One of the few absolute truths about Hollywood is that they love to franchise a film. Reusing popular characters and iconic settings has been the billion-dollar golden ticket for nearly two decades and this year suggests little deviation as The Fate of the Furious, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Justice League all hit theaters. Even lesser blockbusters like War for the Planet of the Apes and Despicable Me 3 are assured to collect a significant gross. Regardless of the acclaim or hatred for the initial film, it is the potential for profits that often drive the creation for sequels. Sadly, it does not even matter that many of these films will receive tepid reviews at best.
This is not to suggest that sequels are inherently a bad thing. Films like The Godfather Part II, The Dark Knight, and Mad Max: Fury Road have pushed the boundaries of the original and endured as significant films in their own right. Even conventional sequels provide entertainment to audiences who are content with the narrative structure and do not want significant deviation. Unfortunately, in an era where even the release dates to these sequels are carefully plotted so as to maximize potential profits, these critical successes are rarities.
Yet, nearly buried beneath this plethora of action-sequels is Blade Runner 2049, a continuation of a story that began over 35 years ago. Initially highly polarizing, Blade Runner has since been regarded as one of the finest science fiction and neo-noir films of all time and by its very nature, a sequel to this would appear inferior. The original, while certainly filled with unanswered questions, does not beg for additional films and its stylistic nature meshed well with the dystopian tone of 1980s science fiction. However, the genre has changed significantly over the last 30 years and many films from the era have failed to adapt. On paper, Blade Runner 2049 should be a disaster in the making and yet, it may very well be one of the finest films to emerge in 2017.
In order to understand this assertion, it is important to to examine the individuals behind the film and the pitfalls that often cripple sequels from becoming critically-successful works. Firstly, the hiring of Dennis Villeneuve as the director cannot be understated. While he has recently risen to prominence for his spectacular work on Arrival, Sicario, and Prisoners, it is his restrained and deliberate stylistic choices on Enemy that best serve him on this project. Blade Runner is slow and thoughtful, often emphasizing isolation despite a city-setting. The tone is ominous and Deckard, in contradiction to his stoic demeanor, is a complex character. Even the film’s ending is left open to significant interpretation. Enemy embodies all of these characteristics as it presents inquisitive themes about humanity while providing minimal narrative resolution as it concludes with disturbing imagery of an enormous spider.
That Villeneuve is also able to reteam with the woefully-underappreciated cinematographer, Roger Deakins, is yet another positive sign. Blade Runner has a clear visual tone and the sequel will not only need to maintain that, but must also infuse similar style into new locations. If the film simply opted for dark and brooding, much like the Underworld Franchise, the subtleties of the original could not be expanded upon in the sequel. Thankfully, Deakins has consistently demonstrated a keen awareness to visual tone and his work on Enemy closely resembles the optimal approach necessary to make Blade Runner 2049 a success.
Of course, none of this means anything if Blade Runner 2049 cannot avoid the issues that have continuously plagued sequels. One of the most frequent in science-fiction, horror, and action is a rehashing of already explored narratives in which the audience is keen. Take Jurassic World for example. We know the monster is going to break loose and terrorize the island while occasionally killing a few named characters. Even if the protagonists do not believe that, we have seen this narrative before and know its inevitability within the film. All of its other issues aside, it is a critical disappointment because it offers no narrative expansion to its universe and instead opts for replicating the initial thrills from Jurassic Park but to significantly less appeal.
Aliens, however, is a fine example of a film that understands this common problem and does a phenomenal job of developing both Ripley and the story. She and the audience already know the monster exists. When she agrees to return to the planet from which it originated, it is not for some poorly conceived notion of revenge or inexplicable denial of its existence. Rather, Ripley returns, despite significant reservations, because she is the only one that has intimate knowledge of the alien’s behavior which is a vital asset to the military force tasked with eliminating it. Even as the inevitable encounter approaches, Aliens elevates the situations by introducing not only multiple creatures, but the mother from which they originated. Although maintaining its status as a horror film, it develops into an energetic, tense action-piece that effectively substitutes mystery for heart-pounding suspense. That the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver, is a testament to its impact and success as an individual film.
If Blade Runner 2049 is to be considered a worthy sequel, it will need to be keenly self-aware of the pitfalls it faces yet ambitious enough to explore narratively intriguing themes. Replicants should serve a significant narrative function with Deckard’s origin firmly in question, but the audience does not want to witness another cat-and-mouse plot. If the film is as intelligently crafted as Aliens, another sequel to a Ridley Scott original, viewers will not be disappointed.
Ironically, critical acclaim could be an absolute disaster for the Blade Runner because it could lead to the dreaded franchising of the films that would inevitably lead to misconceived sequels or spinoffs that mar the impact of the original. Look no further than the Alien and Terminator Franchises. After two highly successful films, each collapsed upon itself as they took inexplicable narrative turns in an attempt to capture the intensity and creativity of the originals.
Ultimately though, any future sequels depend on the success of Blade Runner 2049, both critically and commercially. Still, as someone usually skeptical about the necessity for sequels, I am thoroughly intrigued and excited for what this particular one offers.
Cody R. Norton 