Every time I watch the original Blade Runner, I am astounded by the world Ridley Scott created. It is a spectacular vision that was brought to life beautifully: the smoke, the shadows, the lights. I can almost taste the noodles and smell the smog. Not only did Scott and cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth do great work behind the camera, Vangelis worked magic with a score that propelled what could've been a series of gorgeous images into a living, breathing atmosphere. I've tried again and again to find anything that can match the same transportation I get out of watching Blade Runner, but I just can't. It is in my Mount Rushmore of cinema.

With Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners, Arrival) was handed the seemingly impossible task of following up a decades old classic. Bear in mind that Blade Runner is no straightforward film - it is an avant-garde sci-fi masterpiece that has spurred decades-old questions such as: is Deckard a human or a replicant? It deals with thought-provoking themes such as what it means to be human. How do you follow up such a film with a sequel that not only stands on it's own as a compelling story, but also expands on it's predecessor in a meaningful way that doesn't hurt the previous film's integrity? You hire arguably the best director working today, and give him free-reign to make what is essentially the most expensive arthouse film. Does 2049 stand heads and shoulders above it's predecessor? No. Is it of comparable quality? Absolutely!

I don't often say this, but I honestly think every movie fan should go out to support this movie. My reach isn't big enough to influence hundreds of people to support this movie, but if this review at least convinces one person who otherwise wouldn't have seen these movie to go see it, I will feel as if I've done some good as a movie fan, and as a general human being, and let me explain why I think everyone should see this movie. There are 4 things virtually every big-budget film is today: loud, short, funny and fast. This obviously applies to every single MCU film, and even a movie like Logan, which was positioned as the "anti-superhero film", succumbed under the pressure of delivering a big climax to wrap things up neatly, and ended up with a third-act that belonged in an entirely different genre, and a father/daughter relationship that felt forced - and I'll write a separate blog about this - because the movie had such little time to breathe between the film's second act and the third act, and a long, exhausting ordeal of a road trip that should've been used to strengthen character dynamics, was condensed into a 2-minute scene. That's right. A two day road-trip was compressed into two minutes. I'm not saying that a movie can't be fast and furious and still be great (except Fast and Furious, which is garbage). After all, Fury Road is an exceptional movie, period.

The reason I believe everyone should support Blade Runner 2049 is because it's long, slow, quiet and meditative, yet it still got made with a $150-185 million dollar budget. If we make this movie a success, we are sending a message to studios that movies don't need to be short. You don't need to restrict the creator's vision. There is no one way to make a big-budget film. I want studios to not be scared to take risks with big-budget movies.

What about the movie itself? It's a marvellous film delivered by a director at the top of, and in full command of his craft. He creates a world unlike anything I've seen, that deserves to be witnessed on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system possible. Every single frame in this movie belongs in a museum, and I hope cinematographer Roger Deakins (Sicario, Skyfall, No Country For Old Men) wins the Oscar he so rightfully delivers, because this is hands down the most visually gorgeous and hallucinatory movie I've seen in my life. The impeccable sound design and cinematography give life to an immersive, spellbinding world. The best thing is that the sounds and music are so cool, yet they are so well-integrated into the film, it's often as if they're coming from inside the movie world, even if they're not.

Ryan Gosling was a great lead as Officer K. First The Nice Guys, then La La Land, and now this? After seeing this, I can say with full confidence that he's my favourite actor working today. He stars in all my movies of the year. When I saw the trailer, I was afraid he'd be a generic replacement for Ford, but he brought a lot of charm to the role, and a lot of humanity as well.

The rest of the performances were also great, in particular Harrison Ford, who gives the performance of his career as an older Rick Deckard. There is a bit less of him than you might expect, but it's all for the better, as it allows him to play an important role in the story without overshadowing the ensemble cast which this movie is built around. Everyone from experienced actors such as Robin Wright - who brought a lot of authority but also conviction to her role - and the suitably creepy Jared Leto, to less experienced actors such as Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hooks and Mackenzie Davis, all of who I hope to see more of - all lent their talents to bring to life fully bodied individuals, not characters. This is the first movie I've seen in a while where I could imagine every single actor, from major performances to smaller ones (Dave Bautista and Barkhad Abdi) felt honoured to be a part of, because each of them delivered every single line with the gravity befitting of a film of such importance. It is because of their top-notch work that these characters remained with me long after the movie was over.

But the reason 2049 doesn't just work, but also triumphs, is because at the heart of it all isn't a story about replicants, science-fiction or even the imagery. These merely serve as a vehicle to tell a deeply affecting, emotional story that, at it's core, is about what it means to be human. The original Blade Runner explored these themes, but instead of merely retreading old ground, 2049 expands on, and has it's own things to say about them. It is a slow, often dreamlike story that, for a movie with so many artificial, non-human robots, has a lot of quiet, beautiful and affecting moments. Yet, for a movie with such little action, I was floored by the climax of this film, which is an intense, violent and gritty encounter instead of a CGI boss battle.

I have a few disappointments with the movie, but they're insignificant considering what an astounding accomplishment the rest of the film is. Vangelis's score for the original Blade Runner is absolutely iconic, and although often strong and exceptional, Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer's work on this movie just falls short of the standard set by it's predecessor. The important thing to note is that if the previous film's score wasn't so goddamn perfect, I would be singing praises about this movie's soundtrack and how it immersed me in the world, but as it is, that first film does exist, and this film's score just falls short of that, and another scene or two to better wrap things up wouldn't have hurt. I guess it was intentional to leave a few loose-ends, but I see no reason to do so as I feel that this should be the last Blade Runner movie and a third movie would do more harm than good. If you leave the movie feeling as if a lot of questions were left unanswered and you're confused, don't freak out. So just let the movie wash over you. Also, although I loved Jared Leto's performance, it isn't going to be for everyone and you'll either find him terrifying or cartoonish.

All in all, Blade Runner 2049 is a once-in-a-lifetime movie. Not only was Villeneuve able to create a sequel worthy of the original, he even surpasses it in some respects (notably acting and visuals). 2049 isn't just the best movie of the year, it is my favourite film since Whiplash in 2014, and stands heads and shoulders alongside some of cinema's most iconic movies. Treat yourself to this movie in cinemas - there won't be another like it for a long time in the foreseeable future. It is a masterpiece of filmmaking that inspires wonders, sparks the imagination, and the mind, without ever being pretentious. It is proof that Denis Villeneuve is the greatest director working today. People are wondering how and if this movie will influence sci-fi in the same way the original did. And although it's too early to say, I'm sure this will influence a generation of moviegoers to pick up a camera and try and make a movie.