Better than the original

Rating: 10/10 (15 August 2018)

I've committed the eighth sin: calling a sequel better than its predecessor. But Blade Runner 2049 deserves the praise. It's a masterpiece; a fantastic experience of eye-wateringly beautiful visuals, hypnotic sounds, and a fantastic narrative. The pacing of this film is also commendable; despite being intentionally slow placed, and doing a good job at it too, I felt I could watch hours more of it. The story was a complete one; not the sort that left you waiting for a sequel to explain things away, or for a spin off novel (*cough* Star Wars *cough*). Denis Villeneuve outdoes himself, and so do the writers. Obviously, Ryan Gosling is flawless, Harrison Ford is grumpy, Jared Leto is weird, Dave Bautista is actually good (?) and so is everyone else. I implore you to watch it; it's a unique experience, and a richly satisfying one. It's also more approachable, I felt, than the original, without pandering too much. Loved it!