The visually stunning film bombs in box office, but exceeds in critic expectations

Blade Runner 2049 is the much awaited sequel to the original 1982 Ridley Scott directed Blade Runner. The original characters come back to life to continue the futuristic narrative American fell in love with in the 80s. The 2017 version, sticks to its roots as it shares the same style and feeling as the first motion picture.

Based off the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Philip K. Dick. The original centers on a retired agent brought back into the force to terminate rebelling replicants. The original revealed that Replicants are androids built in the image of man to serve as slaves.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049’s more interesting move is Ryan Gosling’s appearance as a new character, Officer K, a replicant who works for the LAPD as a blade runner to get rid of the rebels of his own kind. A conflict arises when K is brought in to see a pregnant replicant—which was thought to be impossible. He is then sent on a mission to get rid of all evidence and terminate the child. It’s ironic and interesting.

The film’s visuals are spectacular. Similar to the original, the futuristic vibe is one to savor: this really could be our future.

The storyline is quite long. In the two hours and 45 minute runtime, this film is inessentially drawn out and there are a few scenes that could be cut to make a shorter movie. Staying with the first movie’s philosophy of not holding your hand and telling you the story as it goes, it forces you to figure out what’s going on for yourself. Although I do not mind this, it may however, go either way on the good/bad scale as some love and some hate that concept.

Despite the extra long screen time, this is one of the most beautiful films of the year and is definitly one to watch.