Does the original justice but also dares to be more than just a rehash

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 2017)

Blade Runner is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It may be my favourite ever actually. So, when after years of rumours it was confirmed that a sequel was too be made I was mostly sceptical. Long overdue sequels fail more often. For every Mad Max: fury road there are a lot more Indiana Jones 4 or ones that fall somewhere in between like Prometheus. When it was announced that Ridley Scott would not return as director some fans probably reacted disappointed, but I was actually positive. If he had really wanted to make a sequel he would have made it earlier. Denis Villeneuve was an excellent choice to take the reins. Prisoners and Sicario were great and I mostly enjoyed Enemy. Then the release of Arrival just made me more confident. I happy to say that Blade Runner 2049 managed to more than live up to the amazing original.
What is so great about this new movie is that it does the first one justice while it dares to be more than just a repeat. The story, characters and even the look of the film differs quite a bit from the original. A new filmmaker doing a sequel to a classic might feel pressure to just try and imitate the original creators. But having seen other movies by Villeneuve one sees clearly that he has made the movie like he wanted and not tried to make a Ridley Scott film. I think that even if one did not know you could see that the two movies are made by different filmmakers. The plot is excellent and has the same types of themes as the first one, such as questions of humanity. But the actual story is of a different type than the original. It takes quite a number of twists and it turned out not at all like I had thought it would be. Compared to the first movie this one actually has more plot. The movie has many big actors and they all do great some even with kind of limited screen time. Ryan Gosling is great in the lead. You really feel for his character. Also he is not simply Deckard version 2. Ana de Armas performance deserves mentioning. Everyone knows Harrison Ford is in the movie it's no spoiler. His performance is great and especially it doesn't feel like he's just in the movie for fan pleasing. He seems to put more effort in this role than he has in a long time. The last couple of movies he has felt like he would rather retire. He also doesn't just play Deckard like before but he plays Deckard thirty years later. Things have happened since we saw him last. Enough cannot be said about cinematographer Roger Deakins and his role in the creation of the experience that is this movie. It looks amazing and also amazing in that it's a continuation of the world we saw in the first but still not the same thing again. They have put great detail and thought into the technology in the world. They have really focused on the continuity that the world really feels like the world we saw in the original but thirty years later. I'm so relived that the movie also does not get bogged down in references and call-backs to the original. This movie creates memorable moments of its own not simply by reminding you of all that was great in the first one. I heard there was some problem regarding the composing of the music but none of it shows in the finished movie. Hans Zimmer has created a brilliant score that has the same feel and style as Vangelis but without just reusing his melodies. Some have complained about the length of the movie but that was never an issue for me. There are parts that slow down but I can't see how they could have cut it down without losing stuff and making stuff feel rushed. But some modern audience not familiar with the first one might very likely be bored. This movie is made by people who liked the first one for people who loved the first one. I have already seen it more than once and like the first one it really benefits from more viewings. There is so much more in this movie than meets the eye.
OK so finally which movie is the best? Like I've repeatedly stated the movie separated itself form the original enough to be judged just on its own. But if I must choose then the original is still the best. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best sequels I have seen. It lives up to the original Blade Runner while somehow managing the feet of feeling like an amazing movie just on its own.