooker feels trippy. Reminds me of the movie Her. This is lonely and desperate. Ang ganda talaga ng Las Vegas sequence. That orange hue with fog and dusty texture is pure visual poetry. Nakakalungkot lang for K. Ang daming twist na nangyari sa kanya. Una akala niya siya yung anak, then nagkaroon siya ng existential crisis. After niya paniwalaan yun, malalaman niya na decoy lang pala siya and implanted lang talaga yung memory niya from another person’s real memory (both foreshadowed at the earlier scenes). This really touches the idea that replicants develop deeper emotions once they are given false hope. The final battle looks straight out of Tron Legacy because of the neon lighting, but this time with lots of water. Nice fight choreography too, reminds me of Dune Part Two with Muad’Dib and Feyd Rautha.