A film of two distinct halves of quality.

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2017)

I stated in my summary that Blade Runner 2049 is best summarised as a film of two distinct halves, and to some extent the statement is true, however in retrospect I now believe the film is more appropriately summarised as a film of three slightly more blurred thirds of quality. Act one was a largely flawless, mesmerising segment. A barrage of exceedingly good, after exceedingly good scenes. Act two pertained to much of what made the first segment so enthralling, though the quality did slightly diminish here. Act three was where I personally observed the greatest shift in quality, due in large part to the conclusion of the film. The conclusion appeared to me as being docile and underwhelming in comparison to the remainder of the film.
Ryan Gosling succeeds in delivering an immersive performance as wearied Blade Runner "K". By contrast, Harrison Ford's performance seemed unremarkable and shadow; more akin to his role as Han Solo in "The Force Awakens" than the film demanded. The original Blade Runner hosted a number of exceptional fight scenes. The compliment can be extended to the fight scenes featured in 2049, although a different cinematic approach has been taken to producing them. The cinematography is largely excellent, however I would have appreciated some additional shots of the skyscraper topped, cyberpunk/noir city environment: as I feel the film loses some of it's immersion due this factor.
Despite (in my personal opinion) not being deserved of the five star reviews media outlets are constantly firing at it: Blade Runner 2049 is largely a high quality sci fi experience that I recommend you view.