A spectacular achievement on nearly every level, Dune Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the iconic source material in thrilling fashion - complete with stunning visual effects, an intricately woven narrative and memorable characters. Following on from the cliffhanger of its predecessor, Part Two feels like a much more complete project in many ways, unshackled by the need to establish and build towards so much - though it still does - and instead given more room for freedom. The result is a movie just as long - clocking in at nearly 3 hours - but that’s also much more infinitely engaging. The second film manages to blend together a bevy of stunning and well choreographed action sequences with a massive sense of scope and scale - the entire third act is a whirlwind of gargantuan and heart pounding dramatics including sand worms while on the smaller, but no less engaging end we have the intensely well shot duel between two polar opposites while also always finding the time to develop the intensely human and emotional core at the center of the picture. Indeed, while the first picture may have been lacking in memorable character moments or reason to care, the same can’t be said for Part Two.

Despite its massive scope and scale - all of which is captured brilliantly by none other than Greg Frazier, who for my money easily deserves that Best Cinematography win again come Oscar season with every single frame here exploding with color and unique confidence in its execution which paired with top notch production design and costuming adds up to another stunningly well realized interpretation of the many designed and differing ideals and cultures of Arrakis - the black and white permeation of the Harkonnen world being an immediate highlight - Villeneuve never loses the character core at the heart of his film and that’s in the evolution - or destruction - of Timothee Chalamet’s messiah like figure Paul Atriedes. Burdened with a grand prophecy, Paul is faced with either embracing his prophetic and inevitable role as the messiah and lord like figure or simply being one with the people and choosing to fight alongside them - a center conflict that drives much of the thematic depths that Dune Part Two explores as it navigates the turmoils of blind faith, whether or not we can go against our own destinies, the controversies surrounding colonization all while also navigating political corruption, conversion into believing into a greater power and more to form a complex picture that’s as resonant narratively as it is visually.

Everyone gets much more material to sink their teeth into here - Timothee Chalamet quite effortlessly offers one of his best performances here, capturing Paul’s inner conflict and inevitable descent into this overpowering figure with ease while conveying every moment. His descent into levels he may not return from is entirely believable even though we see it coming and his dynamic with Chani ultimately winds up becoming one of the sequel’s strongest aspects as the pair’s navigation through such a turbulent landscape also informs and reinstates much of the purpose of the picture as well and ends on a heartbreaking note that sets up the next chapter to be unforgettable but the rest of the ing cast are equally up to par - Austin Butler frequently steals the show as the relentlessly brutal and psychopathic Feyd-Reutha from his stunning introduction down to his last breath while Rebecca Ferguson ventures into a dark and compelling path with Lady Jessica.

Hans Zimmer also returns of course with another powerful score that accentuates the gravity of the film on a strong level as well. Dune: Part Two is truly a once in a lifetime cinematic experience and one can only hope that Denis will stick the landing with the third chapter although if these last 2 films are anything to go by, we have no need to worry.