*slight spoilers ahead*
1. As a fan of the original - Remember how I said that I roll my eyes when a guy tells me his favorite book is "On the Road"? (no, I don't actually expect anyone to remember that, but I definitely mentioned it on my blog at least once). Well, I feel the same way when a dude claims Blade Runner as his favorite film. To clarify, there is absolutely nothing wrong with either of these works of art. In fact, I believe they are both brilliant. And yet, it's JUST SUCH A CLICHE. I would probably describe Blade Runner as my favorite sci-fi film (actually, that's not true because Jurassic Park is considered sci-fi and that's one of my favorite films of all time. So, I guess maybe Blade Runner would be my favorite "futuristic" sci-fi). I was nervous when they announced this sequel; not for me, but for all of the people that hold this movie so dear to their hearts. While I don't really believe that a sequel or a remake should effect how you feel about the original, this is a special case. Continuing this story could have ruined EVERYTHING that came before it, but I'm extremely happy to say that this sequel is everything I hoped it would be. Plus, I watched the film with someone who cites this movie as his "favorite movie" (go figure, ROLLS EYES), someone who has read every single Phillip K. Dick story, and was extremely skeptical of a sequel (until he saw the trailer, then he was super excited) and he LOVED it. So, overall, this movie is a huge success for fans of the original (and it was NEVER going to be a box office hit and I guarantee you that the producers planned to lose money).
2. As a film buff - Movies should not be 2 hours and 44 minutes long. Period. This movie could have easily been cut by 44 minutes. However, some significantly gorgeous scenes would have been lost, and I GUESS I will concede that it's worth it. Because every. single. second of this movie is fucking stunning. I audibly gasped a few times just because I was blown away by how detailed some of the shots and colors are. Plus, I will never complain about watching Ryan Gosling on a big screen. I think it was pretty brave to step into this role because if it went south, he surely would have taken a big portion of the blame. And while I actually can't stand Harrison Ford (as an actor; as a person I think he's pretty hilarious), Deckard is probably the only role I enjoy him in (yes, you read that correctly). But the two shining stars of the movie, are fairly newcomers, Sylvia Hoeks and Ana de Armas. My God, they are perfect. My only criticism would be that some of the dialogue was a little heavy-handed. Otherwise, from a cinematic perspective - it's perfect. It's shocking, though, that it's not even in my top 3 movies of this year! WHAAATTT?!
3. As a feminist - It's hard to narrow down exactly what I want to say about this movie because it covers so much ground and has so many layers, so I'm just going to focus on one aspect: the women. I have so many feelings about the female characters in this film. And, guess what? They're all great! I feel like anyone complaining about the female characters (and specifically, I've read tons of negative criticism of Joi), are looking at the world in a very black & white way, and that's just not realistic. Not every female character is going to be a strong, independent leader type character. Even if "the future is female" as the newly appointed female mantra suggests, men are still going to exist - and they are still going to sexualize women. You know why? Because sex = money. So, yes, sex worker robots will exist (and I'm pretty sure they already do?). Hologram companions are totally "the future". The "problem" that lies within the film medium is that these characters are always represented as women (aside from Jude Law in A.I.) and the biggest reason for that is that the stories are male stories - written by men (which I have no problem with), if you want to see a change, then, ladies, pick up some Final Draft software and get to work! I actually loved Joi because I think she represented waaaaay more than a sexual companion (in fact, he is clearly in love with her way before the creepy sex scene) - she represents something that is missing from the world - kindness. He can also connect to her as a "servant" and show her kindness in return. As for the other female characters, they are all complicated, layered and most importantly, the catalyst for every single thing that happens in the film. The whole point of the film is the importance of women, and more specifically, mothers. Sure, it's also about identity, existence, masculinity, and has some fascinating commentary on the effect our memories have on our future. But all this is encapsulated within Wallace's attempt and subsequent failure to fertilize his creations; to create life; to essentially become a "mother". So, criticize it all you want, but the truth is that while this movie is a "male story", it's probably the strongest feminist film of the year.
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