Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana De Armas, Robin Wright

A Blade Runner sequel is, as most people would agree, a bad idea. Or at least it sounds it. Over the last few years after this was announced fans were frightened or where the film would take us, what ground it would tread and how to tackle the ambiguity of the Ridley Scott's original masterpiece. I for one was hesitant but excited, especially with it's all star cast and amazing director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) at the helm and then of course came the opening night for me, and as buzzing as I was I tried not to highten my expectations any more then what I know I should. It turns out, I couldn't have expected anything better. Sequel is always a discouraging word, but here, Villeneuve creates a sequel that enhances the world we all know and love by everything he possibly can.

Set thirty years after the events of the first film, Replicants are now prohibited on Earth, after the Tyrell Corporation has gone bankrupt, and has been bought out by Niander Wallace (Leto) who is creating flawless, 'good' replicants. Officer K (Gosling) is a Blade Runner who tracks down older model rouge replicants and terminates them. Upon unearthing a secret whilst on one of his missions, K is taken from lead to lead on a mysterious realisation with his virtual girlfriend Joi (De Armas) where he discovers former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Ford) who becomes key as the case unravels.

If you've seen Villeneuve's Arrival, you'll know how much of a spectacle it is. Blade Runner has always been a brilliant visual treat, and this time round, Villeneuve pulls all the stops. 2049 is beautiful. The landscaping is gorgeous, the colours and special effects are some of the most marvellous I've seen in a film in years. You can see his directing capabilities come full force here, everything is chosen with full purpose and full impact - Villeneuve re-creates this fantastic world and still pays close attention to the first film's world, but modernises it for this day and age. As well as some superb costume design, the look of this film is flawless, and it's all thanks to Villeneuve and the breathtaking cinematography (Rodger Deakins, who should also be heavily applauded) that comes with his direction.

Gosling pulls another fabulous performance out of the bag as K, he's very to himself but that comes across very well in this film - his movements, facial expressions and delivery of script make him a fantastic new lead for the sequel. The supporting cast all pull great performances too, and Ford's Deckard, a character I really never liked, is so captivating. Ford gives the performance of his late career and I never thought I'd ever like Rick - but after the beautiful writing given to the character I'm now turned around. As a story, 2049 delivers something so intricate, so fascinating, that it expands on the very simple story the first had and throws an emotional and exciting narrative that will have you glued. 

The pacing is great here, nothing feels too rushed or too long - it's a long film but it's length is justified by its content, it won't feel like almost three hours at all. If I had to make any complaints, I'd say that the antagonists say some cheesy lines now and again, it often uses flashback lines to help explain things to the audience (when they aren't needed) and a CGI fly annoyed me. But those are just little nitpicks, nothing to completely throw me from how amazing Denis managed to pull one of the best sequels I've ever seen. At the end I wanted to clap, but I was so in awe over the final scene and it's beautiful tone and music, that I just let it sink in. As the credits rolled, I sighed with relief and smiled. As well as being so visually stunning, Blade Runner 2049 knows how to provide a satisfying follow up. It's detailed, cleverly planned and perfectly casted. You may feel like it's not as good as the first film, or it's just as good - either way you'll have quite the experience. It's now my favourite sequel of all time, and I can't wait to see Villeneuve's Dune remake now. Thank you for creating the perfect follow up to one of the most awesome films ever made. 

9/10