Yes, I know. I'm the only person in the world who thinks that Part 2 is not quite as good as Part 1.

First, I need to get "the book thing" out of the way. It has been many, many years since I last read "Dune." I'm well aware that film adaptations do their own thing, and I accept that. There were some plot points in DUNE: PART TWO that had me scratching my head a bit, though. Most of it had to do with the "which way is the wind blowing now" relationship between Paul and Chani in the film. He seemed much more like a schemer which, naturally, would make her less ive and more questioning. But, I certainly don't that in the book and I don't think it was needed here. Also, the Messiah becoming a Warlord was surprising considering Paul's troubling visions.

All of that aside, DUNE: PART TWO is an amazing experience in 4K-UHD with DolbyATMOS in a home theater. The details are often stunning, and I literally had goosebumps when Paul first rides the Sandworm.

I think that the first movie fascinated me so much because I very much enjoyed the chance to learn about the Empire's structure, the political manipulation, and the cultures and environment of Arrakis. What many criticized as being slow is what I absorbed like a sponge.

Now, a great deal of that is in the second Part, also. Where my attention started to drift a bit was the plotting points I mentioned before, and the sheer number of battle scenes. (Yes, I know that battle scenes are exciting. It is just that I found the strategic games-playing so intriguing and I wanted to learn more.)

I had mentioned before that during my second viewing of DUNE: PART ONE, I became more aware of "acting technique" in Timothee Chalamet's performance. I was less troubled by that in this film, but it was still there now and then. The performances that really stood out for me this time were delivered by Javier Bardem and Austin Butler.

When I finished watching DUNE: PART ONE, I thinking that I could easily watch the second part after a short break because I wanted to see where the saga would go next. Despite the cliffhanger ending of DUNE: PART TWO, I wouldn't race to see the next installment. Frankly, I think there is going to be some narrative trouble in getting Paul and Chani "back on track" in a believable way ... that is, if the filmmakers decide to do so.