One of the Most Beautiful Looking Films Ever, but it drags

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2017)

Blade Runner 2049 successfully captures the essence of the 1982 original classic. Denis Villeneuve was the right man for the job as he brings his maturity, ingenuity and passion, whereas a different director (including Ridley Scott) might have sacrificed quality for nostalgic fan service and superficial storytelling. Villeneuve deepens the world and storyline of Blade Runner in only a way Denis knows how: by being super artistic, visually stunning, mind-bending, and very slow.
Blade Runner 2049 attracted some of the most talented and beautiful people in the world to bring this story to life. The film bleeds with mastery, from the directing, to the acting, to the gorgeous production design, to the techno ambient soundtrack, and to the Oscar-worthy cinematography. The lavish and stunning visuals are so incredibly beautiful that if films were graded based on visuals alone this would hands down be the best movie ever. But obviously they're not, so I can't make a statement that bold.
Blade Runner 2049 is a little less entertaining and more artful than mainstream audiences were probably hoping for. The storyline builds upon a mystery and slowly unravels throughout the long runtime. It bounces off of one startling revelation to another while subverting viewer expectations in the process. The film picks up on themes from the first and expands upon them in a deep, philosophical, and sometimes confusing manner. Jared Leto's character Niander Wallace talks in such deep metaphors that it's hard to follow everything he is saying. Also since there was no studio interference, the film didn't have a spoon-feeding voice-over narration like the theatrical cut of the original. This allowed for the film to be more artful and less heavy-handed.
Clocking in at 2 hrs. and 44 min. makes this nearly an hour longer than the original. The film had many scenes that seemed unnecessary or could have been trimmed down like Ryan Gosling walking around broodingly, weird robot sex scenes, or mundane everyday activity. The pacing was even slower than the original mostly due to the long runtime and the compulsive need for extended shots. The original was quicker, less boring, and had a much stronger conclusion with the most epic monologue in film history.
Blade Runner 2049 is a visual masterpiece and a good sequel to an untouchable film. It's so artistic, beautiful and detailed that a single viewing wouldn't do it justice. It's just that siting through certain scenes again will more than test the patience of some. 7.5/10