May possibly be an overlooked classic on release - deja vu anyone??? ;)

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2017)

At time of writing, Blade Runner 2049 looks like it might underwhelm at the box office. There are probably a few reasons for that: the R rating obviously keeps children and young people, and families away; a demographic in the 18-25 range is probably pretty unfamiliar with the original movie; and its 2 hr 43 min running time probably feeling taxing to a number of contemporary moviegoers who are used to an hour and a half.
However, here are my responses to each of these points:
 this is the kind of "thoughtful couples/date type movie" for when your kids are at their grandparents or babysitters; or it would make a great works night out to watch this
 if you're unfamiliar because you're pretty young with the classic original Blade Runner movie, you're admitting to missing out on a classic piece of cinema that you need to watch (up there with the original Star Wars; the Godfather; the Shawshank Redemption etc.) So do yourself a favour, and rent or buy it now, rather than watch the latest average to shoddy Maze Runner sequel;
 if you're put off by a film's running time, then do you really have a love of cinema at its fullest and finest?
Very important the last bit, because in my opinion, this is arguably the best sci-fi sequel since Terminator 2, way back in 1991. It respects, builds on and pays homage to the original film, without being constrained by it, whilst making us look again at the original film with a new eye.
Without giving away any notable spoilers, the story continues and advances the conflict of replicants pitted against humans. Whether the divide between the two parties may be coming closer to an end is illustrated in a creative and thought provoking plot development (involving the characters of the original film), which I genuinely didn't expect.
The characters here are fleshed out, conflicted, and portrayed as complex and realistic, give how Earth has so tragically ended up in the environment this franchise creates. Whilst most actors here give a sterling performance, with few off notes, I'm happy to note that in a film which needed him to carry the weight of the narrative and mythos, Ryan Gosling (not my favourite actor) is outstanding in an understated, often subtle performance that marks as one of the finest of his career. I'd also probably give Robin Wright credit for her turn as the prejudiced, conflicted and brutal Lt. Joshi; Harrison Ford (who plays a latter act part, but is nevertheless a key role) gives his best performance for a character in years as a now wizened Deckard. It's interesting that, compared to the pre advertising buildup of him, Jared Leto doesn't get as much screen time as you might expect – although he's competent in what time he does have.
Of course Blade Runner stories are hugely about visuals: whilst much has been said for cinematographer Roger Deakins being Oscar nominated for this (he should be), the visual effects team really have done sterling work overall. The visual look is stunning and seamless – an understandable, logical and beautiful progression from the universe of the first film, that makes me hugely excited to own this at home on Blu Ray. It's one of the few films I would recommend seeing in 3D: the effect of it is subtle and not garish as can be in 3D, and it nicely enhances certain scenes, rather than distracts from them.
So any quibbles at all? Thankfully, only a few: a brief cameo from a very well loved and intriguing character of the first film is sadly all we get from that character. The score is satisfactory, and services the visuals and plot well, but it can't really come close to the classic Vangelis original. In my mind, the only person who should have really been approached for this sequel is Vangelis himself, but maybe he turned it down. We don't know.
The film also ends on an intriguing cliffhanger – one which is dependent on certain characters being available and happy in future to film a subsequent sequel. I'd have probably preferred the ending to be one that could make the film a stand-alone film, like the original, whilst allowing for the possibility of sequels.
Still, these are minor quibbles overall. Hopefully it will make enough through box office receipts and home video and TV (remember, it's the latter two that led Blade Runner to become a cult hit over time, rather than the original box office receipts) to make a Villeneuve led sequel. If not him, the only other two people I can ever imagine doing that sequel might be Christopher Nolan or Ridley Scott. However, let this man at it again, he'd done a fantastic job here.
In summary: a brilliant achievement, which hopefully opens the doorway for another film to make what might hopefully then be the best sci- fi trilogy in history – aping the Lord Of The Rings trilogy for fantasy, and the Dark Knight trilogy for the superhero comic book genre. If this gets ignored by the Oscars for the usual costume dramas, biopics, and rote drama films, there should be hell to pay.