Film: Blade Runner 2049

GENRE: Sci-Fi Mystery

RATING: R for violence, nudity and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 44 minutes

STARRING: Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Drive, Half Nelson, Fracture)

Robin Wright (House of Cards), Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Blade Runner)

DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners)

WRITERS: Hampton Fancher (Blade Runner) & Michael Green (Logan)

PLOT: A young blade runner questions his memories and tracks down former blade runner, Rick Deckard.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Felt the first one was interesting but slow.

STORY STUFF: It’s a well-made mystery that has some significant insights on memory, love and technology. Unfortunately, the pace is incredibly slow. Like snail pace. Which matches the first film but can be difficult to watch. Villeneuve relishes watching Gosling and other actors think. Don’t watch the late showings; you might drift off. I also recommend watching the first one or else you might be a bit lost.

ACTING STUFF: Great acting all around. Gosling, despite his slow thinking face, is a treat to watch. Ford brings gravitas for a few scenes but keep in mind he’s only in the last quarter of the film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography is incredible. Roger Deakins (Shawshank, Coen Brother films) finds beauty in the depressing future (so much rain). The sets are large and mesmerizing. I found the sound annoying. It’s a mixture of absence of sound (not ideal when eating in the theatre) followed by deafening speaker-shaking single notes (time your crunches accordingly). Along with the cinematography and set design, the wow factor for me was the way they used holographic images. It is both captivating and creepy at the same time. Amazing stuff.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You liked the first one and like Gosling’s thinking face

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Thor 3

Fall TV New Show Scorecard

I usually don’t do this but thought I would give my initial thoughts on the new shows I’ve watched so far this fall television season. I’ll even switch it up and give them a letter grade instead stars. Here we go:

YOUNG SHELDON (CBS returns in November)

I liked that the show is single-camera and doesn’t have the studio audience. The kid playing Sheldon is sharp but the sister steals the pilot. Don’t like the actor playing the dad and I’m worried it might be too schmaltzy which doesn’t fit older Sheldon at all. B+

ME, MYSELF, & I (CBS Mondays 9:30)

I like Bobby Moynihan. The kid version is okay but his stepbrother seems more interesting. John Larroquette’s older version is incredibly boring, where’s his Dan Fielding humour? I’m not a basketball fan, so the Chicago Bulls stuff doesn’t grab me at all. Also Urkel is still annoying. C+

THE GIFTED (FOX Mondays 9:00)

I’m not too sure about this series. There is potential with the X-Men universe but part of it seems like Heroes where too many people have mutant powers. I like Amy Acker but don’t think she’ll be given much to do. The pilot ended well. I need more to keep me hooked. B-

THE GOOD DOCTOR (ABC Mondays 10:00)

Probably my favourite of the new shows. Love Freddie Highmore’s acting and love seeing Richard Schiff again. The autism angle is working for me. The shaky camera is annoying at times. I like the flashbacks, the graphics and that it shoots in Vancouver. I’ll be sticking with this one. A-

LAW & ORDER: THE MENENDEZ MURDERS (NBC Tuesdays 10:00)

It’s just not People vs OJ Simpson. The Law & Order graphics and sounds just make it seem like an average episode instead of event TV. I like some of the actors and trial intrigues me. It’s only eight episodes, so I can hang on for that long. B-

THE INHUMANS (ABC Fridays 9:00)

What a piece of crap. I feel embarrassed for Marvel and ABC and all those involved with this terrible show. The story is dull, the characters are cardboard and the action is lackluster. I don’t care about anyone on this monstrosity. Avoid this one at all costs. F

TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY (ABC Sundays 10:00)

Though it wasn’t on my initial lists, I thought I would give it a try. I found the mystery interesting enough. There are a lot of suspects to theorize about. Kyra Sedgwick is pretty good and I like that she’s a writer on a cop show. With only ten episodes, I’ll see how this one plays out. B

What new shows are you watching?