Blade Runner 2049 is a neo-noir science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve that stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Jared Leto. The film is a delayed sequel to the cult classic 1982 film Blade Runner. Set thirty years after the original film, the story depicts a “Blade Runner” named K/Joe, who discovers a hidden truth about an old NEXUS-6 replicant named Rachel. To prevent a possible war between replicants and humans, K/Joe is secretly tasked with finding and destroying all evidence related to her. Having enjoyed the original film, I was excited to see where Denis Villeneuve was going to take the story. The original film left fans with many unanswered questions that I just knew this film was going to answer. Unfortunately, Blade Runner 2049 doesn’t answer any of those questions posed by the original film. As a matter of fact, Blade Runner 2049 adds many more questions to this franchise… questions that I will not get into because they would involve spoilers. The film has many other issues as well. The runtime of the film is 163 minutes (2 hours 43 min) and it is very, very slow! The film could have shaved off 43 minutes and still worked. That extra amount of time is a hindrance to the plot and provides little to no solid information. Secondly, there are plot holes that could have been easily explained, yet they aren’t. Also, some of the scenes are very dark, which makes sense because of the smog-filled environment when people were outside, but not when the people were inside. Next, some of the characters are unnecessary for the film, including Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). In addition, there is a scene with a de-aged Sean Young that lasted a little too long, which made the CGI aspect of her character very noticeable. Lastly, the films’ villain is one-dimensional and basically pointless. The film does have some merits though. The cinematography is great and many of the locations are beautifully shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Also, Hans Zimmer’s score is well done and blends in elements of the original Blade Runner score perfectly. Third, Ryan Gosling is great as K/Joe and his acting is fantastic. He is the main character that we see for most of the film. The more information K/Joe learned during his case the more unsure he becomes. Gosling handled this perfectly as he rode the thin line between knowing his duty and doing the right thing. All the other actors performed well with the minimal screen time that they were given. I give Blade Runner 2049 a Normal 6.7/10. The film is beautiful to watch but unfortunately, it is also too long, too slow, and quite boring at times. The film could have used either more action or a shorter runtime. A sequel such as this shouldn’t leave you asking more questions than the original film.