Review of Blade Runner 2049 (2017) by Syfy4Lyfe — 09 Oct 2017

I thought it was good. The cinematography is excellent, a treat for the eyes. There's a lot of things to like about this movie for sure. There's a slow burn meditation feel here that I really appreciate.

But I must take issue with those claiming that it is a masterpiece and equal to the original.

Overall, 2049 is joyless and too clinical and serious. Characters lack depth and there's not much emotional complexity to interactions. We also don't experience the cultural immersion like in the original. Clutter, dilapidation, the real life of despair and loneliness on a personal level was what Blade Runner somehow captured and somehow was able to transcend and give a glimpse of hope.

BR 2049 is a bleak dystopian wasteland. The soundtrack is mostly full of industrial sounding doom horns blasting you into submission, and at times this sonic approach is ill-placed. There is little subtlety - it pales in comparison to the Vangelis score.

2049 is well-made, it is gorgeous and crafty, and it does not commit any major sins. But I really doubt this will be one we will be watching over and over and over again for decades to come. Just go and watch the original, and you will realize how much this sequel is lacking in complexity and soul.