Director Denis (“Arrival”) Villeneuve took viewers back into the world of replicant permanent retirement last year through a lumbering but cerebral sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi cinematic masterpiece.
Now available in ultra-high definition, Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 164 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $35.99) dives in 30 years past the original to introduce a new breed of Blade Runner from the Los Angeles Police Department, still out to exterminate the unpredictable bioengineered android mistakes of the Tyrell Corp.
Specifically, replicant agent KDS-3.7 (Ryan Gosling) is still hunting the Nexus 8 models when he learns of a “skinjob” that may have given birth.
The revelation will turn him from the hunter into the hunted as he avoids corporate kingpin Niander Wallace’s (Jared Leto) goons and seeks out the legendary Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to learn the truth about his origins and the possible evolution of the biorobotic humanoids.
The slow-burning plot, played out over almost three hours, quietly dives in character revelations, appreciation of the odd beauty of urban wastelands in a post-apocalyptic world and is occasionally interrupted with some exciting violent interludes.
Notable performances also include Dave Bautista as the burly replicant Sapper Morton, Ana de Armas as KDS-3.7’s holographic companion Joi, Robin Wright as Lt. Joshi and Sylvia Hoeks as Mr. Wallace’s android muscle Luv.
Throughout, the film maintains the noirish and cyberpunk themes of the original.
It also delivers another round of questions about what it means to be human through the complex actions and injected memories of the replicants and the citizens surviving in the squalor of what remains of the U.S. west coast.
Before watching the latest film, I would highly recommended enjoying the original “Blade Runner,” especially the final-cut version released last year on 4K UHD (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 164 minutes, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, $41.99) to learn more about Mr. Scott’s original themes, and the story featuring some of the classic characters seen in the current movie.
4K UHD in action: The digital transfer from the 4K master source to ultra-high definition with its high dynamic range enhancements offers a reference quality package for home entertainment lovers.
However, despite the upgrades, the movie often mires in the bleak, locations often wrought with pollution and rain so viewers will need to appreciate the visual punches when available.
It could be as simple as clearly seeing a replicant’s serial number engrained on its eyeball, noticing the dirty fingernails of characters, or watching smoke blowing through a three-dimensional hologram, ever so slightly warping the image’s hue.
The color pop will also impress. Memorable moments include the multistory, 3-D interactive holographic ads peppering Los Angeles, colors on a villain’s digitally painted fingernails or, best of all, KDS-3.7 walking through the smoky, glowing orange atmosphere of an irradiated Las Vegas, littered with massive broken statues of naked women.
I’ll also mention the Dolby Atmos, sensory-surrounding soundtrack that rumbles throughout. Having one of the famed flying police cars hovering near a farmhouse sounds like a 747 landing in an entertainment room setting.
Best extras: Let’s skip the production featurettes for a minute and focus on the three included, though previously released to the Internet, short films that act as prologues for the main event.
First, a 16-minute animated short item from acclaimed anime director Shinichiro Watanabe leads the pack offering the story behind the epic Blackout of 2022.
It featured a group of renegade Nexus 8 model replicants unleashing an EMP (electro magnetic pulse) on major cities that shut down all machines and erased all electronic records and communications.
The stylish and mesmerizing animation style and excellent recreation of “Blade Runner” landscapes makes it a perfect complement to the main movie.
Another pair of live-action shorts (roughly six minutes each) offers director Luke Scott’s introduction of Mr. Wallace’s pitch to the government for a new replicant model (set in 2036) and the woes of a Nexus 8 replicant Sapper looking for a peaceful existence set in the year 2048.
What’s left is roughly 50 minutes of featurettes covering casting choices, production design and a too-promotional look at the mythology in the sci-fi universe.
Interviews abound in the segments led by Mr. Villeneuve with words from Mr. Gosling, Mr. Ford, writer Hampton Fancher, executive producer Ridley Scott and even Syd Mead, (original concept artist) who was asked to imagine a dirty, bombed Las Vegas.
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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