“Lead them to Paradise.”

It feels like a fever dream when one of the greatest pieces of literature ever put to page eventually becomes one of the greatest cinematic events ever put to screen, there’s Lord of The Rings and very few examples outside of that, but here we are now.

Dune Part Two is just about the closest thing to a perfect adaptation you can get of a masterpiece. A story faithful to themes and events of the source material with a creative spin from a magnificent director. From the intense drug-like visual symbolism to the terrifying yet gorgeous landscapes and battle sequences, this film *looks* perfect. Not a single shot from start to finish is wasted. Not one second looks low-effort. Sweat and blood must’ve been poured into every turn of the camera for them to have gotten it to look this brutally gorgeous.

That’s not to mention the dialogue. Every word is written in gold. So many amazing interactions, and not one of them feels cheap. They’re delivered brilliantly, but what was handed to them was already brilliant. But that doesn’t take down the actors. Chalamet, as much as I don’t like him, is Paul Atreides. He is Muad’dib. There is one specific scene before the film reaches its climax that solidifies this as one of the best performances of the year already. An actor who never seemed so commanding to me, literally demands your attention. Many moments of him left my eyes wide and my chest pumping. That’s how intense and how amazing he was here. Those last few scenes of him at the end are still making me whisper “Holy shit.” to myself hours later.

Zendaya and Austin Butler are key highlights as well. Nobody can doubt their abilities as performers after this movie, even their biggest doubters can’t deny how great they are here. Oh yeah, the soundtrack too? absolutely takes control of your emotions. Some of the best scoring of all time.

The whole movie is close to perfection, but the last 30 minutes specifically stole my heart with one of the most intense, well choreographed, and intensely shot action sequences in the history of blockbuster cinema. The final duel between Paul and Feyd left me speechless, and what came after was even more jaw-dropping. By the time the credits rolled, I couldn’t believe what I just watched. Denis Villeneuve crafted one of the best adaptations in recent memory, which might just be his greatest achievement in his career to date. I can’t wait for his take on Dune Messiah now. Long live the fighters!