A big step up from the first one in my opinion. The more varied & dramatic plot points & set pieces allows Villeneuve to be much more cinematic which we all know is his specialty. A lot of my hang-ups with this are the same though, with the weakest part being the script. A big portion of the dialogue is clunky by my standards and the pacing of character arcs specifically feels poor. Opinions change, relationships form, and arguments are resolved much too quickly, but from what I can tell this is partially a symptom of the original book being adapted (haven't actually read it myself). The final 40%, however, really hits its stride with the imagery & thematic elements and is able to really hammer home meaningful & satisfying experience.