Review: Blade Runner 2049 is a truly immersive experience
Seeing is believing and this is one of the greats
Viewing this in IMAX is a must and I can’t imagine any other way of seeing California in 2049. With that, comes the sound. The sound design and score are on parallel with the visual grandeur. With Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch (the man behind the new IT soundtrack) at the helm, you always know what you’re going to get; Brooding, unnerving yet clean and crisp soundscapes are showcased and it’s a classic slice of Zimmer. On IMAX, it’s incredible. The hum of the cruiser engines and the thud coming from a blaster gun are intense features to say the least but contribute to immersing you within a new society, a new city, a new time.
At just under three hours, there are occasional points where it seems to drag but not for long.. Ryan Gosling puts in a beautifully deadpan, at times emotionally weighted performance as K and Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as Deckard. Stand-out work also comes from Ana De Armas as Joi, K’s faithful companion and Mackenzie Davis, with Jared Leto also doing his bit if not slightly underused.
The performances are great, but the real hero is Denis Villeneuve and this is his masterpiece. He’s easily one of the best and most acclaimed directors of the last five years but this film cements as one of the best of a generation. He wowed with Prisoners, he gave us even more tension and brilliance with Sicario and he raised the bar with the Oscar-winning Arrival. It seems like everything he touches turns to gold but that's because he's developed such a deep, refreshing way of storytelling and he was always the perfect person to direct this sequel.
It may have only been about 12 hours since I watched Blade Runner 2049 but it’s already beginning to sink in that what I’ve just witnessed is a turning point in cinema and a new benchmark what can be created on the big screen.
A truly immersive cinematic experience and a modern classic of filmmaking. Seeing is believing and this truly is one of the greats.
Funster is Mixmag's Deputy Digital Editor, follow him on Twitter
