Has everything the original has except...

Rating: 8/10 (10 October 2017)

Some of the philosophy is missing.
It would not surprise me if viewers under thirty five years old dislike this movie, mostly because of the pace and tempo. Blade Runner 2049 is definitely a throwback to the pre-ADHD era of move making, often barely any movement and driven by the performance of the actors rather than special effects.
I saw the original Blade Runner when I was eight years old (I was not an abused child) the finer points of the plot and dialog were obviously lost on me but the imagery of a movie like that stays with you for a lifetime. I remember revisiting the film when I was old enough to appreciate it and being awestruck all over again by the complex subtlety of the story. The replicants had a desperate desire for life and was the motivation for their every action, the underlying question of what makes us human and who decides what that is?, the playing god meeting your maker thing, at the end the replicants who are perceived as being not human show a display of humanity that blows my mind every time I see it. The closest BR-2049 comes to asking such questions is the JOi character who is absolutely mesmerizing.
I can't imagine watching BR-2049 again after seeing it through inexperienced eyes would have the same effect. The film is breathtakingly beautiful, the acting flawless, the story is okay but it just doesn't get inside your head like the original. I have heard people complain when a movie leaves them with more questions than answers, that makes movies special when done properly. This movie was made to be seen on a big screen but it's missing the deeper philosophical nature of the original.
On a side note the director has expressed interest in making Dune I think that would be awesome, I wish he would consider a live action Cowboy Bebop.