A worthy update to one of the most critically loved sci-fi movies ever

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2017)

A young blade runner's (Ryan Gosling) discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down older colleague (Harrison Ford), who's been missing for thirty years. In the future, there are people whose job is to find and kill human-like robots, you know, and they are called blade runners.
Also appearing, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Mackenzie Davis, David Dastmalchian et al.
The original "Blade Runner" (1982) is lauded as one of the best and most important sci-fi movies ever. I have seen it, of course, even more than once, and read the Philip K. Dick's story it's based on, but never see the appeal, honestly. Was quite bored with it, actually.
So why do they like it so much? I am too lazy to research it on the interweb, so I am just gonna take a wild guess and offer that when it came out, it was a long-waited antidote to all the silly sci-fi movies craze that had ruled in the previous five years.
You see, throughout history sci-fi was always a "serious" and artsy cinema genre but then "Star Wars" (1977) came out and made huge amount of people want something different entirely.
So "Blade Runner" was, for sci-fi geeks, a long-awaited return to form, with its moodiness, sombre atmosphere and deep philosophical questions such as what makes us "real" anyway, and is human life more important than artificially created one.
"Blade Runner" flopped in cinemas originally but over the years it has built an admirable cult following. And the fans are surely glad to know that the long-planned sequel is finally here and stays far away from mainstream fare, respecting its "serious" roots and everything.
Yes, the trailers look spectacular and have plenty of rip-roaring action but the new "Blade Runner" is all about returning to the form, easily supassing the original movie in every aspect, at least for yours truly.
Be warned: not only does it last for close to three hours, it's so artsy that you may feel the need to go grab some junk food later. Just to, you know, compensate.
The story is slow, not too eventful, a few action setpieces, not much dialogue - and the existing sounds more like monologue than real natural conversation between persons.
Filled with futuristic landscapes and environments, the movie looks gorgeous but there's a noticeble discord between viewer and characters/events. The experience is cold and disheartening by design, always keeping you at arms length, so to speak.
It does have Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford starring, but the result is far from perfect date movie... unless both are big movie lovers and/or loved the original "Blade Runner".
You may also have trouble with understanding the backstory and certain things about the characters. It is even difficult to say whether everything is meant to feel so ambiguous, asking us to offer our own answers, or the makers have tried to remain as "artsy" as possible. I think it's meant to be that hard to grasp. It's directed by Denis Villeneuve after all ("Prisoners", "Enemy", "Sicario", "Arrival").
To be honest, the movie does not have any good reason to last for close to three hours, but at least it's full of thoughtful and well-crafted material, not filler crap like many "event" movies.
The main topics such as the future of artifical intellect and the value of life, especially human life versus the artificially created one, are intriguing if you are able to open up to the whole experience.
And if you manage to open up already, you may admire how spiritual this bleak and cold futuristic story can be at its core. I dug throught the symbolism evident in the story and found out that it is really about the importance of feelings - this is all you really have to get through life. Just what the spiritual systems have taught us for thousands of years.
There will be many who will feel turned offed by this approach, I am sure. For an expensive 150 million U.S. dollar movie, it sure tries its earnest not to be easily liked and digested.
But it's gorgeous and after a while, you may notice that it really speaks to you. Some may dig the moodiness, or Gosling's face, but there's enough serious content beneath the surface.
For all it's emotional distant-ness and terrifying length, "Blade Runner 2049" is not my cup of tea, but I think it's a noteworthy piece of modern art. Considering the hefty budget, it is also probably the most expensive piece of modern art ever made.
All in all, for what it is, the movie could not be better in any aspect. Except for maybe giving Leto a bigger role.