Do Blade Runners Dream of Harrison Ford?

Rating: 6/10 (12 March 2018)

This is a good movie. It's not the best one, is not very good one. But is good enough that not feel regret for watching time. My judgment is based on two reasons: the meaning of the story, and form of storytelling.
In case of discussing the message of 'Blade Runner 2049', it is necessary to divide the movie into 2 parts. The first one during 80 minutes from the beginning. This part tells us about a personal quest of the protagonist. K's dilemma is a mirror reflection of the central matter of original 'Blade Runner'. Both movies are rooted in Philip Dick's novel. Inevitably they share the one and same theme. Ridley Scott in 1982 concentrated on the conflict between rationality and sensuality in self-identity of as a person and a community alike. The movie of 2017 has focused on the problem of trust as to objective cognition on the one side, and to subjective beliefs and faith on the other.
It's a great approach. At first, Denis Villeneuve and crew created unique work while retaining the key principles of 'Do Androids Dream...' and 'Blade Runner'. Secondly, the recourse to not used previously aspects of Dick's story makes the screenplay of 2017 actual front of challenges of contemporary technological and social progress. In result, we have the illusion that this movie looks like a sequel and screen adaptation in one and the same time.
The stop here or keeping the same narrative way could be made 'Blade Runner 2049' one of ingenious pictures. But it couldn't. Mostly because of the last part. After appearances of Deckard, the movie transforms into fan-service product. Each attempt to acquit Ford's staying on the screen or using most popular characters of the original movie destroy meaning achievements of the seen part of 2017 movie. After self-destruction, the 'Blade Runner 2049' start to make clear all plot collisions of the 1982 movie and the novel.
But it's not a sort of intelligent and more nuanced explanation of ambiguity and uncertainty inherent to primary sources. It's simple and a definite answer that doesn't permit viewers to see the central theme from multiple perspectives again. If step back from thinking about needs for ontological reflection on human nature, the plot in last part is becoming boring and predictable. It's just a story full of unnecessary repetition and cliche, that could be telling in any sci-fi movie with any others characters.
In a storytelling aspect, I see the same duality. Actors are magnificent acting by the way they speak, they look, they gesture. Gosling, Wright, Bautista, de Armas, Hoeks, Leto, and others clearly demonstrate floating complicated emotions, internal conflicts, and heaviness of moral choices without help of its oral naming or explanation. It makes the film's telling very poetical. The tempo, rhythm, and structure of screen narrative allow recognizing the work of Denis Villeneuve.
But in total looks that movie hasn't its own spirit. It is only proof Denis Villeneuve able to repeats the film of Ridley Scott. It looks like a story was told by one person was retold by another one later. With the same expression, same accents but by a different voice. During the watching movie can see the visual and sound identity is evolving into the parody. 'Blade Runner' of Ridley Scott had the influence on future cyberpunk movies. I sure that Denis Villeneuve's works will have the influence on the future sci-fi movies too. All of them except 'Blade Runner 2049'. Because of 'Blade Runner 2049' already was totally influenced by the aesthetic of Ridley Scott and by the manner of Denis Villeneuve. It's pure bi-product of both directors.
So, in conclusion, I think 'Blade Runner 2049' is better than most part of 'Anything-what-you-want 2' films. It was very close to the success of Cameron's 'Terminator 2'. But didn't able to reach the heights of self-sufficient sequels. In the same time, 'Blade Runner 2049' worth seeing at least for understanding how much we lost. And how great this film could be in other circumstances