Blade Runner 2049 – a home-grown flop?

Blade Runner 2049 is set 30 years after the original Blade Runner, and comes 35 years in real terms after the original.

Hollywood expected it to take $50m in the US, yet its three-day opening weekend only amassed $31.5m.

Why? Well, don’t forget that the original was a cult film whose audience grew along with the number of different versions that were later spawned (although Denis Villeneuve has confirmed BR2049 *is* in its final and director’s cut.

Also, while it’s R-rated in the US and can still be seen by children, in the UK, it’s aimed at everyone of 15 and up, although if you’re 12, you can still generally get in, but at least it stops kids coming in on their own as they do for 12-rated movies. So, a large part of the money-making is taken away. That said, Suicide Squad was a 15-cert over here, and it still did extremely well.

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What may also be keeping customers out is that while it’s a visual treat, it’s also VERY LONG! It’s 2 hours and 43 minutes, including eleven minutes of end credits. Unless you were aware of that beforehand, you’re going to be taking a trip to the loo in the middle, and there is no break… and there’s also no mid- or post-credits scene, so if you’re bursting, then you’ll just miss out on the great soundtrack over those credits.

Very rarely should films last more than two hours in my view. Okay, so this has a lot of big-screen enjoyment in there, but did every last bit need to be in there??

Anyhoo, I’d say, as I did in my review, DO go and see Blade Runner 2049 on the big screen, but bear in mind how long it is, and either way, it’ll still be No.1 because there were no other big releases last weekend.

Also, see it in 2D. It wasn’t shot in 3D so it’s another post-conversation job, and given the visuals, it will look much darker (in colour, not tone) in 3D.

But is Blade Runner 2049 any good? Read our review!