Dune: Part Two

Denis Villenuve is operating at the highest level in Sci-Fi filmmaking. A beautifully, immersive display of stunning cinematography by Greg Frasier and a hypnotic score by Hans Zimmer. Timothee Chalamet has reached new heights as an actor and his range in this is unbeleiveable. Paul Atredies undergoes a massive arc in this film and is such a compelling character. There are monologues delivered by him that gave me full body chills. I'm seriously hoping that he will get a best actor nomination. This is also the best work I've seen from Zendaya. Her character was one of the standouts of this film and she had immaculate chemistry with Timothee. Their relationship in this film was so meticulously crafted and I truly felt for both of them. Austin Butler also nails playing a vicious, psychopathic villain. He brings such an intensity and brutality to this role. He is truly one the most interesting actors working today. I could go on and on about how wonderful this cast is but it would just take forever. This story is truly grand in scope and scale yet also manages to feel deeply intimate with its characters. It's slow paced which allows the audience time to care about the characters and the world. Yet, it never feels boring and films runtime flies by at the same time. It's so rich with world building, culture, morality, and philosophy. Each planet and faction of people all have a very distinct sound, style, and lore. The Harkonnen arena scene was truly a visual and auditory feast. This film also closes out this duology and the first book in an incredibly satisfying way. The major plot threads converge in this film yet there's definitley space for future storytelling. While these Dune films aren't action movies, there is quite a bit more action in the sequel. It's shot amazingly well and the final duel consists of some electrifying choregraphy. Also, any of the sand worm scenes are incredibly immersive and exciting. I only have some miniscule nitpicks. Dave Bautista's character was done dirty. He was so dumb and incompetent in this film. I know that's kind of in line with his character but I thought it was taken too far and diminished him as a threat or an interesting character. Also, due to the cast being so large some characters didn't get as much screentime as I would of liked. I wanted a bit more Christopher Walken. These are only very minor critiques and didn't really detract my absolute love for this film. Overall, this film is truly fantastic and made me viscerally react physically and emotionally in so many ways. It's a must watch on the biggest screen possible.