Dune: Part Two

Villeneuve’s next outing continues a streak of great films, this time as a sequel and one that improves in pretty much every aspect of his original. The sheer scope evokes feelings of old Hollywood epics, but where most films would collapse under these lofty comparisons, Dune Part 2 manages to, in many ways, exceed them. There’s never a moment where the landscapes that surround our characters feel false, no point where you can see where the set ends; it all just feels authentic and as if its existence started far before what we see on screen. The scale of the battles can often be awe-inspiring and overwhelming at the same time, but even in the film's largest moments, Villeneuve knows not to stray too far away from what really matters; the film keeps the personal conflicts of his characters on the front burner, even when they’re involved in this universe-affecting conflict. The characters largely get the attention they deserve; Chalamet’s Paul inner conflict and reluctance are well-realized, while Zendaya manages to portray Chani’s care for Paul and caution greatly. Austin Butler is nothing short of transformative, given a somewhat brief amount of screen time to realize this larger-than-life villain, and he uses every moment to its most. Rebecca Ferguson pretty much steals every scene she’s given; really, the only character that gets left behind is Bardem’s Stilgar, who gets most of the small amount of comedic relief, but he doesn’t have much to chew on compared to the cast surrounding him. I don’t really feel there’s any doubt that Dune Part 2 will be remembered as a sequel in the same company as that of The Godfather 2 or The Dark Knight, and Dune as a whole may end up being a generation-defining outing.