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Blade Runner 2049 |OT| Do Androids Dream of Electric Boogaloo? [Unmarked Spoilers]

korona15

Banned
Saw it tonight. Disappointed. It was cold, sterile and boring. Agree with others on how the music was not that great. Sound design lacking too. The main thing though was the characters not being compelling. Gosling and Wright's characters were icy and cold. No charm like the first movie. I appreciate the ambition and look, but it just wasn't very satisfying to me. The choice of the 50's singers like Sinatra in a Blade Runner film...really? That old-timey bullshit doesn't belong in a cyberpunk movie. How Gaff was portrayed...what the fuck. Remember when Roy died in the original and how that was a real, emotional moment? Nothing like that in this movie. Oh well. Fuck Hollywood. Cool images though.
 

Moonkid

Member
Hmm aite, I'm relistening to Mesa over and over again and it's great. The soundtrack as a whole just left me feeling bittersweet knowing that it could have been so much more and almost a transformative element in itself.

edit: Reading the rest of the thread it seems to be a rehash of something Zimmer already did. Gah, how disappointing.
.
I say, the billboard scene will define the complete movie in the future. It's unique visual, great in acting and an important, emotional scene for the whole movie. Loved it.
I think you were meant to be quote me :p but yes, I completely agree. I saw it on a youtube thumbnail and was wondering when it would pop up. I thought it'd be a moment earlier on when establishing K and the city. Little did I expect it to be one of the highlights of the film.
 

Metal B

Member
The choice of the 50's singers like Sinatra in a Blade Runner film...really? That old-timey bullshit doesn't belong in a cyberpunk movie.
You didn't get the design of the hotel at all. The warm colors, the 50's singers and its similarities to the abandoner apartment building from Blade Runner were all a setup to meet an old character, which many people have nostalgic feelings. So the place needed to squeeze nostalgia. As K was getting closer to the hotel, it felt like he was stepping through a time-portal.
Even the broken status of the woman before it, were symbolic of the drama, which made Deckard imprisoning himself in that place (the death of his love).

One of the best "Meet an older main-character" moments ever in my opinion, without being much on the nose.
(Also since when does the ruins of a atomic-bomb aftermath not fit a cyberpunk movie? I played Shadowrun and we visited such places).

Remember when Roy died in the original and how that was a real, emotional moment? Nothing like that in this movie. Oh well. Fuck Hollywood. Cool images though.
K dying is similar but still different and great in its own way. Roy and K didn't need to save Deckard, but they both did. Both became human in those moments.
 

Steez

Member
Remember when Roy died in the original and how that was a real, emotional moment? Nothing like that in this movie.

This is going to fall on deaf ears since you already made up your mind, but K realizing he's not the child was incredibly gut-wrenching.
 

Moonkid

Member
This is going to fall on deaf ears since you already made up your mind, but K realizing he's not the child was incredibly gut-wrenching.
Every moment where K began to put the pieces together were really effective for me, especially when he finds the horse.
 

Metal B

Member
One interesting note is the connection between Luv and Rachael. Technically both have the same position to there makers and even look similar, but act very differently on the surface. It maybe points to Rachael being designed to fell in love with Deckard (or another a human) by design and to create a child, since this was here original function by Tyrell. The question is now, did Racheal actually loved Deckard or were those emotions designed by Tyrell? Luv also acted completely in line to Wallace orders, even so she maybe didn't want to (her tearing up). It would hint to a similar artificial relationship as between K and JOI.
It would also fall in line of the main question of the movie: Aren't artificial created emotions as real as truly experienced emotions or does it actually matter?
 

Steez

Member
Every moment where K began to put the pieces together were really effective for me, especially when he finds the horse.

People clown Gosling for all his movies where he doesn't talk much, but dude is a phenomenal actor who has the ability to express pure emotion just by looking at the camera.
 

KodaRuss

Member
Its been a while since I have felt like I would walk straight into the next showing if I could have after a movie was over. I loved it, everything.
 
Saw the movie in Dolby last night, was nuts. Seats shaking almost the entire movie from the volume, thought I was gonna die

The ideal way to watch this film, just blasted with it
 

Moonkid

Member
People clown Gosling for all his movies where he doesn't talk much, but dude is a phenomenal actor who has the ability to express pure emotion just by looking at the camera.
For real. Of the films I've seen him playing a dangerous badass this is probably my favourite. The lighting really did wonders here too.
One interesting note is the connection between Luv and Rachael. Technically both have the same position to there makers and even look similar, but act very differently on the surface. It maybe points to Rachael being designed to fell in love with Deckard (or another a human) by design and to create a child, since this was here original function by Tyrell. The question is now, did Racheal actually loved Deckard or were those emotions designed by Tyrell? Luv also acted completely in line to Wallace orders, even so she maybe didn't want to (her tearing up). It would hint to a similar artificial relationship as between K and JOI.
It would also fall in line of the main question of the movie: Aren't artificial created emotions as real as truly experienced emotions or does it actually matter?
I think the decisions of both Deckard and K to reject/dismiss 'replicated' versions gives these ideas a definite conclusion at least in my interpretation. Just as real, just as important, no less valid.
 
This is going to fall on deaf ears since you already made up your mind, but K realizing he's not the child was incredibly gut-wrenching.

I had such a range of emotions with that reveal. Felt awful for K, was super happy the writers didn't take the obvious route, and was instantly curious as to who the child was, cause I didn't really expect to go back to the character who was the daughter ever, though the tears from her seeing the memory make it obvious in hindsight.

God I love this movie.
 
This is going to fall on deaf ears since you already made up your mind, but K realizing he's not the child was incredibly gut-wrenching.

As was the holographic ad reminding him that the love from Joi wasn't real. Kind of snapped him back to reality. Or for all we know, to K, it didn't matter. She did what a loved one would have done. Is it possible Joi became something more than what the product offered just like replicants? To me that's an open ended question.

Joi was one of the surprises of the movie for me and I loved it.
 

Metal B

Member
Funny side note:
If people can recognize your smartphone's default melody and then know, that you have a waifu, and think of you as a creep, it's really time to change your ringtone, K.
 

Sean C

Member
The deleted scene we really need, following immediately on the ending:

*Harrison Ford puts his hand on the glass*
"Oh shit, sorry, girly, I gotta haul ass back to the casino to get my dog."
*hurries out*
 

Razorback

Member
I think there's a lot of people who think that a movie being slow is an objective flaw or mistake on the movie's part. It's unfortunate for them that they can't appreciate that aspect, but they should know that some people (me) actually enjoy the so-called glacial pace.

The visuals combined with the soundscape create certain moods that are very subtle. It's not about the core emotions like sadness or anger. The scenes need room to breath, time to let your mind wander a bit before you can put the pieces together. And these pieces don't even have to be put there deliberately by the filmmakers. Slow movies have the advantage that they let you be a part of the process in a way, they let you contemplate more deeply what the characters are going through.

Particularly if a movie is visually beautiful like this one it is important to linger a while on the shots to give you time to appreciate them and live in them for a moment and not just a glimpse.
 

deleted

Member
It was very solid. I wouldn't go as far as masterpiece, but it was pretty fantastic to watch.

Some questions though.

Why would K be so sure that Deckards daughter was the memory architect? I thought till the end that he would go in there and let Deckard see his memories implemented in him of the girl. Was it just her reaction to the memory?

Did K grow up somewhat normally? Why would they implement the memory just a few years back when they needed a decoy much earlier? And why did the architect not recognize him? It's surely her memory, how could it have been extracted without her knowledge?
 

kingocfs

Member
It was very solid. I wouldn't go as far as masterpiece, but it was pretty fantastic to watch.

Some questions though.

Why would K be so sure that Deckards daughter was the memory architect? I thought till the end that he would go in there and let Deckard see his memories implemented in him of the girl. Was it just her reaction to the memory?

The revelation that she was the daughter happens when the one-eyed woman says that Rachel had a girl. They use flashbacks to tell the audience, recalling the moment when the daughter says “an artist puts themselves in their work” or something. When K flips out after her reaction to the memory, he’s still assuming that he is the child.

At least that’s how I put it together.
 

El Topo

Member
It was very solid. I wouldn't go as far as masterpiece, but it was pretty fantastic to watch.

Some questions though.

Why would K be so sure that Deckards daughter was the memory architect? I thought till the end that he would go in there and let Deckard see his memories implemented in him of the girl. Was it just her reaction to the memory?

Did K grow up somewhat normally? Why would they implement the memory just a few years back when they needed a decoy much earlier? And why did the architect not recognize him? It's surely her memory, how could it have been extracted without her knowledge?

No need for spoiler tags in this thread.

1. There was her reaction to the memory, the backstory she gives him earlier (about her life), the knowledge of her disease (which was mentioned in the log he saw), possibly the old replicant saying the child was safe, there is also her reputation as a memory architect and her position in general (as a supplementor of memories to Wallace's company), not to mention her age. There's probably more that I can't think of right now.

2. K is a regular replicant. He did not grow up normally. What he has are fake memories (probably about growing up - we see the birthday cake memory Dr. Ana Stelline was creating), intertwined with some memories that actually happened. The architect does not recognize him, because she has never met him. She only provides the memories to Wallace's company, she does not create the replicants themselves. This was not part of some grand plan (as far as we know). The memory wasn't extracted without her knowledge, she used her own memories as part of the memories she provides for the replicants. All the best memories are hers after all.
 
This is going to fall on deaf ears since you already made up your mind, but K realizing he's not the child was incredibly gut-wrenching.

Yes. I've seen that physical slump in people I love when they are presented with devastating news. It brings home just how devastating this discovery is to Joe's still-developing sense of identity and belonging.

People are praising the billboard sequence, but I'm not sure they're seeing what I see. The key to Joi is revealed, I should have thought, even for those who were earlier fooled by her life-like behaviour. "See what you want to see. Hear what you want to hear." Joi is just a reasonable extrapolation from present-day machine learning algorithms. Joe has lost everything he thought he had, even his memory of what at the time seemed like an intense personal relationship.
 

number11

Member
There’s nothing wrong about a direct sequel.. but I wonder if this movie works without seeing the first. I love the original but the Deckard / Rachel / Daughter scenes still left me cold. I was way more interested in K and Joi.
 

Sean C

Member
People are praising the billboard sequence, but I'm not sure they're seeing what I see. The key to Joi is revealed, I should have thought, even for those who were earlier fooled by her life-like behaviour. "See what you want to see. Hear what you want to hear." Joi is just a reasonable extrapolation from present-day machine learning algorithms.
And the replicants are slaves without real emotions who have to obey. Until they don’t.

That scene parallels Deckard encountering the “new” Rachel. Both reject the facsimile.
 
nobody wants a movie about the REPLICANT REVOLUTION
One could easily make the argument that the entire franchise is about replicant revolution. Small in the case of a single unit going rogue and coming back to earth (first movie) and large in the case of an awakening army of slave workers (second movie). Unless you hate the first movie, your statement above makes little sense.
 

Violet_0

Banned
took me entirely too long to come to the realization that the script probably started by just reversing the "is Deckard a replicant?" question
I think with Luv there are these interesting little moments that hint at so much more, such as the conversation with Lt. Joshi, her cheerful (?) reaction after seemingly having killed K or proclaiming they are taking Deckard "home" when they leave at the end.
I'm not sure why she cried occasionally during the movie, but I thought her fight scene was unconvincing, she left K to die twice and it came back to bite her in the ass every time, and I suspected that she was covertly following her own agenda instead of just serving Leto's character
One could easily make the argument that the entire franchise is about replicant revolution. Small in the case of a single unit going rogue and coming back to earth (first movie) and large in the case of an awakening army of slave workers (second movie). Unless you hate the first movie, your statement above makes little sense.
I just don't want a movie dedicated to the Replicants forming a huge movement and liberating themself, no Matrix 3 please. The first movie was about a small group of escaped Replicants killing their creator and trying to extend their short life time/mingle among humans, the resistance in 2049 were nearly completely detached from the plot. So far, neither of the BR was about starting a rebellion against the evil oppressive system, they are more personal and about the individual character
 

Jeffrey

Member
Maybe it gotta do with the overall pace but the handful of quick actionish scenes like when there is a shooting scene or them running and get hit by the missile, or when Joe goes all Darth Vader on the vehicles, felt a little out of place lol.


Been a bit since I watched blade runner but I don't recall there being that many quick action stuff. Even the final fight was slow methodical horror movie stalking there.


Also what's with the base line test thing? Is that based on something real?
 

Metal B

Member
People are praising the billboard sequence, but I'm not sure they're seeing what I see. The key to Joi is revealed, I should have thought, even for those who were earlier fooled by her life-like behaviour. "See what you want to see. Hear what you want to hear." Joi is just a reasonable extrapolation from present-day machine learning algorithms. Joe has lost everything he thought he had, even his memory of what at the time seemed like an intense personal relationship.
It isn't the reveal, which happened many times before, which makes the scene so great. It's K not breaking apart because of it. As we and him are reminded of his maybe artificial affair with JOI, shortly before make the important decision to safe and spare Deckards's life. A guy he has no real connection. He only has a few moments, where be believed to be his child.
It's the decision, he made at that moment, on his lowest point, which made him human and what makes this scene so great. It's the key moment of K's character, which the movie was building up to.
 
On the billboard scene:

It's the decision, he made at that moment, on his lowest point, which made him human and what makes this scene so great. It's the key moment of K's character, which the movie was building up to.

Yes, I think I'll watch for that next time I view the film. Thank you.
 
Just got back home from seeing it.

Thought it was awesome.

Loved the music, especially the bass. The colours were cool and the story was good.

I think this will have great replaybility.
 

JB1981

Member
I think there's a lot of people who think that a movie being slow is an objective flaw or mistake on the movie's part. It's unfortunate for them that they can't appreciate that aspect, but they should know that some people (me) actually enjoy the so-called glacial pace.

The visuals combined with the soundscape create certain moods that are very subtle. It's not about the core emotions like sadness or anger. The scenes need room to breath, time to let your mind wander a bit before you can put the pieces together. And these pieces don't even have to be put there deliberately by the filmmakers. Slow movies have the advantage that they let you be a part of the process in a way, they let you contemplate more deeply what the characters are going through.

Particularly if a movie is visually beautiful like this one it is important to linger a while on the shots to give you time to appreciate them and live in them for a moment and not just a glimpse.

I typically hate when people say a movie was slow or boring but I think describing this movie as slow is warranted here. I love slow-paced movies. Kubrick is my favorite director. Barry Lyndon isn't slow. 2001 isn't slow to me either because there is always something interesting happening under the surface. Something about the slow, methodical pacing in this movie didn't sit well with me. Scenes of Gosling walking slowly seemed to go on endlessly and at times I wondered to myself why is this scene playing SO SLOW. What building mysterious thing is happening there that I'm missing? Maybe I was tired I don't know. But I did find that this movie was slow and the runtime got to me after a while.
 

Astral

Member
Yes. I've seen that physical slump in people I love when they are presented with devastating news. It brings home just how devastating this discovery is to Joe's still-developing sense of identity and belonging.

People are praising the billboard sequence, but I'm not sure they're seeing what I see. The key to Joi is revealed, I should have thought, even for those who were earlier fooled by her life-like behaviour. "See what you want to see. Hear what you want to hear." Joi is just a reasonable extrapolation from present-day machine learning algorithms. Joe has lost everything he thought he had, even his memory of what at the time seemed like an intense personal relationship.

I see the same thing. However, I keep thinking about the scene where she tells the hooker that she’s done with her. It gave me the sense that she had a soul and that her feelings for K were real. It could also be that she just came to believe her feelings were real when I’m fact they weren’t.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
Thoroughly impressed by this in and out.

I want to see it again and rewatch the original.

Very happy with this one.
 

-Plasma Reus-

Service guarantees member status
It's been 2 days since I saw it.

I enjoyed it on the moment for its visual but... It's blade runner sequel... it's been 30 years, everything the movie tries to tell, have been already been told in the 30 years of SF that got inspired by the original. It's a good sequel but 30 years too late.

Random note :
- amazing visual and shot composition. Sometimes full Villeneuve, sometimes straight out of paintings (wallace interiors)
- Very disapointing by the other interiors. None felt very oragnic. From K's place, police station... Everything felt like cheap, container SF... Nothing like the original amazing, organic set.
- How did K get 2 cop cars AFTER being stripped from badge & guns, after his boss was out of the picture ?
- This movie will be a hit in japanese. Holy crap. Virtual GF calling android hooker for you ? They will go crazy about this. So much waifu
- Just like Ex Machina, the movie is way to obvious. I don't mean to be that guy saying " I saw it coming " but It's WAY to obvious, the plot is way to convenient. The movie gives you too much to think that K IS the born, to the point its too easy. There must be a twist and when it happens, well DUH, you know it was coming. So by this point, you don't care too much for two reasons : first, you know there's a girl and she HAS to have been introduced to the audience so there's only two choices, either Wallace's android or the girl in the sterile bubble. No way Wallace wasn't aware his own nexus was born so... Not much room to wiggle about eh ? Second : well K is meaningless to the bigger picture now.
- Did you see the shadow on the horse, making a unicorn, in the morning when the hooker wakes up and picks it up ?
- What was the car's brand ? I think it's localized by country. No way Peugeot got this deal internationaly haha
- I like how they matched Rachel's role to the original novel ending. It's a huge slap in the face of the fan of the original movie, especially after 30 years but yay for more accurate adaptation ?
- I actually like Jared Leto VERY MUCH. He felt like a robot preacher. The way he moved, the pacing of his words, it was very troubling, very engaging, especially the Yes No ? with Deckard with his face facing away then coming back to deckard on the rethorical No ?
What movie can you think of that already did the concept of love between a household AI and an android, and makes you feel just as distraught at their loss as though it were two human characters.

Do we really understand what happened here between K and Joi? How Joi who is another dimension of an artificial intelligence? It's like a human and android falling in love, except deeper. This movie abstracts the concept of love and romance and peels it one more layer.
 

Duraigo

Member
Just had a small realization in terms of theme. First BR had a focus on birds: the dove/pigeon at the end of the film and the owl. BR 2049 had a focus on insects: the maggots at the beginning and the bees in Vegas. The birds and the bees -> sex -> children. That's a neat little thing IMO.
 

Violet_0

Banned
Funny side note:
If people can recognize your smartphone's default melody and then know, that you have a waifu, and think of you as a creep, it's really time to change your ringtone, K.

okay, this made me laugh out loud. I had the same thought multiple times during the movie
Just had a small realization in terms of theme. First BR had a focus on birds: the dove/pigeon at the end of the film and the owl. BR 2049 had a focus on insects: the maggots at the beginning and the bees in Vegas. The birds and the bees -> sex -> children. That's a neat little thing IMO.
and the bug in the dream simulator. That's where the cinema decided to put in the break and the whole audience was like "c'mon, not now!"
 
Got to see it in IMAX last night. Words just can't even describe how absolutely incredible that move was. From start to finish, it was everything I wanted and so much more. The cinematography and soundtrack really sold this film alongside Denis direction.
 
Some of the strongest directing I've seen in a while. The shots, the music, the sound design and the acting were great.

I do think the film could be a good 30 minutes shorter if they paced it a bit quicker. Movie took it's damn time.
 
I see the same thing. However, I keep thinking about the scene where she tells the hooker that she’s done with her. It gave me the sense that she had a soul and that her feelings for K were real. It could also be that she just came to believe her feelings were real when I’m fact they weren’t.

Philosophically we don't draw the line in the same place. I'm just not convinced Joi is a conscious entity. The threesome scene just reads like a computerized sex pal following its programming. But I suppose this is why we enjoy films like this, because they allow us to ponder and discuss the question of what consciousness is.

If consciousness is slippery, the concept of a soul (in the context of Blade Runner) seems even more elusive. I'd be unwilling to say that any of the replicants, or the androids in the novel for that matter, are distinguishable in any fundamental way from humans. To conjure up words like soul, it seems to me, is unhelpful.

And perhaps Joi is there to make us question deeper. Am I right to draw such a hard line between the nature of Joi and Joe? Joi is Turing's Imitation Game presented as a character in film. I don't know the answer. When philosophers talk about their concept of a zombie (p-zombie for short), I'm unable to decide whether or not I am a p-zombie.
 

Cheebo

Banned
I am still shocked how both this and Twin Peaks: The Return got near universal praise and acclaim.

This year is just on fire in terms of beloved franchise returns.
 

swoon

Member
Saw it tonight. Disappointed. It was cold, sterile and boring. Agree with others on how the music was not that great. Sound design lacking too. The main thing though was the characters not being compelling. Gosling and Wright's characters were icy and cold. No charm like the first movie. I appreciate the ambition and look, but it just wasn't very satisfying to me. The choice of the 50's singers like Sinatra in a Blade Runner film...really? That old-timey bullshit doesn't belong in a cyberpunk movie. How Gaff was portrayed...what the fuck. Remember when Roy died in the original and how that was a real, emotional moment? Nothing like that in this movie. Oh well. Fuck Hollywood. Cool images though.

the ink spots in the first one is one of the best parts though.
 

The Cowboy

Member
Booked my ticket for an IMAX viewing on Monday now, can't wait to see some of the scenes on an even bigger screen.

I recon I'll end up going a 3rd time.
 
Ok, I've had some time to think about this film and I like it even more than I did when I left the theatre.

I'm really surprised that so many of you didn't like the sound design. That must have been my favorite part.
 

caesar

Banned
okay, this made me laugh out loud. I had the same thought multiple times during the movie

and the bug in the dream simulator. That's where the cinema decided to put in the break and the whole audience was like "c'mon, not now!"

Cinemas put in breaks?
 
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