Blade Runner 2049 has been a long time coming – too long, perhaps – but it looks like Denis Villeneuve and Co. have pulled off the impossible: to deliver a worthy sequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterclass.
In anticipation of 2049‘s theatrical release on October 6th, the first reviews are beginning to slip onto the interwebs, and they’re nothing short of spectacular. Embedded below, you’ll find such superlatives as “breathtaking,” “phenomenal” and “visually mind-blowing” littered across this collection of Tweets, which only has us all the more excited to delve into the final reviews once they’re published online.
Granted, as one critic points out, Blade Runner 2049 is teeming with potential spoilers, so perhaps it’s best going into Villeneuve’s sequel blind – not unlike Jared Leto’s peculiar Replicant creator, Niander Wallace. Indeed, the Suicide Squad actor is said to play a fairly instrumental role in 2049, as he pulls the strings from the tip-top of Tyrell, the nefarious organization first introduced in Scott’s ’80s masterpiece.
But as the history books attest, Blade Runner released as something of a commercial dud back in 1982, when the far-future pic barely managed to recoup its production budget – an initial haul of $34 million against a budget of only $28m. With Blade Runner 2049, though, Villeneuve and his team have raised the bar quite considerably, and the result is arguably one of the best-looking releases of 2017.
In fact, if these knee-jerk reviews are anything to go by, 2049 could well go down as one of this year’s greatest hits, joining a pantheon that includes Split, Get Out, Logan, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man: Homecoming, to name but five.
#BladeRunner2049 was one of the most mind-blowing films I've seen. It's breathtaking and transportive. Denis Villeneuve has a masterpiece.
— Jenna Busch-Henderson (@JennaBusch) September 26, 2017
BLADE RUNNER 2049 is sci-fi masterpiece; the kind of deep-cut genre film we don't see anymore. Visually mind blowing, absolutely fantastic pic.twitter.com/A1d6ohmj3s
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) September 26, 2017
.@BladeRunner 2049 is phenomenal. Visually mind-blowing sci-fi w/ noir roots shining through in a tight, twisty mystery. Best of 2017 so far pic.twitter.com/kT4ZzWWlOQ
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) September 26, 2017
Our own @JimmytotheO calls @bladerunner "Astonishing… More than just a visual wonder, it's a groundbreaking science fiction masterpiece." pic.twitter.com/ulDJYJzMqT
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) September 26, 2017
Everyone bow down to Denis Villeneuve. He’s done the impossible and delivered a huge home run with 'Blade Runner 2049'. Loved it. pic.twitter.com/fjhAJgnwqT
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) September 26, 2017
I've seen Blade Runner 2049 and it's FUCKING INCREDIBLE.
— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) September 26, 2017
After years spent languishing in development, Blade Runner 2049 will light up theaters on October 6th. And yes, there will only be a single cut of Villeneuve’s follow-up, unlike its cherished predecessor.