Blade Runner 2049 is the neo-noir science fiction film and sequel to the iconic classic Blade Runner. It is directed by Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve and stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto. This movie has been getting glowing reviews so let’s get into this. So for those who don’t know the story about the original Blade Runner, when it first came out it was actually a box office flop. But over time it became a cult classic and one the most influential sci-fi movies ever made. So 35 years later, Warner Brothers finally gave the greenlight to make a long awaited sequel. This movie like its predecessor is getting amazing reviews so what did I think? While I wouldn’t call this a masterpiece, Blade Runner 2049 is still a very good movie.

What you have to understand when going into this movie, this is not an action movie. This like the original is a smart, psychological, and a movie with deeper meaning. It’s a movie that you need to pay attention to and it’s a movie that makes you think. So go into the movie realizing that or you will hate it. So what I liked about the movie included the plot, the acting, and the cinematography.

Starting with the plot, this is a mystery movie and I really liked it. Agent K (Ryan Gosling) is a Blade Runner who is in the middle of a case and you follow him on his journey. This detective like storyline kept me guessing and kept me engaged. Next up, all of the acting was great. Ryan Gosling carries this movie and you do get behind him and his journey he goes on. Honestly, he’s becoming one of the biggest movie stars in the world and knocks it out every time. Harrison Ford (my all-time favorite actor) is great once again as he reprises his role as Rick Deckard. But the standouts to me were the two new actresses. Ana de Armas plays Golsing’s girlfriend and was very sweet and emotional. Sylvia Hoeks is intimidating and scary at some points. They both were pleasant surprises. Finally, you’ve probably seen this everywhere but I have to say it as well; this movie is stunningly gorgeous. I’m not a big cinematography but boy, every scene looks like a painting. If this doesn’t win an Oscar for visual effects, I’d be shocked.

While some people believe this is a perfect movie, I did not. First off the main issue that it is way too long. This movie 2 hours and 43 minutes long and boy it feels like 2 hours and 43 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to cover in this movie and most of it kept me engaged. But there is a lot of downtime and the pacing sucked at points. Also, I was confused at some points in the movie and I’ve seen the original Blade Runner. So I can’t imagine how average movie fans would see this movie. Another thing that really bothered me is that I wasn’t emotionally invested as much as I should have. When emotional moments went down, it didn’t hit me to the core like it should have. Part of that is because of the length of this film. Less is more sometimes and that is the case here. Finally, this more of a personal issue for me; but I wish Harrison Ford was in the movie more. I am not joking when I say this, but he doesn’t appear in this movie to around an hour and a half. I just wish he was in it more considering it was his story in the first movie. MINOR SPOILER: Also, we do not get a final answer about Deckard being a replicant or not. This isn’t a negative but it’s worth saying. SPOILER END.

So in conclusion, Blade Runner 2049 is a good but not great movie. It is a worthy sequel to the original and it does a great job of continuing this question. What makes us human? It’s a movie that makes you think about life and about humanity in general. Just remember, this movie is long and it is not an action movie.

Rating: B/86%

Written By: Steven Santoro (SVS_1993)