BLADE RUNNER 2049

I hated this movie when I saw it in the theater, both because it fell so far short of the original, and because the soundtrack was so loud that it was painful, even with ear plugs. I liked it even less when I borrowed a DVD from our library. But, I downloaded a hi-def version from HBO to my computer and burned a disc. I like it better.

The first hour or so is pretty good. Ryan Gosling makes a very effective late-model replicant, with just enough human features to make him appealing, but not quite human. There's a terrific fight in the beginning as he "retires" a leftover Nexus 8, and a charming interlude with his virtual girlfriend. His boss, "Madame," reminds me of Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb in "From Russia with Love." The special effects, although not as bright, sparkling and subtle as in the original, are pretty good.

But then it just falls apart. You already know, in the first 20 minutes, what the denouement is going to be. And, it takes a long time to get there. The special effects collapse into something like a 21st Century Aushwicz. . Worse, it's b-o-r-i-n-g. I watch the first hour regularly, but can't steel myself to get past that.