Rather disappointing. The mood and tone was set by almost the opening shot which instantly recalled - both in general look and in details such as flying urban vehicles and a plethora of vivid advertising screens - the opening shots of Blade Runner - but without the ‘wow’ factor This was shortly confirmed by the atmosphere on the streets - dark, often wet, ill-lit.
The plot was potentially, quite good but the telling was muddled and we moved too frequently between the two main story strands - the mute’s story and search for his vanished love and the two Americans with dodgy side interests and, in one person’s case, a [passionate desire to get back home to the US from futuristic Berlin. these two plot strands did have a degree of connection but it seemed to be constantly taken up and then dropped as we went down a side alley. In terms of strong and involving characters - well, again, some had some elements but it all felt a little bit sketched in and not really carefully thought through - and there was even a running motif of a not terribly enigmatic drawing that was presumably meant to have some emotional power but instead just seemed like, another Blade Runner rip-off. And this was a pity as the director, Duncan Jones, has shown some REAL talent in his earlier work
So, pretty so-so. The original remains unchallenged.