Blade Runner 2049 2017 Four stars Director: Denis Villeneuve Stars: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright. Runtime: 2hrs 44 mins We know that dystopian cinema includes fascinating works of art. Films like “Brazil,” “A Clockwork Orange,” and “Moon” aren’t just some of the best of the genre, they are some of the best regardless. But does their premise make them fundamentally incapable of being beautiful in every sense? Can something so ostensibly bleak, dark and pessimistic also be alluring and elegant? Unequivocally, yes. And you can add “Blade Runner 2049” to the mix. Director Denis Villeneuve takes us to Los Angeles 32 years in the future (from the release of the film). The planet is vastly overpopulated, ecosystems have collapsed, and famine is widespread until an industrialist named Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) invents synthetic farming. In the original “Blade Runner,” synthetic humans known as replicants were engineered with superior strength and...

  Wonder Woman 1984 Two stars Director: Patty Jenkins      Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, Kristen Wiig, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen Running time: 2hr 31min For a long time I have been behind giving female characters in the superhero genre of movies more of the spotlight. I have wanted to see male characters step back, relegated to second-tier status, and let their female counterparts shine. We have seen this more and more. Not only has Wonder Woman had two feature films, we have seen characters like that of Regina King in “Watchmen” take center stage and Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel character “Black Widow” will get her own film in 2021. Women are getting greater attention in this genre, as it should be. What is particularly distressing is when a script subtly, but significantly, undercuts this progress, which is the case with “Wonder Woman 1984.” It gives the impression that the wheels of equality in Hollywood are turning more slowly t...