A modern cinematic masterpiece that tops the original.

Rating: 10/10 (12 October 2017)

Blade Runner 2049 is the highly-anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 masterpiece Blade Runner. Harrison ford returns as Rick Deckard and Ryan Gosling plays a younger Blade Runner. That is all I will say about the plot, for director Denis Villeneuve wanted viewers to walk into it knowing virtually nothing. This is a great decision that more films released today need to consider.
To put it simply, Blade Runner 2049 is a cinematic masterpiece. It does everything I wanted it to do and more. It is, along with Dunkirk, tied for the best film of 2017 so far in my opinion. Going in I thought the runtime would be a bit long given it was nearly three hours long. Boy, was I wrong. This film flies by so fast, that when it was done I felt like I could have watched it for hours more.
The cinematography is so amazing, that some scenes literally took my breath away. The Blade Runner universe is even more well-realized in this film than it was in the first film, which is saying a lot. Watch this in the biggest and loudest theater that you can possibly find, because the imagery combined with the score makes for an experience like no other.
Astonishingly, the visuals aren't even half of the reason why Blade Runner 2049 is such a masterpiece. This film took me places emotionally that I never dreamed of it possibly going. It asks you what it means to be human, and again shows the thin line between replicant and human. Because you are so invested in the story, the movie is that much more suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat for the entire two hours plus runtime.
The people who are calling Blade Runner 2049 "slow" obviously can't handle a film that doesn't contain some kind of explosion in every other scene, because this film is the opposite of boring. I was riveted for the entire film, despite it being more of a sci-fi drama than an action blockbuster.
This film also pulls amazing performances from its wide array of talented actors. Ryan Gosling has been hitting home run after home run lately, especially with La La Land having come out just last year. He gives another great performance here, and I can't wait to see him as Neil Armstrong in the Damien Chazelle-directed biopic. Harrison Ford proves yet again that he hasn't lost his touch at all despite his old age. Another good find is Ana de Armas, who kills it with a surprisingly complex performance. I wish I could say details about their characters, but I really don't want to spoil the film.
Honestly, I loved nearly everything about Blade Runner 2049. There were countless scenes where I felt chills because of how riveting and emotionally compelling the film got. Blade Runner 2049 is most definitely going to be a classic in this period of cinematic history, and I genuinely believe that this film simply could not have been any better.
I give Blade Runner 2049 an A+.