So, I really liked it. I loved the original, but I did really like this one. Not an easy task to accomplish.
I think in a lot of ways this new one is more true to the book. The hugely expansive, more hugely messed up world was something very present in the book, as was the much larger cast of characters. Interestingly, Rachel was actually a villain in the original book, much closer to the Luv character. The replicant underground is present in the original book as are replicant police officers. Int he book the replicants had built a completely counter society that paralleled humans and was indistinguishable with the goal of mixing everybody up. VR simulations and getting lost in them, also in the book (pretty good for something written in the 60’s)
What I did like about the original was the more intimate story. It is in essence a love story between a human (or maybe human, we don’t know) and a replicant and asks a big simple question, what does it mean to be human and does it even matter? All these barriers we create are fictional.
I also liked the original sound track MUCH better. I know a lot of people are going goo goo over this new soundtrack, but it feels like a dozen other movie soundtracks that all of have the big distorted BWAAA! sounds. The original soundtrack was so delicate and spontaneous and was a nice counterpoint to the visuals. Vangelis (the original soundtrack composer) improvised most of the soundtrack with a few synthesizers riffing over a rough cut of the movie. Vangelis also did the soundtrack for Chariots of Fire. Probably one of the most iconic movie melodies ever.
In the end, I thought it was very very good. The acting was excellent. Amazing that they kept so much of the story under wraps. The world building was awesome. I felt like it just din’t have quit the same emotional punch or cliff hanger of the original.Unfortunately it didn’t do well in the box office so we might have to wait another 25 years for the next one.