He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy. Dune: Part Two is an improvement over the first film in every conceivable way. It's bigger in scale yet more intimate in storytelling and character at times provoking a stronger emotional reaction. The story is far more dynamic and thematically interesting and although it still ends on something of a cliff hanger, the movie also feels like it contains a more natural climax than Part 1. Having read the novel I always thought that this would be where Denis Villeneuve may have struggled as the story takes some extremely strange and dark turns. However, the director has done an excellent job of bringing Frank Herbert's vision to screen, partly by quite sensibly avoiding some of the craziest aspects of the source material (Paul's sister and son, the relationship between the Baron and Feyd-Rautha). But, I'm glad that he really leans into the idea of Paul becoming a highly problematic antihero who seems destined to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors while the religious fervour that eventually engulfs him alongside the Fremen is also effectively portrayed. The prophecy sequences could have easily fallen into silliness or felt overly repetitive but the combination of excellent editing and a genuine level of uncertainty as to their meaning makes these moments feel essential. The final act is truly disturbing in displaying the level of religious devotion that Paul inspires while Jessica becomes a full-on villain pretty much showing that not only does Villeneuve avoid diluting the darker elements of the novel, he actually makes these strands more explicit at times. There is also a surprising level of humour in the first half, especially from Stilgar which is unexpected but a pleasant surprise and it helps accentuate the shift in tone over the course of the film. Overall the screenplay is superbly brings the second half of this story to the screen which is no easy task considering the problems that filmmakers have had adapting this story in the past. I do have issues with the pacing at times which although rather slow still manages to rush a lot of key events and inevitably underserves certain characters. For example, Jessica goes from being basically normal in one scene to suddenly walking around with writing all over her face, speaking to her unborn child in the next and this felt rather abrupt. I'm also pretty confused about the length of time that is supposed to be conveyed through the film because in the book, these events take place over about five years but here it seems like a week. The final battle is over extremely quickly as well and I know that it isn't supposed to be the focus of climax of the story but it still felt unrealistically one sided. However, it would be literally impossible to make a perfect adaptation of this so I definitely don't have any major quibbles with how the filmmakers tell the story.

In of acting the performances from this huge ensemble are excellent. I really didn't expect to say this but Timothee Chalamet delivers the strongest performance in the film in my opinion. I'm not surprised at his acting ability but it is just that Paul is deliberately a rather bland and emotionless character in the novel so Chalamet manages to bring a really impressive range and depth here. His gradual turn towards the dark side is highly convincing and the scene where he speaks to the Fremen gathered in the south is genuinely quite frightening. However, not as much as Rebecca Ferguson who is genuinely terrifying as Lady Jessica and clearly channelling every depiction of Lady Macbeth ever put to screen. Javier Bardem is excellent in a much expanded role compared with the first film perfectly embodying the attitude of a religious disciple while also offering most of the film's humour. Austin Butler and Stellan Skarsgard are both suitably intimidating in villainous ing roles while Zendaya brings most of the emotional resonance to the story with some heart-breaking moments in the final act. Florence Pugh is solid in her small appearance but she will be play a far more significant role in the next film so I expect her to really come into her own in the same way that actors like Zendaya and Bardem do here. The one weak member of the cast is Christopher Walken who appears to be trying somewhat hard to not play himself but ends up managing to do it anyway. I think part of the problem is that he is so instantly recognisable and distinctive that it is hard not to just think of that character as Christopher Walken. He also doesn't really look like he knows anything about the film or story that he's in so I'm not surprised that he hasn't really be doing press. It reminds me of when Michael Douglas was interviewed about Ant Man and couldn't say anything about the plot instead recommending that audiences watch it when high. Still, the level of acting on the whole is excellent and helps to make the film carry much more depth and emotional weight than the first instalment.

It really goes without saying that this is a technical masterpiece but I'm going to say it anyway. Firstly, the sound design is absolutely unbelievable; everything from the thumpers that attract sandworms to the guns and swishing of blades delivers such a crisp, immersive audio experience. Considering that it is predominantly CGI, the cinematogprhay looks absolutely stunning with so many beautiful standalone images. For all of its technical mastery the first film was a little bit grey at times but Greig Fraser makes full use of the sand dunes of Arrakis as the main setting here with the shots of the simmering sun offering stunning compositions. The orange glow throughout various scenes is beautiful and contrasts with the cold, sterile Harkonnen locations while the use of black and white for Feyd-Rautha's gladiatorial showcase is equally breathtaking. I also love how Villeneuve is so happy to use long takes and periods of relative inaction in order to let the story breathe or at other times quietly building tension. The sandworm scene is fantastic partly because we spend so long watching it coming towards Paul before anything of note actually happens. Although dominant throughout the film, the visual effects look absolutely perfect never at any point detracting from the believability of the these worlds. Hans Zimmer's score is obviously great, if slightly more toned down than the first film and I did sort of miss the bagpipes but the moments where it strikes a soaring, melancholic note as Paul and Chani kiss on the dune is lovely. The costumes are also amazing and I honestly can't see how this doesn't win pretty much every technical category at next year's Oscars. While we're at it judging by the supposed release schedule this year it is going to have to take up at least six of the ten Best Picture slots as well. I think we definitely got overloaded slightly with great films last year. However, Dune Part 2 would be a very deserving winner as it stands since it marks a clear improvement over the first film raising the stakes thematically, emotionally and technically while benefitting from several superb performances. I have a few issues with structure and Walken's performance but this was still a fantastic viewing experience and I'm already looking forward to Dune: Messiah which hopefully won't be too far away.

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