I try and keep my own personal expectations in check whenever an anticipated release is met with such critical acclaim and praise. Within the past few years, it seems as if the 2020s have so far given us a lot of movies that have been immensely hyped by audiences. In recent memory, some examples of these kinds of movies either fall short of that hype, or simply just “meet it”. Which is why I don’t say very lightly that Dune: Part Two doesn’t just meet that hype… it far sures it.

It feels like it’s been too long since I’ve seen a new release like this in theaters that has made me feel this level of excitement while watching a movie. Dune: Part Two is an electric, dense, deeply layered epic that has immediately put itself within the realm of some of the greatest of all time. It’s not often that I am so quick to call a movie “perfect” on my first watch in the theater, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Dune: Part Two. The movie gripped me early on in its opening minutes, and the movie just increasingly kept getting better as it went on. It did not stop.

While I’m aware this is obviously based on a popular novel, I’m not going to delve much into the realm of spoilers since I believe going in blind is the best way to enjoy a movie and this is just such a new release I don’t wanna give anything away. However, I will say that what separates Villeneuve’s Dune movies apart from say, Star Wars or Lord Of The Rings, is the deeply layered commentary and themes that these films provide. Yes, Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings touch on some of the same ideas as well, but they aren’t explored nearly as much as they are in Dune. Dune not only completely subverts, but also deconstructs the “hero’s journey” story that is so commonplace in many stories. It’s commentary on faith, religion, politics, classism, and what it means to be “the messiah” (and the dangers that come with that) are all richly explored and help to make the world of Dune feel so much more dangerous, unpredictable, and real.

There’s a thousand more things I could talk about in regards to Dune: Part Two, but this really is something that needs to be seen to be believed. The scale in both the images and the storytelling is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Greg Fraser cements himself as maybe the greatest cinematographer working today. No Hollywood movie looks quite like the Dune duology does. 

When I see this movie a second time (which I undoubtedly will) I’ll likely write a second, more in depth review where it’s less of me just gushing like a little boy the entire time. Until then, go out and see Dune: Part Two in the theaters. This is something that has to be seen on the big screen while you can. I have no words. Long live the fighters.

5 out of 5