a little late to the party but WOAH😳 

An enthralling sci fi epic for the ages; this generation’s “Empire Strikes Back.” Everything about this story and the way it’s told is just unreal. 

Cinematography goes insane. The color/lighting, frame composition, etc…so well crafted. Especially those scenes on the Harkonen planet. Nothing like it. 

Hans Zimmer’s score shows us (once again) why he’s one of the goats. He expands on musical themes and ideas from Dune: Part One in a really creative and sweeping way. 

The actors give it their all here as well. Everyone kills it, but the standout performance is Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha. He’s so intense and menacing. Honestly one of the best villains in a major film in a long time (maybe since Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight”). Also Christopher Walken as the emperor is a genius casting choice. 

There’s also something to be said about the story/plot being so clear and relatively easy to follow. Of course, the pretext of Dune: Part One enhances this film a whole lot, but as a standalone movie, I think this works as a revenge epic at the least. But damn, the first film heightens this one so much. And regardless, the character arcs and dynamics are super cool and engaging. 

Denis Villeneuve recently said “long live cinema”
in an interview. I’ve been thinking about that a lot, mainly just as a celebratory catchphrase, because hell yeah!  But after seeing Dune: Part Two, it’s more than that. The framework of this incredible film illustrates that Denis’ simple three-word line is a loud, formidable declaration of the need for immersive, artistic, and meaningful movies. Films unite us, transport us, and inspire us and this movie is ultimate proof of that. I know that sounds WAY pretentious and heady, but goddamnit, it’s true. Denis really did it. And how lucky we are to be here to watch it all? 

This is one for the ages. If you haven’t seen it already, run to your closest imax screen and buckle in. Oscar 2025 sweep as of right now