Round 2
Long Live The Fighters !
LONG LIVE CINEMA..!!
Finally watched this in IMAX with Laser (the best available in our country.. most probably on 1.90:1 aspect ratio) after being betrayed by Studios in the name of Contest.. and watching Premier in a normal Audi, on a normal screen. (I will talk about that in the end)

This film is an absolutely worthy successor of Part 1. This is how sequels are made..!!
And No.. I am not in the category of People calling this Empire Strikes Back/Two Tower/The Dark Knight.. but I can totally understand why people would praise it this high.. because heck yeah.. this is very high up there as well.. maybe just a notch below these other Grandeurs..!!

This should be watched even for it's sheer production scale & vision..
It's Grand.. It's Mammoth.. It's Gigantic..!!
Part 1 was a great film..(I rated it 4/5) but this is sooo much more..
More Sandworms.. more action.. more character buildups.. etc. Etc.

I haven't read books.. nor I learned anything about the further story.. but I am part of that world now..

I am not gonna talk about the story progression here.. because anything might turn out as a spoiler for you.. going further that.. I would even suggest.. that if you haven't watched any trailers of this film.. then don't watch it now.. it's even better experience..!!

I must it.. Timothee Chamlet did surprise me.. I mean..I always have faith in directors.. if not actors..
But the little that I heard about the character's arc.. I didn't think he would look like a Powerful leader..
But he nailed this performance..!! He super seeded every expectation.. and I think now most people would never question his ability to be in roles like this..
Zendaya & Rebecca Furguson were fine as well.. & so was the rest of the cast..
Austin Butler did well too.. but he didn't have enough screen time.. and I felt the buildup didn't match the overall payoff.. same goes with few other characters.. the princess, the king etc. They were under utilised. So there's that..

Given the scope of this universe.. I believe sooner or later.. some characters who were under utilised.. will surely pay a bigger part in the coming films..
Yes it's not a spoiler.. but if you didn't know. DUNE 3 will be made sooner or later.. though the director doesn't have immediate plans for the 3rd film.
But I am totally okay with it.. let him take his own time.. let him craft, plan, execute everything to perfection.. I will wait for months..!!

The Movie watching experience was elevated to a new height because of Hans Zimmer's score..
Another amazing score/OST from the G.O.A.T.
The detailing/clarity in sound mixing was amazing as well.. The seat shaking/vibrating loud immersive sound took the experience to another level..
From Thumpers to Sandworms to War Cry..

& Finally let's talk about the biggest highlight of the film for me..
The production, the scale and the visuals..
Epic, Thrilling, Spectacular, Awstrucking, Out of this world, Hypnotic, stellar, dazzling, mind blowing, overwhelming, jaw dropping, breathtaking, exhilarating.. are the adjectives that will be used to describe the technical aspects of this film.

Although I didn't notice any extraordinary out of this world shots.. Those were mostly the trademark shots that are used in these kind of films... but indeed Some of shots were one of the best cinematic shots ever..
Adapting those futuristic sci-fi concepts to film.. can't be an easy task kudos to the production/makeup/ VFX team as well..
The VFX looked so clean.. that I almost belived the Sandworms will come out of the screen.. lol.. just kidding.. but indeed the VFX/CGI were so great.. and in the film.. itnm never made me think that.. these are not real.. They were just sooo good..
The Action sequences and Stunt work was fabulous as well..
Although I would say.. & I hate to say this given the buildup throughout the film.. I just wanted more from the climax..
What's in the film is very well done but I craved for more..

Despite being a Spectacle.. I love how this movie tackles various themes such as.. Politics, mind games, propogandas, cult, faith etc.

There were a few things.. which can be put aside.. saying it's a Sci-Fi and that's how the things happen.. ot it is adapted from the book.. so it is what is.. but yes.. there are few of these things.. which I need more clarification and explaining..
Also.. there were points in the first half.. that I felt a bit stretched but they were necessary too I guess.. and there were points in the 2nd half that I felt somewhat rushed.
So there's that..

Anyway to sum this up.. despite some minor issues.. that I pointed out..
This is a movie that is made for Cinema.. This is Cinema.. This is a Movie that needs to be watched in Theaters..! indeed a MUST WATCH..!! (Hey AI, put All the adjectives related to Spectacle here) If Possible watch this in IMAX with Laser.. if not then atleast on normal IMAX.. if not then try going to the nearest city with an IMAX..! And even if that's not possible then with the last option.. watch it on a normal screen..!! But yeah.. theatrical experience is a must...

As for me.. Watching a Movie in Theaters on the leap Day - checked.

Now.. about the experience of Normal Vs IMAX other things..

.. as it was a free sitting for the premier.. My friend suggested that we should go for recliner seats.. as I had never experienced recliners before.. even when this being my 98th big screen experience.. and even with the only vacant recliner at the moment was the right corner one. So Yeah.. we went with that.. It was extremely comfortable.. and I was very relaxed.. but that comes with a price.. a price of not being fully immersed in the film watching experience.. (it wasn't IMAX either.. so yeah..)
I want to make a statement here.. "The Place from which you watch the film, the quality/print that you watch (2D/3D- IMAX/IMAX Laser) matters a LOT..!!! I was someone who used to go for the last row always.. but over the period of time.. I realised.. The Center Seats between the middle and upper rows are the cream..!! (for example if there rows ranging from lowest row A to topmost row Q.. middle seats in the rows ranging from I to N would give you the best experience almost everytime)
P.S. - if the film is really bad.. you can't enjoy anything.."

On the premier arranged by WBIndia and others.. 1 day prior to IMAX release and 2 days prior to normal release.. we the real fans.. who were there.. after winning the contest because of our ion towards cinema.. were shown the film on a normal screen.. whereas the IMAX screening was mostly reserved for some non-sense Instagram Influencers..

Even then.. even with that experience.. I felt that this was a very well done sequel.. but watching it in IMAX made a whole lot of difference.. atleast 30% enhanced movie watching experience..
As I said in my IG stories..
"on 28th Feb.. I just watched the Film"..
"On 29th Feb.. I EXPERIENCED.. CINEMA..!