Blade Runner 2049 - Review: Obviously

Rating: 7/10 (8 October 2017)

I watched the directors cut of the original Blade Runner (1982) a few years ago. Blade Runner (1982) has been considered a cult classic by some, even though it bombed at the box office during its initial release. Throughout the years Blade Runner (1982) has gone through a variety of changes. Many different cuts of the film have been released for the moviegoers to consume. When you ask a fan of the original Blade Runner, they will tell you that the Final Cut of the film is the definitive version. I haven't seen the Final Cut of the film, but I will get around to it.
35 years have passed since the original Blade Runner release. French Canadian film director and writer Denis Villeneuve had some successful films on his resume. Arrival, Sicario, and Prisoners were highly successful films during their initial release. Villeneuve's success has put him on the director hot seat. Blade Runner 2049 is Villeneuve's first attempt at creating a bankable big-budget studio film.
Blade Runner 2049 is a beautiful film with a mesmerizing score, and that's pretty much it. Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Jared Leto, and Ana de Armas are all terrific in their roles. Mackenzie Davis's character is predictable from the beginning. Sylvia Hoeks's character portrayal lacks conviction, but she's intimidating in the role. My initial intrigue for the film started to decline during its second act. The plot of the story exhausted itself and overstayed its welcome. Nothing of any real interest held my attention other than the musical score, the acting, and the visuals. Blade Runner 2049 is a dry film that lacks any real intrigued for the viewer to grasp onto. The initial part of the film is good because it sucks you into its world of wonder, music, violence, nudity, and bright neon colors. There's a mystery/puzzle at the beginning of the film that keeps the viewer engaged, but that all falls apart during the second half. By the end of the film, I was bored with the story because it wasn't moving forward. During the second act moving forward, the film had slowed down tremendously that by the time it all ended, I had already checked out, I was dissatisfied with the ending, and I thought the film was okay.
For a more in-depth review, check out my video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N68nRFGxyaI