Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Kevin V — 10 Oct 2017

My real rating is 3.5, but the cinematography and visuals are impressive and (mostly) deserving of their rapturous praise that anything less than 4/5 feels dishonest.

For an editorialized review that focuses on how "I felt about" any number of things, you can skip this. Focus here will be analysis and description - however much colored by my perception. Note that I enjoyed the original but am not a fanboy.

This central theme of the movie's plot has rationale, even within confines of the original, and it reveals itself early enough on to tease interest. It's a good enough vehicle to drive a Detective-noir style film that doesn't hurry itself. Note the difference from the original, which was more a noir-suspense/thriller that justified more action scenes. I do not mind long runtimes and slow pacing, but I did feel it got sidetracked looking at itself in the mirror in some scenes. Pace in the middle is glacially slow - did find the examination of K & Joi's relationship interesting but more action/chase scenes sprinkled in would have balanced things better. Pace predictably picks up toward the end, but no real menacing villain and lack of payoff for tense moments earlier in movie hinders the sense of danger/urgency. Final payoff/reveal is worthwhile.

Acting: Solid performances, including Gosling, although he couldn't fail as this role was made for his blank, vapid expressions. Leto interesting, but not given enough to work with. Ana de Armas haunted me as Joi, great job balancing AI/real life complexities.

Cinematography: A++. You could put headphones on and still enjoy all 165 minutes of luscious scenery and worldcraft. The depiction of lonely beauty or grimy, dirty existence was beautiful.

Score: Zimmer's sci-fi music/ambience seems to have evolved. Sound was excellent and ethereal. It provided what was needed from it and even in some cases, the music was the sole driving force of angst. Experienced edginess in some scenes where absolutely nothing of consequence was happening.

My only main complaints are a couple minor details not matching up to the original (which is important to iron out if you're going for a subservient sequel), distraction in the slower paced parts (to go this slow, Everything. Must. Serve. The. Payoff.), and serving us a couple topics to chew on through the movie that it never really tries to dissect (justifiable slavery? What does it mean to be human?, etc).

I will very likely see it again, and anticipate enjoying it just as much. That's about all you can ask out of a movie these days.