There have been few films that I’ve been excited for as Dune Two. The first one absolutely blew me away, and the wait for it has been absolutely agonizing ever since the strikes pushed it back four months. I am happy to say that Dune Part 2 exceeds the first in many ways, but also compliments it, lifts it up, creating a five and a half hour epic that few filmmakers would have been able to tackle as effectively as Denis. 

Part One was the (very good) setup for the game that part two plays. Here, we see the full picture for the puzzle that part one set up. The adaptation is sharp here, smartly taking what works best (in my opinion) in the novel and making necessary changes to what remains. Of course, not everyone will agree, but considering how unwieldy everything can get in that book, I think the spirit remained intact. The coldness of the novel (and even a little bit of the first film) was actually improved upon here. There was true humanity and emotion, especially from
the Fremen. I was pleased as a fan of the text, and the first film’s story. 

Denis Villenueve and cinematographer Greig Fraser have crafted a beautiful universe, filled with some of the most beautiful work I’ve seen in a long time. The black-and white Giedi Prime scenes in particular were a standout in a movie filled to the brim with gorgeous work. 

The acting only gets better in this film. Chalamet flows nicely from boyish prince into the role of reluctant prophet. Zendaya is thankfully given a lot more to do here in this movie and she shines. Her character is actually, well, a character unlike the first film and all of the book. Together, their early flirting sets up a powerful romance, even if it doesn’t reach the levels of the novel. Javier Bardem is the a big backbone of the movie, though. His undying faith in Paul plays nicely into the movie’s themes, but also provides well placed levity into the early, slower act one. The ing cast is great, everyone is firing on all cylinders. Austin Butler is fun as hell to watch as Feyd, especially. But Rebecca Ferguson’s Jessica was the highlight. Her dedication to both the Bene Gesserit and her son make for an interesting conflict for her character. 

Zimmer’s score takes the themes we loved from the last one and makes everything more grandiose. It should have no trouble winning an Oscar like the last one did. 

As for slight criticisms…the pacing saw some minor issues in each of the acts. There were a few redundant scenes that could have been swapped or taken out entirely. Other than that, I have no large complaints. I will say, some book fans I was with found themselves at odds with a few of the choices made. But like I said, I think every choice was smart. These choices changed the remaining 
characters for the better. 

Dune Part Two is a worthy follow up. That much is clear. I liked it more than the first (a near perfect movie already) but at the very least I can say that if you enjoyed the first, you will enjoy this one. Together, they form a movie for the ages, one that I hope to experience back-to-back in an IMAX with my popcorn bucket.