Mixed feelings

Rating: 6/10 (10 October 2017)

BR2049 is without doubt too long. Most scenes are so long, you find yourself thinking "come on, move it along". Mr. Villeneuve is obviously not from the 'less is more' school of film making
Visually BR2049 is breathtaking and contains some the best visual effects I have ever seen on screen. Watching this movie on a small screen will just be a waste of time, as its whole intention is to be grand, to be operatic.
Sadly the drama of the plot gets swallowed by the extended visual artistry.
Ryan Gosling does okay with a limited script, but the acting accolades, such as they are must go to Ana De Armas. She managed to imbue her character with some humanity. Ironic really, given that her character was the least human of the cast. Maybe this was intentional?
Blade Runner has been in the top 3 of my all time favourite movies forever. I remember well, seeing it on release at the Odeon Leicester Square. BR2049 is a pale shadow of the original film, but its not without merit.
Blade Runner's fusion of sci-fi and noir was groundbreaking, as was the score and the films particular dark dystopian vision. I found myself empathising with Deckards moral dilemmas. Goslings performance as LAPD Officer K lacks the nuance that Harrison Ford brought to Deckard in the original. In Blade Runner, Deckard was silly, wise-cracking, intense, unpredictably violent, remorseful and madly in love. Deckard was complex. LAPD Officer K is just a troubled/tortured 'soul'. It's what Ryan Gosling always does.
BR2049 is worth seeing just for its visual grandeur, but is has the emotional punch of a Connor McGregor jab.