Blade Runner 2049/Blade Runner 2099 Live-Action Sequel Series Discussion

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  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited October 2017 Posts: 3,985
    I hope BR 2049 makes a profit, I really do, but I just don't expect it to be on par with the success of Star Wars or Star Trek. That's just realistic.

    I think as another member mentioned that the film will have the 'legs' to make a profit, but it will take some time getting there.

    Perhaps we'll get another BR sequel in another 35 years time. But I probably won't be around to see it!
  • Posts: 5,767
    patb wrote: »
    We have 2 narratives on one thread here. Some are saying that the comparison with Aliens is a good one and others are saying that we should not expect 2049 to be big box office because of its nature/cult background etc.

    Aliens was clever as it was very commercial but had deeper themes. 2049 is not commercial IMHO as it has tried to keep the tone and pace of the original (we know the original audience found this hard) rather than going for a more commercial approach. It's easy for us to celebrate and respect DV for keeping to the spirit of the original and playing down the financial performace BUT , if these movies dont make money, who will back future projects? I fear we just get Fast and Furious bubble gum tripe with fast edits and little to think about rather than mature, grown up movies.

    Purely on a finanacial basis, I know what I would invest in.
    I´m not too worried, as I´m sure there won´t be many of "these movies" in any case, because hardly anyone will be able to pull such a thing off, regardless of funding.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Just in from Associated Press :

    Blade Runner 2049’ Crashes at Box Office With $31.5 Million.

    Despite critical praise and optimistic tracking, Warner Bros./Alcon/Columbia's "Blade Runner 2049" has crashed hard at the box office, grossing just $31.5 million in its opening weekend from 4,058 screens against a reported budget of $150 million.

    It's a tough fall for the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi noir. Before the weekend, the most conservative tracking estimates had this film matching the $45 million opening earned in 2015 by "Mad Max: Fury Road." Instead, "2049" is falling short even of the "$36.1 million made earlier this year by Scott's "Alien: Covenant," which tanked in subsequent weeks after all the hardcore "Alien" fans saw the film on opening night.

    Now signs are already pointing to "2049" suffering a similar fate. After making $12.7 million on Friday, including $4 million from Thursday previews, revenue fell 11 percent on Saturday to $11.4 million. "Blade Runner 2049" is proving to be a very front-loaded film, as the original's cult fanbase packed early screenings while mainstream audiences have been slow to buy tickets.

    This in part explains the discrepancy between the film's A- grade on CinemaScore and the lack of word-of-mouth we've seen among mainstream audiences. The CinemaScore demographic breakdown was 71 percent male and 86 percent over the age of 25, with 63 percent over the age of 35. For a generation of hardcore film buffs -- mostly male -- who remember seeing the original "Blade Runner" in theaters, "2049" was an event release. But for other demos, this film doesn't seem to have struck a chord, even with Ryan Gosling in his first wide release since "La La Land."

    This weekend's other new releases also performed below pre-weekend expectations. Fox/Chernin's "The Mountain Between Us" took second place this weekend with $10.1 million from 3,068 screens against a $35 million budget and pre-weekend projections of $11-13 million. Lionsgate's "My Little Pony: The Movie" came in fourth with $8.8 million from 2,528 screens against projections of $10 million. Both films had an A- on CinemaScore, but "MLP" had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57 percent while "Mountain" had a 46 percent score.

    Why is it a tough fall? Yes, financially. But ask yourself this. Do you prefer watching a sh*t-film like "Furious 8" that manages to gross $1.2 Billion globally? Or do you prefer a critically acclaimed film, loved by fans as well, that isn't doing that well financially?

    That should be more and more the question that even Bond fans should answer themselves. And if accidentally the film grosses well, after it gets critical acclaim from media outlets and fans alike? Then that's a nice extra :-).

    PS: It could very well be that "Blade Runner 2049" has much better financial 'legs' then we can predict right now.

    Blade Runner isn't like Star Wars or Star Trek which have a massive ever growing fanbase.

    Blade Runner is a cult film. An old cult film that while popular amongst a large number of die hard enthusiasts its sequel was never going to set the box office on fire.

    I'm still amazed that certain members on here are only just seeing it for the first time.

    I must admit the likes of films like F&F 8 making over a billion at the box office is a depressing thought.

    I'm just so pleased that BR 2049 is such a critical success.

    Got my ticket for Thursday. That day can't come quick enough!

    No, but that's not where I am comparing "Blade Runner 2049" to. I prefer to compare it more with recent sci-fi films like "Gravity", "The Martian", "Interstellar" and "Arrival". Also films like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Ex-Machina" come to my mind. All of these are blockbusters, but simply not mainstream enough to easily gross $900 Million globally or more.

    "Blade Runner 2049" will earn itself back and by the way, it's a film posed to have long legs.
    Ex-Machina is the valid comparison there. To be fair, all the other films you listed above decimated Arrival at the box office.
  • Posts: 1,162
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Just in from Associated Press :

    Blade Runner 2049’ Crashes at Box Office With $31.5 Million.

    Despite critical praise and optimistic tracking, Warner Bros./Alcon/Columbia's "Blade Runner 2049" has crashed hard at the box office, grossing just $31.5 million in its opening weekend from 4,058 screens against a reported budget of $150 million.

    It's a tough fall for the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi noir. Before the weekend, the most conservative tracking estimates had this film matching the $45 million opening earned in 2015 by "Mad Max: Fury Road." Instead, "2049" is falling short even of the "$36.1 million made earlier this year by Scott's "Alien: Covenant," which tanked in subsequent weeks after all the hardcore "Alien" fans saw the film on opening night.

    Now signs are already pointing to "2049" suffering a similar fate. After making $12.7 million on Friday, including $4 million from Thursday previews, revenue fell 11 percent on Saturday to $11.4 million. "Blade Runner 2049" is proving to be a very front-loaded film, as the original's cult fanbase packed early screenings while mainstream audiences have been slow to buy tickets.

    This in part explains the discrepancy between the film's A- grade on CinemaScore and the lack of word-of-mouth we've seen among mainstream audiences. The CinemaScore demographic breakdown was 71 percent male and 86 percent over the age of 25, with 63 percent over the age of 35. For a generation of hardcore film buffs -- mostly male -- who remember seeing the original "Blade Runner" in theaters, "2049" was an event release. But for other demos, this film doesn't seem to have struck a chord, even with Ryan Gosling in his first wide release since "La La Land."

    This weekend's other new releases also performed below pre-weekend expectations. Fox/Chernin's "The Mountain Between Us" took second place this weekend with $10.1 million from 3,068 screens against a $35 million budget and pre-weekend projections of $11-13 million. Lionsgate's "My Little Pony: The Movie" came in fourth with $8.8 million from 2,528 screens against projections of $10 million. Both films had an A- on CinemaScore, but "MLP" had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57 percent while "Mountain" had a 46 percent score.

    Why is it a tough fall? Yes, financially. But ask yourself this. Do you prefer watching a sh*t-film like "Furious 8" that manages to gross $1.2 Billion globally? Or do you prefer a critically acclaimed film, loved by fans as well, that isn't doing that well financially?

    That should be more and more the question that even Bond fans should answer themselves. And if accidentally the film grosses well, after it gets critical acclaim from media outlets and fans alike? Then that's a nice extra :-).

    PS: It could very well be that "Blade Runner 2049" has much better financial 'legs' then we can predict right now.

    Yeah! Let's just wait how many sequels BR ( obviously being plenty of full with all the quality you endorse) will produce.
  • Posts: 11,119
    bondjames wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Just in from Associated Press :

    Blade Runner 2049’ Crashes at Box Office With $31.5 Million.

    Despite critical praise and optimistic tracking, Warner Bros./Alcon/Columbia's "Blade Runner 2049" has crashed hard at the box office, grossing just $31.5 million in its opening weekend from 4,058 screens against a reported budget of $150 million.

    It's a tough fall for the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi noir. Before the weekend, the most conservative tracking estimates had this film matching the $45 million opening earned in 2015 by "Mad Max: Fury Road." Instead, "2049" is falling short even of the "$36.1 million made earlier this year by Scott's "Alien: Covenant," which tanked in subsequent weeks after all the hardcore "Alien" fans saw the film on opening night.

    Now signs are already pointing to "2049" suffering a similar fate. After making $12.7 million on Friday, including $4 million from Thursday previews, revenue fell 11 percent on Saturday to $11.4 million. "Blade Runner 2049" is proving to be a very front-loaded film, as the original's cult fanbase packed early screenings while mainstream audiences have been slow to buy tickets.

    This in part explains the discrepancy between the film's A- grade on CinemaScore and the lack of word-of-mouth we've seen among mainstream audiences. The CinemaScore demographic breakdown was 71 percent male and 86 percent over the age of 25, with 63 percent over the age of 35. For a generation of hardcore film buffs -- mostly male -- who remember seeing the original "Blade Runner" in theaters, "2049" was an event release. But for other demos, this film doesn't seem to have struck a chord, even with Ryan Gosling in his first wide release since "La La Land."

    This weekend's other new releases also performed below pre-weekend expectations. Fox/Chernin's "The Mountain Between Us" took second place this weekend with $10.1 million from 3,068 screens against a $35 million budget and pre-weekend projections of $11-13 million. Lionsgate's "My Little Pony: The Movie" came in fourth with $8.8 million from 2,528 screens against projections of $10 million. Both films had an A- on CinemaScore, but "MLP" had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57 percent while "Mountain" had a 46 percent score.

    Why is it a tough fall? Yes, financially. But ask yourself this. Do you prefer watching a sh*t-film like "Furious 8" that manages to gross $1.2 Billion globally? Or do you prefer a critically acclaimed film, loved by fans as well, that isn't doing that well financially?

    That should be more and more the question that even Bond fans should answer themselves. And if accidentally the film grosses well, after it gets critical acclaim from media outlets and fans alike? Then that's a nice extra :-).

    PS: It could very well be that "Blade Runner 2049" has much better financial 'legs' then we can predict right now.

    Blade Runner isn't like Star Wars or Star Trek which have a massive ever growing fanbase.

    Blade Runner is a cult film. An old cult film that while popular amongst a large number of die hard enthusiasts its sequel was never going to set the box office on fire.

    I'm still amazed that certain members on here are only just seeing it for the first time.

    I must admit the likes of films like F&F 8 making over a billion at the box office is a depressing thought.

    I'm just so pleased that BR 2049 is such a critical success.

    Got my ticket for Thursday. That day can't come quick enough!

    No, but that's not where I am comparing "Blade Runner 2049" to. I prefer to compare it more with recent sci-fi films like "Gravity", "The Martian", "Interstellar" and "Arrival". Also films like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Ex-Machina" come to my mind. All of these are blockbusters, but simply not mainstream enough to easily gross $900 Million globally or more.

    "Blade Runner 2049" will earn itself back and by the way, it's a film posed to have long legs.
    Ex-Machina is the valid comparison there. To be fair, all the other films you listed above decimated Arrival at the box office.

    The global box office figures of these three films

    $723.2 --> "Gravity"
    $675.1 --> "Interstellar"
    $630.2 --> "The Martian"
    $378.4 --> "Mad Max: Fury Road"
    $203.4 --> "Arrival"
    $036,9 --> "Ex Machina"

    Hence I said "but simply not mainstream enough to easily gross $900 Million globally or more.". But I agree, not all of them are blockbusters. But for me, in tone and style, theme-wise and story-wise, the above sci-fi flicks are certainly not Marvel-esque formula movies. They share a certain uniqueness and quality that you won't see with "Star Wars", "Hunger Games", "Star Trek", "DC Comics" or "Marvel". And most of the time, such movies are one-offs. Which nowadays is pretty rare in Hollywood. Hence I think the sci-fi genre on the whole has greatly improved in the past 5 years.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2017 Posts: 23,883
    bondjames wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Just in from Associated Press :

    Blade Runner 2049’ Crashes at Box Office With $31.5 Million.

    Despite critical praise and optimistic tracking, Warner Bros./Alcon/Columbia's "Blade Runner 2049" has crashed hard at the box office, grossing just $31.5 million in its opening weekend from 4,058 screens against a reported budget of $150 million.

    It's a tough fall for the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi noir. Before the weekend, the most conservative tracking estimates had this film matching the $45 million opening earned in 2015 by "Mad Max: Fury Road." Instead, "2049" is falling short even of the "$36.1 million made earlier this year by Scott's "Alien: Covenant," which tanked in subsequent weeks after all the hardcore "Alien" fans saw the film on opening night.

    Now signs are already pointing to "2049" suffering a similar fate. After making $12.7 million on Friday, including $4 million from Thursday previews, revenue fell 11 percent on Saturday to $11.4 million. "Blade Runner 2049" is proving to be a very front-loaded film, as the original's cult fanbase packed early screenings while mainstream audiences have been slow to buy tickets.

    This in part explains the discrepancy between the film's A- grade on CinemaScore and the lack of word-of-mouth we've seen among mainstream audiences. The CinemaScore demographic breakdown was 71 percent male and 86 percent over the age of 25, with 63 percent over the age of 35. For a generation of hardcore film buffs -- mostly male -- who remember seeing the original "Blade Runner" in theaters, "2049" was an event release. But for other demos, this film doesn't seem to have struck a chord, even with Ryan Gosling in his first wide release since "La La Land."

    This weekend's other new releases also performed below pre-weekend expectations. Fox/Chernin's "The Mountain Between Us" took second place this weekend with $10.1 million from 3,068 screens against a $35 million budget and pre-weekend projections of $11-13 million. Lionsgate's "My Little Pony: The Movie" came in fourth with $8.8 million from 2,528 screens against projections of $10 million. Both films had an A- on CinemaScore, but "MLP" had a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57 percent while "Mountain" had a 46 percent score.

    Why is it a tough fall? Yes, financially. But ask yourself this. Do you prefer watching a sh*t-film like "Furious 8" that manages to gross $1.2 Billion globally? Or do you prefer a critically acclaimed film, loved by fans as well, that isn't doing that well financially?

    That should be more and more the question that even Bond fans should answer themselves. And if accidentally the film grosses well, after it gets critical acclaim from media outlets and fans alike? Then that's a nice extra :-).

    PS: It could very well be that "Blade Runner 2049" has much better financial 'legs' then we can predict right now.

    Blade Runner isn't like Star Wars or Star Trek which have a massive ever growing fanbase.

    Blade Runner is a cult film. An old cult film that while popular amongst a large number of die hard enthusiasts its sequel was never going to set the box office on fire.

    I'm still amazed that certain members on here are only just seeing it for the first time.

    I must admit the likes of films like F&F 8 making over a billion at the box office is a depressing thought.

    I'm just so pleased that BR 2049 is such a critical success.

    Got my ticket for Thursday. That day can't come quick enough!

    No, but that's not where I am comparing "Blade Runner 2049" to. I prefer to compare it more with recent sci-fi films like "Gravity", "The Martian", "Interstellar" and "Arrival". Also films like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Ex-Machina" come to my mind. All of these are blockbusters, but simply not mainstream enough to easily gross $900 Million globally or more.

    "Blade Runner 2049" will earn itself back and by the way, it's a film posed to have long legs.
    Ex-Machina is the valid comparison there. To be fair, all the other films you listed above decimated Arrival at the box office.

    The global box office figures of these three films

    $723.2 --> "Gravity"
    $675.1 --> "Interstellar"
    $630.2 --> "The Martian"
    $378.4 --> "Mad Max: Fury Road"
    $203.4 --> "Arrival"
    $036,9 --> "Ex Machina"

    Hence I said "but simply not mainstream enough to easily gross $900 Million globally or more.". But I agree, not all of them are blockbusters. But for me, in tone and style, theme-wise and story-wise, the above sci-fi flicks are certainly not Marvel-esque formula movies. They share a certain uniqueness and quality that you won't see with "Star Wars", "Hunger Games", "Star Trek", "DC Comics" or "Marvel". And most of the time, such movies are one-offs. Which nowadays is pretty rare in Hollywood. Hence I think the sci-fi genre on the whole has greatly improved in the past 5 years.
    I certainly agree. The point I was making is that the other films (apart from Ex Machina) were on the whole far more successful box office efforts while still tackling adult themes. Villeneuve seems to craft films with more 'cult' followings. Less breadth with the audience participation, but far more passion and intensity. He was therefore the perfect director for a BR follow up.
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    edited October 2017 Posts: 1,812
    Well I did come into this thread to ask if these movies were worth watching but you all have me convinced. I'll give the original a go at some point this week (but I've heard there are lots of different versions? Which one should we watch?).

    I've only seen the theatrical cut and The Final Cut versions. If you were to ask me a week ago which version you should watch I would've said the theatrical. I decided to watch The Final Cut the night before I saw 2049 and decided that was the best version of the film. You really should watch The Final Cut first. The ending is much better and Deckard (Ford) isn't narrating throughout the film (which I used to like... still kinda do.) It's also more in line with 2049.
    Go into it knowing that it's not an action film. It's very much like an old black and white noir film from the 1940's/1950's but futuristic. I'd even compare it to old school Star Trek. Meaning it's more about the story and less about the action.
    It took me a couple of viewings before I really appreciated the film and it's now my favorite sci-fi film. I hope you enjoy it!

    Edit: Also, a fun fact, the movie Soldier (starring Kurt Russell) takes place in the same universe as Blade Runner. The movies are vastly different from one another though, in both tone and theme. The only way you would know is if you're a fan of the first movie and pay attention to dialogue in both movies. Todd (Russell) has a tattoo of wars he's fought in and one or two of those wars are mentioned in Blade Runner. Plus, the producer on Blade Runner was the producer on Soldier and he considers them to be in the same universe.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I say BR and BR2049 are equally good and among the best films ever made.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,588
    I say BR and BR2049 are equally good and among the best films ever made.
    Precisely. I gotta see this film again right now.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    I'm actually gonna watch the '82 International Cut tonight... no Legend unicorn test footage... ;)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    I instead watched the workprint version which I had actually not seen before, exclusive to the Blu Ray Complete Collector's Edition... I liked the dictionary definition of "Replicant" at the beginning, but the movie title looked SO pedestrian. Lots of alternate shots I was familiar with from the deleted & alternate scenes feature from the DVD Edition... plus the alternate narration during Batty's death...which I really didn't like very much compared to the theatrical release. It still ends with the door closing, so not a go-to for me in future. But it did feature the violence present in the International Cut (plus, an extended moment of Holden with his back smoking after Leon shot him that was interesting to see but wholly unnecessary was also included here). And, no unicorn footage.
    This was a workprint, so even at 1080 it suffered a bit, bit it still reminded me how sumptuous film was compared to today's digital photography.
    Lords of Kobol I SO love this movie. It's no wonder that the best people working in film today cannot top this lightning in a bottle (for ME).
    If you like or love 2049 more power to you. I wish I could be there... it's all good though.


  • Posts: 4,600
    I watched to original again last night and it is simply fantastic. I think I appreciate it even more now. The scene in Deckard's apt where he tells Rachael her memories are not hers and then he regrets telling her and she leaves. Pure drama, just superb. Nothing in 2049 to touch this quality IMHO
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2017 Posts: 23,883
    @patb
    I found the scene where it is revealed to K that his memories are real, and the one later when his dreams are shattered to be equally moving to the scene you refer to in the original film, but different.

    There wasn't the same emotive quality perhaps, because Gosling underplays it in both cases. I think his approach was the right one, because it allows the atmosphere and narrative to take centre stage and provides a differentiation with Batty's more expressive portrayal in BR. Moreover, it allows the viewer to concentrate on Deckard and his emotions instead of K's.

    After all, K is supposed to be a more subservient later model. Eventually, despite his no doubt severe disappointment at what he discovers, he demonstrates a 'human' nobility in his actions, which I found quite moving.
  • Posts: 4,600

    @bondjames
    All fair points. It is a very understated performance..perhaps too much for me. I may have missed something but K knew from the beggining that he was a replicant? but he thought he was born of a mother replicant rather than "built", so he always thought his memories were implanted until he found the horse and that raised his hopes. Its interesting stuff but, for me not as interesting as Rachaels issue of thinking she was human (we all do so we all relate to her), plus, you can tell by the music used for that original scene that the director wanted a softer, more sensitive atmosphere. K's most vivid relationship with a virtual reality projection of a woman is, perhaps, a step too far. I think most people in the audience can imagine being attracted to Rachael or Dechard (as physical entities), therefore, we can relate to either of them. What did you make of the scene where K is snogging his virtual girlfriend and the computer freezes and we see he is on his own kissing then air? did not work for me



    also, perhaps you can help with another issue. Ks memory implants were given to him as a decoy (am I right?) if so, its a decoy who, when finding a clue, as a bladerunner, lead the bad guys to Deckard, the exact opposite of what a decoy does, also is it just co-incidence that K was allocated that case or is there a back story of how he found himself on the farm in the first scene? Its a key part of the plot for me as to how/why he finds himself on the farm.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2017 Posts: 23,883
    @patb,
    I am of the understanding that K always believed from inception that he was a 'built' replicant. Not conceived. Then due to what he discovers he starts to believe he could be 'real', and that is when he starts being disobedient and devious with respect to his 'assigned file' (going against his programming). Prior to that he was compliant, as his Wallace model type is supposed to be. I found this to be a further exploration of issues raised with Rachel in the original BR. She thought she was human and then realized she was anything but. He starts off knowing he's a machine (and so is compliant), then starts to think that he's human (which is when he starts being devious), then finds out he's not (and so starts to become compliant again), and finally 'chooses' to transcend his nature to perform the most human of acts (namely sacrifice). I found it quite philosophical. For example, when he chooses to save Deckard, is this 'free will' or is this a function of his compliant (slave?) programming?

    Regarding the relationship with Joi, I can see how that could be difficult to grasp/relate to in comparison to the Rachel relationship. However, we are 35 years removed from the original film. The concept of a relationship with Rachel must have seemed strange back then too. Given advances in 'AI' etc (which are occurring at exponential rates), it is quite possible that such 'relationships' are closer than we think. How would we look back on this 10 years from now? If such 'Jois' are prevalent in a decade, would we see this as prescient rather than strange. Some millennials are known to be obsessed with 'virtual' keyboard relationships in lieu of real ones even today, so it's not that difficult for me to contemplate.

    Regarding the memory implants being a decoy : I don't think that is necessarily so, although it could be. I think it's left to our interpretation. The Dr. may have inserted those memories because they were deeply personal and moving to her (so a coincidence).

    I agree with you that the tracking device which allows them to locate Deckard was too convenient. It's one of my big beefs with the film.

    Regarding the farm, I think that was just a coincidence. Nobody knew what he was going to find there, least of all him or his handlers.

    Bottom line: A lot of this is open to interpretation (And I've just given mine, as of this moment, which could change upon subsequent viewings). It's not as definite as it appears on first viewing. That's what makes it an excellent sequel imho.
  • Posts: 5,767
    I find it astonishing how many fans of the original claim to have widely understood BR 2049 after only one viewing. My understanding of the original still develops, even after I watched it close to ten times. But maybe I´m just a little slow in the head ;-).
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    Posts: 1,812
    boldfinger wrote: »
    I find it astonishing how many fans of the original claim to have widely understood BR 2049 after only one viewing. My understanding of the original still develops, even after I watched it close to ten times. But maybe I´m just a little slow in the head ;-).

    I agree but even after I saw the original for the first time I had my understanding of it, which has changed a bit over the years the more I watched it. BR2049 is more complex so it'll take longer to really get everything about it. Although one thing I picked up, but didn't realize it until after the film was over, was...
    K's name, Joe. I think it's a name that was supposed to hint to us that he's not the replicant that was conceived, the important person. Instead his name shows us that he's not important and he's just ordinary, an average Joe. I could be wrong but why give him the name Joe instead of Bob, or Dave, or anything at all?
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2017 Posts: 23,883
    Precisely @QsAssistant, good catch.
    The key point for me in BR2049 is that K is in fact 'ordinary'. He is defined by his choices and not by his birth. This is a key message. One can transcend one's station through the choices one makes, rather than through privilege.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,474
    Avoided this thread entirely for the last couple of days - but today is the day. Just nine hours to go until I see this movie, ready to have my mind melted in IMAX.
  • Posts: 1,453
    Loved BR 2049. Brilliantly directed, photographed, designed, acted etc. Very compelling story-line. Can understand why it won't appeal to a younger audience who don't have that deep connection to the original, but for those of us who love Scott's BR, this is a very strong continuation of the story and profound ideas and themes. A sci-fi classic.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,691
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Avoided this thread entirely for the last couple of days - but today is the day. Just nine hours to go until I see this movie, ready to have my mind melted in IMAX.

    Will you love it or just like it? I cannot predict... I only know you won't hate it.
  • edited October 2017 Posts: 4,619
    A question to the people who have already seen BR 2049: what's the point of the opening shot (an eye opening), and whose eye is it? I get that it's a reference to the eye in the opening scene of the original BR, but does anyone have a theory about what it's supposed to symbolize in this film?
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited October 2017 Posts: 23,551
    That is a good question, @PanchitoPistoles, and I have wondered about it myself. The Void-Kampff test seems to be all about studying the subject's retina, ergo perhaps it is linked to that. Does it mean that the eye belongs to a specific character in the film and that this shot serves as a precursor to the themes of existentialism and identity confusion? I don't know. I've always, instinctively, taken this to be Roy's eye, as if he's gazing upon the city from a vast distance. Truth is though, I don't really care all that much, since I presume it's merely another artistic little gimmick and little else. ;-)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,474
    Just got back, a little deaf from how loud that IMAX showing was. Yet another one that'll take a while to formulate thoughts on, but HOLY HELL, that's the greatest film I've seen in years. While I don't think it trumps the original (and that's simply because the original is the hallmark of sci-fi in my opinion - the one that can't be topped), I never in a million years thought that a sequel to that would be created with so much love and care. What a film, from start to finish, simply firing on all cylinders and saying a lot at times by showcasing so little. I found the most powerful moments to be the quietest, softest scenes. 10/10. Do yourself a favor and catch it in IMAX. I'm just blown away.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,588
    Glad you loved it, @Creasy47!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,474
    jake24 wrote: »
    Glad you loved it, @Creasy47!

    Thanks! I couldn't care less about the Oscars but it'd be a disservice to the man if Deakins didn't win for his stellar work.
  • Posts: 2,107
    BR 2049 is a film cinephiles and science fiction geeks deserve. Not a film general audiences deserve. I don*t care what the f&f crowd thinks of the film. I got to to see it again this or the next week.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,733
    I watched this. It was good. The characters were more vivid, the film more emotional than its predecessor. I liked that. Though just from watching this, I have no strong reason to think Villenueve is a great fit for Bond.
  • Posts: 5,767
    Going for my second viewing tonight :-).
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,551
    @Creasy47
    I'm nearly in tears, reading your exceptionally positive thoughts on the film. I'm honestly proud of being the one who introduced you to the original BR way back when, and finding you cheering for this new film the way you just did, is the equivalent of re-experiencing my very own emotional response to BR2049 last week.

    Do yourself a favour and get the soundtrack from iTunes or somewhere else. You'll be sucked into your memories of the film right away.
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