Blade Runner 2049 Trailer, My Thoughts

Blade Runner. One of the greats in the sci-fi film genre. Based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The film was a bit of a flop at the box office when it was originally released in 1982. However, after the film's original theatrical run ended, it has become a bit of a cult classic, and has gotten hailed as a science fiction classic. It's been regarded as a highly influential film thanks to its characters and look and mish-mash of themes, and even got inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993.

The film has spawned a small franchise, including games and books. However, it never really got a sequel (the 1998 film Soldier with Kurt Russell was considered a "side-story")...until now. Welcome back to the world of Blade Runner. Welcome to the year 2049. This is Blade Runner 2049.

The trailer begins with a vehicle that is steaming and with one of those scrolling signs warning everyone to keep clear of it. We then hear Harrison Ford's "Replicants are like any other machine" speech from what I think is the first Blade Runner. I admit, I'm not completely sure, as it has been a while since I've seen it. I own the Final Cut on DVD, but the disc is a bit messed up. A man is walking behind the vehicle. I wonder who that is.

We get a brief glimpse of a man walking on what I think is a desert. I think it might be a desert. Let's just say that the environment is not in the best of shape in the world of Blade Runner. We then see the man walk possibly cautiously towards what appears to be the head of a statue? It's a big head with some exposed support wiring. What is that giant head?

The man then walks towards a door of what looks like a large building. He goes inside, and the interior is amazing. It looks like the interior of a fancy hotel. Maybe that's what this building is, or was. I can't imagine it being a private residence. We finally get a decent look at the man's face, and...it's Ryan Gosling.

Yup, Ryan Gosling. According to the film's official synopsis, he plays a character only known as Officer K. Officer...K? Really? Okay, I know there are people out there who like to give their kids unusual names, but seriously! What kind of parents did this man have? What did he do in a past life to deserve being named "K"? I'm hoping it's just a nickname.

Anyway, Officer K is on a little quest. He's looking for the original Blade Runner. One Rick Deckard. You see, ol' Ricky kind of has...well, decided to play magician and make himself vanish for 30 years. Evidently, according to the synopsis, K Gosling has found something that what is left of society did not want him to find. The discovery has caused K to seek out Rick.

Going a bit off topic, I have to give my thoughts on the famous debate on Deckard's humanity. Basically, there has been a debate going among fans whether Rick Deckard is a replicant or not. Ridley Scott said he was one, but Harrison Ford has said he was. Hampton Fancher, one of the writers of the Blade Runner screenplay, has said he wrote Deckard as human, but likes the ambiguousness of the film. Me personally, I consider Deckard human.

Why? Well, I agree with Harrison Ford. The film does need at least one human character the audience can develop an emotional attachment to. And since Rick Deckard is the character who does get the most screen time, it makes sense the audience would attach themselves to him the most. So yeah, when it comes to that debate, I'm with Ford.

Speaking of Deckard, he finally appears. K taps a couple keys on a piano. Evidently, the piano has the power to summon Deckard when it's played, as Deckard appears, pointing a gun at K. Clearly, living in this place for thirty years has addled Deckard a bit. Maybe this hotel is the one from The Shining. That would explain it.

The final shot is of K being shown from behind walking through a crowd of what we can assume is LA, as the first film was set there, and K is an LA cop. The view of the city around him is brief, but it does have that feel of the original Blade Runner, so that's good.

There is a possibility that occurred to me. What if K is there to 'retire' (Translation: kill), Deckard? It's certainly a possibility, considering the first film never outright stated Deckard himself was a replicant, even though the film did leave open the possibility.

This teaser was pretty neat. It doesn't outright reveal everything, and it's gotten me very curious about a lot of things? Who is K? Why is he looking for Deckard? Where has he been for thirty years? What's happened in the world of Blade Runner in the intervening decades? I am eager to find out, and I can't wait for October!