Too long and consequently loses its impact

Rating: 5/10 (2 December 2018)

I have to start this review by admitting two things: 1) I wasn't a big fan of the original 'Blade Runner' and 2) I very rarely enjoy films based around AI (Artificial Intelligence). I find that they too often ask you to care about a robot and I simply find that very difficult to do. After watching the original recently I gave the sequel a chance hoping it would be a very different film since it was made 35 years later. And while it is different in a lot of ways (and undoubtedly a better made film in my opinion) it still suffered from similar flaws.
First of all the film is far too long. Nearing 3 hours is just ridiculous considering very little actually happens in terms of story development. Compare it to a film like 'The Dark Knight' and the incredibly complex story arcs that it possessed and it still managed to come in at 2 and a half hours. For a film to be this long the pacing has to be immaculate and while it wasn't terrible in 'Blade Runner 2049' it certainly couldn't justify the runtime it had.
I was a big fan of the cast. Harrison Ford was the stand-out. He was captivating to watch in every scene he had. I knew he wasn't a happy man on the original's set, but this time around he put his heart and soul into his performance and it showed. Jared Leto was also a nice cast addition, however he wasn't in the film anywhere near enough for my liking.
There are some really great moments interspersed in this film and with a little more of those the film could have been something truly special. The scene with the two girls combined into one (that sounds weird, but you'll know what I mean once you've seen the film) and the final shot of the film were both masterfully done and very special moments that don't deserve to be forgotten. Who knows though, maybe they'll make another cut of this film one day and turn it into something great.