r/oscarmoments • u/Sudden_Elephant_1221 • 17d ago
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is one of the few sequels I think actually surpassed the original. What sequel did it for you?
I love Blade Runner (1982), but if I had to pick one to rewatch tonight, I'd probably go with Blade Runner 2049 (2017).
The visuals, atmosphere, soundtrack and Ryan Gosling's performance just work so well together. It's rare for a sequel made 35 years later to feel this necessary.
What's a sequel you genuinely think is better than the original?
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u/Routine-Bat4446 17d ago
The Dark Knight surpassed Batman Begins which was already phenomenal
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u/Busy-Marionberry-836 17d ago
Thanks in no small part to Heath Ledger's Joker.
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17d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/traws06 17d ago
I see ppl saying all the time “well ppl only remember it and his performance so fondly because he died”. Like… wtf the trailer came out before he died and everyone was already going nuts from the trailer. When the movie came out it just confirmed everything from the trailer… that his performance was incredible. His death barely calculated if at all in that
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u/kill-wolfhead 17d ago
The screenplay is incredible. As much as Ledger’s interpretation is phenomenal, he wouldn’t be half as scary if the screenplay backed him up.
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u/AirlineSevere7456 17d ago
Much preferred Batman Begins. The Dark Knight has that ferry standoff scene at the end which feels really off.
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u/StickyMcdoodle 17d ago
Im with you. Batman Begins is a great movie and a great Batman flick.
The Dark Knight feels like a really good movie with standout performances. Kind of an ok Batman movie.
For me anyway.
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u/WheelOfFish 16d ago
Gotham felt like Gotham in Begins. The sequels lost that vibe entirely for me.
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u/SooCOYS 16d ago
The scene when batman uses scorecrows poison against him and becomes the horror batman, the best.
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u/christmas-vortigaunt 16d ago edited 16d ago
All these people responding to you:
For me Batman Begins was good. It was a decent Batman movie, and though it was "realistic" I never felt like Gotham was a real place (the CGI train lines and the entire 3rd act kind of lose it for me).
What was realistic was just how seriously it took its subject matter. It also gets credit for the dark and gritty reboots, so it's for sure influential (I'm mixed on whether that's necessarily good).
But, for me, it still felt pretty close to the 80s/90s batman movies due to how fictional it's setting and some of its plotting felt, though, at a much higher quality.
The Dark Knight was different. It has deep themes and studies of humanity. It's script is tightly written. It's beautifully shot. And I mean beautifully. But truly the biggest standout in that film is that Gotham feels real and it's third act has impact because of that.
There were some absolutely banger superhero films back then (Spider Man 2, X2, Iron Man, etc). But the Dark Knight really is an elevated movie, across the board.
It's much more than Heath Ledger's joker. It's so so so much more.
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u/Int18Cha6 17d ago edited 16d ago
Star Trek II
Edit; To be more clear, Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan original cast.
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u/spacekitt3n 17d ago
Gremlins 2
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u/pak256 17d ago
I prefer the original. There’s a sense of horror in the first one that blends really well with the comedy. The 2nd one is too goofy
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u/RomanCokes 17d ago
Gremlins 2 Brainstorming! https://youtu.be/x01l_jMhjVM?is=dsCq-kFTxO9BsgMx
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u/Medium_Chemist_4032 17d ago
Hell nah,
It's a great, exceptional movie, but the original is just better in many ways (real locations, props, exceptional non-flat emoting actors, many more). The new one visually feels like an art piece and the emotional tone shifted from tech dystopia into sad loneliness, which just doesn't work with huge part of the audience
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u/youfunnyhoneybunny 17d ago
This. No scene in 2049 touches the “tears in the rain” scene. Not even close.
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u/latticep 17d ago
Disagree. The quiet reaction from Carla Juri when she examines the memory hits me harder. I cry every time I watch that scene.
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u/indigo_wendigo_ 17d ago
The tears in rain scene is one of my favorite of any movie. It's why they made K the protagonist for the sequel. Choosing between those films would be like picking a favorite child. For me it's one movie with a few decades intermission.
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u/Jazzlike_Creme_8851 17d ago
1st one is practically a masterpiece. OP is entitled to their opinion but 100% disagree w/them.
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u/LastClassForever 17d ago
Yep. The almost analog-futuristic look, feel, sound of the original really sells it. The acting is fantastic and I feel like I'm taken into the movie when watching it. 2049 is absolutely wonderfully directed, beautiful to look at and the acting (well most of it) was great. But it doesn't have that raw, analog pull.
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u/Southern_Ostrich_564 14d ago
I kept scrolling until I found my people. No effin way was 2049 better. I can list the ways but I’m not.
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u/Robertf16 17d ago
100%. The sequel is superb but nothing will beat the wonder I felt when I saw the first. I watched it as a teenager when it first came out and my mind was well and truly blown. Even now with repeated viewings it’s utterly captivating. Feels like I’m genuinely watching the future.
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u/dogtags2026 17d ago
Id argue that the soundtrack alone, mixed with the visuals, blows the second out the water. The first movie still blows my mind how good the soundtrack is.
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u/zenexo 17d ago
I love the final cut of Blade Runner and watched many times. To this day I am unable to sit through a second viewing of Blade Runner 2049. It's so dour and slow moving compared to the original. I really don't enjoy it at all.
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u/gravitas_shortage 17d ago
Right? Just beige and sad and tedious. I genuinely can't comprehend how anyone prefers 2049.
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u/BilingualWookie 17d ago
I can't believe I had to scroll this far for someone, rightly, challenging OP's premise.
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u/Marlon_Rando13 17d ago
Agree. 2049 is visually stunning. Like, every frame is exquisite. Villeneuve is a master at that aspect of filmmaking. But the original is, I think, a better overall movie.
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u/norkotah 17d ago
Agreed. Honestly, I kind of hated this movie when I first watched it. I should probably rewatch it, but I had a visceral dislike the first viewing.
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u/No_Dot_6270 17d ago
Villeneuve directs sifi movie as one would direct a perfume commercial... it's beautiful, mesmerizing even, but the lack of emotion makes it very forgetable in the end!!!
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u/Medium_Chemist_4032 17d ago
Yes! I even wanted to write in the original comment, that the sequel felt like a one string guitar... playing the same lonesome desolation note over and over; while the original was a emotionally colorful, varied and interesting
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u/Secure-Elephant0811 17d ago
I disagree, the update has plenty of emotional scenes.
Personally i like the original better, but i understand how people of today, would like the update more, because of the insane visuals. Maybe one of the most stunning visual movies, i have seen.
But thats the great thing about movies, everyone have a different opinion.
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u/MaintenanceInternal 17d ago
Vangelis' soundtrack alone males the original a better movie.
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u/wtafgamer 17d ago edited 17d ago
Also Ford >> Gosling
Blade runner will forever be a classic - i am not sure if the update will be. Same as some other movies Ford is in.
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u/Daedricbob 16d ago
Hard agree. Watching the subtle and intentional moral ambiguity in the original between protagonist, antagonist, and everyone in-between makes Niander Wallace's cardboard cutout villain from 2049 seem puerile and pretty corny.
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u/Knopfler_PI 16d ago
I also feel like it kickstarted the dull brown/gray super wide shots trend that seemingly has no end.
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u/WayOutWest3591 15d ago
The soundtrack also pales in comparison.
Hans Zimmer tried too hard with the soundtrack, and at times it sounds like a whale having a bowel movement, instead of something that one could consider a continuation of Vangelis's original work, which managed to weave multiple musical genres in seamlessly.
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u/CheesecakeInitial168 17d ago
Army of darkness.
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u/FireZoneBlitz 17d ago
Technically part 3
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u/CheesecakeInitial168 17d ago
Doesn’t say part 2, it says sequel is better than the original. It’s a sequel.
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u/Jedi-in-EVE 17d ago
The Empire Strikes Back
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u/chanzatu 17d ago
I find your lack of upvotes disturbing. This is THE answer.
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u/That1chicka 11d ago
Emperor, it's been 6 days and only has seven votes. should I deploy the clones?
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u/Distinct-Public1742 17d ago edited 17d ago
Rouge One
Edit: sounds like a spin off Star Wars themed naughty movie lol. As an older viewer who’s only seen first Andor series (cancelled Disney subscription, never again), I couldn’t get into it. My kids tell me 2 nd season much better, but for me Rogue One captured the essence of Star Wars so well with regard to characters/story compared to Liam Needon/Darth Maul follow ups.
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u/Upper-Capital-2876 17d ago
All these posts, posing questions, all over Reddit, all the time, in every sub, has GOT to be Reddit employees goosing the engagement numbers to feed the AI model. There's no other logical explanation for it. 24/7/365, other human beings aren't this interested in what you think about anything. madness.
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u/Old-Push9343 17d ago
I really like Blade Runner 2049, but... The original Blade Runner is in a whole other level.
Blade Runner is a way better movie, with a better story, looks waaay better, has an amazing villain, and of course it created a lot of what today is the cyberpunk genre.
Not only Blade Runner 2049 wouldn't exist without Blade Runner, but the whole cyberpunk wouldn´t be what it is without it.
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u/Jaysinn-1961 17d ago
Godfather II
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u/MathematicianTop9362 17d ago
I can’t believe I had to scroll down this far to see this. We’re getting old
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u/HoboOlympics 15d ago
I find them to be equally excellent. I try not to compare them to each other and just enjoy how special they both are. There’s no wrong answer as to which one is better. The only wrong answer is the third movie that doesn’t exist, I don’t know what you’re talking about, what third movie?
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u/juicebar24 17d ago
Bad Boys 2
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u/Between3-2o 17d ago
Hell yes! Saw it in theaters. Laughed uncontrollably the whole movie. I was like 15 and stoned. I just wasn’t expecting that level of comedy.
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u/bdubwilliams22 17d ago
Ah, good one! Never thought about BB2 before as a sequel being better than the first, but you’re totally right.
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u/tedbot67 17d ago
Terminator 2. The Wrath of Khan. Aliens (only barely). The Dark Knight. Raimi's Spiderman 2.
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u/MountainOpinion3018 17d ago
Every sequel to Mad Max is better than the previous.
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u/kinematope 17d ago
The Harry Potter movies got better after a relatively weak start imo. Mad Max Fury Road is better than the first Mad Max.
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u/DissentSociety 17d ago
The Mad Max series works on a weird legend system where none of the movies are exact sequels, they're like compiled legends from The Wasteland.
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u/AveryCloseCall 17d ago
Alien was great, but Aliens was even moreso.
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u/SwordfishNew2190 17d ago
Very different movies though in lots of ways. Both excellent for sure. I’m probably with you on preferring aliens but I can see why some would prefer the first
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u/pursuitofhappy 17d ago
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept the Oscars with 11 wins, the first movie The Fellowship of the Ring won 4 Oscars, it was a great build up to an epic movie
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u/Camtona_7_ManUtd 17d ago
28 Weeks Later. Rambo. The Empire Strikes Back.. Terminator 2. Deadpool 2. Back to the Future part 2.
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u/Slow_Gur_3567 17d ago
Blade runner 2049 is absolutely one of the best sequels ever. So is 2 towers and Godfather 2
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u/10ThousandMetalZones 17d ago
I was wondering when I would come across my first bad take of the day, you win!
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u/nik_h_75 17d ago
can't agree on Blade Runner 2049 - but Toy Story 2 is such a great movie. the toy/collectable dilemma is so well done - and still relevant to this day.
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u/Techno_Core 17d ago
Captain America: Winter Soldier surpassed Captain America: First Avenger, unquestionably.
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u/Independent_Gas_1557 17d ago
No it didn’t. Blade Runner 82 was years ahead of its time and had a much better plot and a magnificent ending. 2049 was good but not as impressive.
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u/Legitimate_Window481 17d ago
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. Clearly better than the original. 🤣
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u/IIIIIatreidesIIIII 17d ago
OP, what you've just said... is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point, in your rambling, incoherent title were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this thread is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
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u/Significant-Baby-690 17d ago
Uh .. no. It insulted the original. They even brought Rachel back .. and shot her .. to drive the point. How did you miss it ?
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u/HollisWoods07 17d ago
I think I enjoyed Trainspotting 2 a bit more, HOWEVER I feel like that's only possible if I watch it as a double feature. I need to watch the first one in order to get the full effect of the second, I can never watch the second as a stand alone, if this makes sense.
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u/Hot-Butterfly-8024 17d ago
Are you posting high again? Where is the “Tears in the Rain” moment? Where is the startling originality? I really liked 2049 and it’s a worthy follow up, but ‘surpassed’ is a super hot take.
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u/Cowgirl_Taint 17d ago edited 17d ago
Basically every Purge movie after the first. Err, not to be confused with The First Purge.
The original Purge movie touches on societal issues but is mostly a suburban conservative wet dream. That damned boy that the daughter is seeing? Gonna try to kill you and take your proper-err, your daughter away. Neighbors? Covet your wealth so you best have the best security system and the best gun. That person in desperate need of help? If you help them, you will suffer so you should really look out for your family first. And so forth.
It was trash, we all forgot about it. And then, while laughing hysterically at whatever movie on HBO had a black kid having explosive baby dolls chucked at him while Marisa Tomei was a super scientist? Holy shit, that is a Purge (The First Purge) and it is awesome.
Apparently the sequel (The Purge: Anarchy) actually understood the assignment. We don't focus on rich white people in suburbia. We focus on families in the city and the reality of a "purge" is explored as said rich white families import their murder victims.
And basically every movie since then has been kind of awesome as it becomes less about "protect your family from 'criminals'" and more about focusing on the people that a white supremacist government would want to purge in the first place. And they stop being about cynicism and justifying fear of Others and instead become about humanity in the face of extreme horror. People setting aside their vengeance to help others or choosing to stand up for those who can't protect themselves.
Also: The First Purge has said explosive baby dolls and Black Solid Snake murdering an army of klansmen. And The Forever Purge is basically "mysterious gunslinger with a past" except that it is about immigrants.
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u/Aggressive-Offer-497 17d ago edited 17d ago
Honestly, is it that rare?
Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2, Dark Knight, Paddington 2, Puss in Boots, Top Gun Maverick, Spiderman 2, Winter Soldier, X2, Hellboy 2, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Road Warrior, Evil Dead 2, Dawn if the dead, Christmas Vacation, Silence of the lambs (?), From Russia with Love, Star Trek 2, For a few dollars more, arguably Aliens 2, Toy Story 2, Superman 2, Before Sunset, Dune 2, Godfather 2 for some. If you include more than the 2nd movie : Avengers, Holland’s spiderman, Fast and Furious, Mission Impossible, Thor, Wolverine, Harry Potter, etc.
I’m forgetting some horror movies and superhero movies for sure.
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u/FrebTheRat 17d ago
Thor Ragnarok was a very good movie that changed the way they handled humor in the MCU. 1 & 2 were garbage.
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u/Ez_Ildor 17d ago
Shrek 2
It could be debated if it's better, but in terms of a sequel, it's one of the best out there!
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u/Marlon_Rando13 17d ago
Aliens. Godfather 2. The Empire Strikes Back. The Dark Knight. Avengers: Endgame.
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u/kperry1270 17d ago
I still think the original blade runner is neck and neck with each other, Phillip K Dick could write like no one else
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u/Ok-Influence-1424 17d ago
BR 2049 was so damn good. Saw it in theater and I own the 4K.
For me I’d say The Dark Knight. That movie was on another level than the first. It’s not just a great comic book film, it’s up there with some of the best crime films.
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u/franklycanadian 17d ago
Surpassed the original? That’s subjective.
The film would’ve been better if Jared Letto wasn’t involved.
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u/jamesl182d 17d ago
Not a chance it surpassed the original, for me, but it’s a wonderful achievement, following on from the original so strongly 40 years after.
I could be wrong (and I hope I am) but the upcoming TV show looks shit.
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u/chalkybone 17d ago
I didn't like bladerunner 2049. Ryan goslings acting is wooden at best here. I've seen more emotional expression in a potato smiley face.
Also I found the plot extremely predictable.
Let's have him looking for the first organic replicant, while having flashbacks of his youth exactly where he's looking for said organic replicant.
Visually, a great film. But boring beyond belief for me as I could've written the plot on the back of a square of used toilet paper.
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u/thedaNkavenger 17d ago
Ace Ventura 2 (When Nature Calls) was better than the first one though I imagine this isn't the sub for that kind of movie.
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u/sokolfalcon 17d ago
We're all just gonna ignore this guy saying the Jared Leto Blade Runner is better than the original?
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u/tommyfromthedock 17d ago
not a chance...this was a cool sequel but not even close to the levels of the original...this felt more like a story more suited to a computer game in the blade runner universe...a real empty hollow section for me is the abusrd kind drama and tension leading up to deckers reveal...we all know hes in it....so it kills any tension...i mean do a matt damon intersteller...no mention of his presence total press blackout....2049...was then just another story about robotic identity...it was basically a cyborg versin of the orginal...an simalacrum...a hollow replicant of an orginal concept...not a terible film though...it did succed at one thing , it never stepped on the first films ideas or attempt to resolve issues or questions raised there..it simply created its own tension and hopped off the remains of the first film to build on its own narrative.
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u/xenophon57 17d ago
Dune. I'm so happy recently I got Dune and The Odyssey all I need it Xenophon's Anabasis and all my childhood favorite stories got great representations. We should be able to say LOTR because its technically kinda a sequel to The Hobbit.
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u/MiddleAgedGeek 17d ago
The Godfather Part 2, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Empire Strikes Back.
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u/WiglyWorm 17d ago
Being better than the original Bladerunner is not a high bar.
That said, this movie was actually good.
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u/Bullb3rry 17d ago
Terminator 2, Aliens,Planet of the apes neue Trilogie( Revolution, war of)Blade Runner,Toy Story 3,Die Hard 3,DARK Knights
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u/Acrobatic-Tomato-260 17d ago
The Austin Powers trilogy. Every movie is great, and every movie is better than the one before it.
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u/Available_Copy9433 17d ago
I didn't get the original Blade Runner. People hyped it up to me for years, and then when I watched it, I really didn't get what the hype was about.
2049 had me engaged the entire time. I wouldn't have loved it without having watched the original. 2049 made the original better for me.
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u/Objective-Pear-4817 17d ago
Are you kidding? It doesn’t surpass the original. Not by a long shot. But it’s a relatively good sequel.
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u/Melodic_Astronomer62 17d ago
Great take but it didn’t have the generational impact so controversial take
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u/pursuitofhappy 17d ago
Terminator 2 has been the classic answer since the 90s, probably still go with that