“You may die. You may see. The beauty and the horror.”

I think the most unfortunate part about seeing this after many people I follow did is that I had my expectations lifted to an even higher level then they had been before. Reports of “the best movie ever” and “on par or even better than The Two Towers and Return of the King” made me unbelievably excited for this. 

Which makes me so deeply disappointed that it didn’t meet my expectations. Don’t get me wrong: this is absolutely fantastic and is definitely one of the best blockbusters I’ve ever seen. The sheer beauty and scale that Villeneuve manages to achieve is breathtaking and is incredibly irable. The first half is definitely slower, but once the film hits its stride, it’s some of the best blockbuster filmmaking I’ve ever seen. It becomes so awe-inspiringly epic that it almost feels like it could be “on par or even better than The Two Towers and Return of the King”. Almost. 

On a technical level, Dune Part Two is immaculate. Fraser’s cinematography is beyond gorgeous, and cements him as one of the best digital photographers working right now. The production, costume, sound and effects design are superb and are truly captivating in the world. Zimmer’s score is also very good, but also is not his best, even compared to the first. 

Villeneuve directs the absolute hell out of this, and his ion, care, and reverence for the material couldn’t be more evident. He creates a world that feels so deeply realized and draws the audience into each and every character as if they have known them for years. The performances are also of course fantastic across the board, with Zendaya, Bardem and Chalamet rising out as the top few. 

I’m honestly not quite sure how to quantify why I didn’t love this as much as others, or at least as much as I could have, but it’s something I want to sit on. Perhaps I’ll like it more on another go around. I cannot wait for the next chapter.