Blade Runner is a classic. That’s undisputed. The 1982 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is a breathtaking blend of noir and science-fiction that offers us a glimpse of the future we desire and dread. Harrison Ford shines as Rick Deckard, a “Blade Runner” tasked with hunting down and killing a group of rogue replicants. Replicants are bio-engineered androids designed to function as slaves, but with enough free will to rebel. Blade Runner opened to an underwhelming response upon release, but has since earned its place as a film for the ages.
Now, 35 years later, Deckard is back. Ridley Scott is in the producer’s chair this time with directing duties passed to Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival). Villeneuve is a rabid fan of the original and manages to re-create the atmosphere that made the original so compelling. Ryan Gosling plays K, a replicant Blade Runner dedicated to tracking down the rebellious among his own kind and ending their life. But he soon finds himself on a journey that will lead him face-to-face with Deckard and a secret that could change the course of humanity forever. Blade Runner 2049 is a flawed film that can’t live up to its predecessor, but it’s still a powerful big-screen experience and a worthy homage to one of the best films of all time.
Join Jon and Tim as they discuss Denis Villeneuve’s filmography, how Blade Runner owes a dept to Frankenstein, the evolution of Han Solo, why Ryan Gosling is boring, the first convincing CGI performance, whether Siri has rights, technology’s unintended consequences, the search for something real, and what makes us human.
