Blade Runner 2049 - SPOILERS

[wktf]

Originally Posted by Luminous

You know, I bit my tongue when you posted your Final Cut review. Bit it again with your 2049 post. Coming in here and saying "no story to speak of"? Not only is that a useless comment that adds nothing to a potential discussion but it simply isn't objective and borders on trolling. I'd assume you won't be coming back into this thread considering you hated it so, but something tells me that won't be the case....

Anyway, going to try and check it out in the theater again this weekend. Hoping the sitter doesn't fall through. Will be the wife's first viewing.

Haven’t you and I gone down this path before? Of course it’s not objective. It’s my opinion, which is subjective. And trolling? I’m not attacking or insulting anyone, so I’m not trolling. And saying you assume I won’t come back into the thread but then saying you don’t believe that’s the case? Isn’t that baiting?

I just found it overblown and significant style over substance. I didn’t like it. Not a comment on others who did. I’m happy others loved this film, but it wasn’t for me.

[Luminous]

Originally Posted by wktf

Haven’t you and I gone down this path before? Of course it’s not objective. It’s my opinion, which is subjective. And trolling? I’m not attacking or insulting anyone, so I’m not trolling. And saying you assume I won’t come back into the thread but then saying you don’t believe that’s the case? Isn’t that baiting?

I just found it overblown and significant style over substance. I didn’t like it. Not a comment on others who did. I’m happy others loved this film, but it wasn’t for me.

Saying you didn't like the film is one thing, but claiming the film "has no story to speak of" when it is literally all about the story comes off as someone simply trying to get a reaction. I didn't once say you should have liked it. I didn't say you were wrong for not liking it. I simply find your overly simplified and emotionally skewed (you said it yourself, you were frustrated) comments on the film way off base.

And that's exactly what I mean about your thoughts on the film lacking any objectivity. You let your emotions and expectations dictate the thoughts you share on a film. If there is something you felt didn't work on the film, something didn't make sense, or was done in poor taste yet recognize that other things are clearly crafted well or at least passably so, then that would be a display of being objective while also expressing a subjective view. Instead it's just "no story whatsoever", "hated it", and then you rate it 1/10. That score says to someone reading it that there is nothing of value to be found in a film. Really? The performances weren't at least passable? The music? The visuals? If you didn't like the story there weren't some ideas presented that worked on some level? Considering you claimed the movie was all "style over substance" you would think you at least thought it had style. So style isn't worth anything?

When all of that is considered, it is difficult to take such overly simplistic and clearly emotionally skewed comments seriously on any level.

[wktf]

It's not that style isn't worth anything. But in the case of visual art, for me, style with little to no substance is hollow. Take the example of Batman: Hush. Many people love this story. I will heartily acknowledge that it is stunning to look at and Jim Lee's art is just incredible. Jeff Loeb's story, on the other hand, which is largely a rogue's gallery of single issue battles, which has been done many times before including with Knightfall, felt incredibly weak. Even the new villain just didn't stand up. So, I love the style and flair of Lee's art but count this as one of the most overrated Batman stories ever due to the abominable writing. ON the flip side, Batman: Going Sane is an incredible story despite having barely passable art by Joe Staton, but the art served enough to carry the truly innovative and captivating story/writing forward. I'll reread Going Sane many times but never will read Hush again.

Back to the movie. I'll admit that saying it "has no story to speak of" is overly simplistic. I just found myself not caring about Ryan Gosling's largely emotionless character (we know from the first film that Replicants are not emotionless), found the story line itself confusing, found the conflict between humans and replicants blasse, and simply couldn't feel the emotional connection between Harrison Ford and his child who was a cloistered automaton of a character (for good reason, I know). The dramatic pauses seemed to take up the entire film and it rested too much on a loud soundtrack and beautiful sets and special effects, much like its predecessor. Both my son and I came out of that film with the same opinion. We just were not drawn into the film, felt apathetic about the characters and the plotline which was too obtuse to follow, and we were angry we'd spent nearly 3 hours in that film. To your questions, the music was overblown and forgettable, the visuals were beautiful, no ideas drew us in or worked for us on any level, and the performances felt phoned in. I asked my son a few times during the film if he wanted to leave after he'd told me a few times he wished the movie would pick up in some way, but he wanted to finish it out.

By the way, I never claimed you said I should have liked it, nor that you said I was wrong for not liking it. Not sure why you felt that way.

My 1/10 stands. I hated the film and was angry coming out of it. As far as my emotions and expectations dictating the thoughts I shared, absolutely right. I will add that I had just received a clean report from my 6 year cancer screening and my son wanted to take me out to celebrate. This cancer almost killed me, the 3.5 years of chemotherapy (most cancer patients don't have chemo more than a few or several months) I endured almost killed me, my illness caused me to lose my job and I'm now making less than 30% of my prior income as a result, and it nearly ended my 27 year marriage. I live in nearly daily fear of it's returning because this strain has the single highest rate of recurrence of any cancer according to my oncologist. So my emotions were high that day from the good news, my son and I went out to dinner and had a terrific evening of celebration, we were stoked for this movie based on the reviews and the trailers (to your point about my expectations) and it simply was so shockingly bad for both of us that it brought us straight down from our high and we left the theater in grisly foul moods.

[Luminous]

I just find the way you judge a film unfair then. Emotions will always play a part on how we critique film, but I believe it's important to recognize what part of our assessments are being fueled by those emotions instead of objective criticism. That's the way I see it anyway.

And I stated that I wasn't suggesting you should have liked it because I know you like to remind others that opinions are subjective and that no one should be attacked for their opinions. I just wanted it clear that wasn't attempting to attack your opinions because I disagreed with them.

Congratulations on the clear report, btw. I can only imagine what a relief that must have been.

[wktf]

Thanks, no one should have to go through this kind of illness and this multi-year chemo. Of course, others do have and have had it far worse, despite the torture I endured.

I don't understand why you find the way I judge a film unfair. I've answered your questions and explained myself. I admit I was roiled up due to my own circumstances and, given the late hour, my terse opinion wasn't substantiated. But the way I judge a film is right for me, combination of emotion and rationale, the way you do so is right for you. Art is in the eye of the beholder. I may not agree with you but don't think your way of judging art unfair, just not what I'd do given our differences.

Anyway, enough thread derailment. The most important thing for me is that I'm another year clear of cancer. A bad movie experience doesn't stay with me nearly as long.

[Luminous]

Originally Posted by wktf

Thanks, no one should have to go through this kind of illness and this multi-year chemo. Of course, others do have and have had it far worse, despite the torture I endured.

I don't understand why you find the way I judge a film unfair. I've answered your questions and explained myself. I admit I was roiled up due to my own circumstances and, given the late hour, my terse opinion wasn't substantiated. But the way I judge a film is right for me, combination of emotion and rationale, the way you do so is right for you. Art is in the eye of the beholder. I may not agree with you but don't think your way of judging art unfair, just not what I'd do given our differences.

Anyway, enough thread derailment. The most important thing for me is that I'm another year clear of cancer. A bad movie experience doesn't stay with me nearly as long.

We just judge and rate films very differently.

[SONICobra]

total mind blow moment when i realized who the child was. so many amazing things about this movie, definitely one that sticks with you long after seeing it

[Hellboy]

Originally Posted by SONICobra

total mind blow moment when i realized who the child was. so many amazing things about this movie, definitely one that sticks with you long after seeing it

Pleased to hear you liked it as much as you did.

[The Dark Knight]

Just watched The Blade Runner 2049 yesterday night. After all the hype, i had to see it at theather at least once. I catched its last screening in my city... puff... that was close, i almost missed it.

It was pretty good, i really liked the film. I haven't watched the first film yet though. I just jumped in the hype wagon and saw the second film. Since i liked the 2049, i will definetly watch the first film.

Hologram girl... She was extremely cute, such an eye candy. I was kind of dissapointed when it turned out that K. wasn't the born half replicant, half human child. If he was, it would be bad ass. It would be more bad ass than a false memory making no fighting skills girl for sure but what do you gonna do, poor replicant K. (or Joe lol) , he didn't make it in the end.... I'm glad that they finished the film in a way that there will be a 3rd installment.

[moonlightdrive21]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

Just saw it tonight and I absolutely LOVED it. I would rate it a 9.5/10. Just an amazing follow up to the original. I loved every aspect of this film. The performances, the cinemtography, the score was, the story, the visual effects, etc. All were absolutely brilliant. To be perfectly honest, I really didn't expect them to pull this sequel off. I figured it would be ok at best, but man was I wrong. This was the best sequel I have seen in a very long time.

Agree! Need to see it again on the big screen since I think there will be even more to pick up on and apreciate in the second go round.