Moments lost in time, like tears in rain...

Rating: 5/10 (6 September 2019)

I'm really sad posting this. I so wanted to love this film, I really did. But it didn't quite happen.
There is much to admire about Bladerunner 2049. For starters, the cinematography is breathtaking. There are so many shots in this film that are staggering. As a viewing spectacle it is up there with the very best; it is a consumate work of art at times.
Then there is the soundtrack. Some find it too loud and overbearing. I disagree with that view. The soundtrack pays fitting homage to Vangelis and adopts original and variations on his original themes. It could never match the Vangelis soundtrack but it comes mighty close. Unfortunately in the digital age there is a lack of quirkiness, rawness and bravado which made the analog original so timeless. It's a bit too clean, too well produced in comparison. But to be honest, as a standalone work it is superb. Sea Wall is a particularly good.
However this is where my positive critique sadly ends. This film fails for me on a number of levels. Firstly, it doesn't move you like the original nor does it thought provoke either. When Roy Batty dies in the original film it is truly moving - the villain of the film ultimately values life to such an extent that he dies without taking out revenge on his persuer and nemesis. In this film, there just isn't that same depth or level of connection. When Joe dies at the end he goes out with a tame, almost pathetic whimper.
The other main issue is that the plot takes so long to unravel over nearly 3 hrs. What started as intrigue soon turns into tedium. Gosling does a fine job in the lead role but this film is a good 40 minutes too long.
Rightly of wrongly it's a sequel and therefore will be compared to the original. For all the gorgeous sets, camera shots and atmospherics, Bladerunner 2049 is no match for the groundbreaking original.
Joi is an interesting character and was well acted but Wallace's henchwoman, whilst vicious, never reaches the unpredictable menace and ruthlessness of Roy Batty. Jared Leto as Wallace was intriguing but under used. And the CGI version of Sean Young's Rachel was clever but in my opinion, her addition smacked of desperation in the end. Deckard's introduction was so late and so brief that it became almost insignificant. Yet he is so pivotal to the storyline.
Personally, I think the filmakers did a solid but underwhelming job with what proved to be an impossible task and they should at least be applauded for even attempting it. But to sum up, if the studio have designs on making another Bladerunner film, then I will quote the wise words of the late and rather great Rutger Hauer...
Time to die.
The film is a genuine work of art for sure, but is let down by a seriously tedious, slow plot line and a total lack of emotional depth.