JAMIS LIVES!

It's official. We have reached the pinnacle of cinema.

It's all down hill from here.

At least, until Dune: Messiah

They could have called this, How to Walk Like a Bad Ass: The Movie. Timothee Chalamet is now officially the master of walking like a bad ass. Whether it's through the dust, on the desert, or into a room.

This was one of the greatest theatrical experiences of my life. This must have been what it felt like in '77 when Star Wars was projected on the screens for the first time.

I have never seen anything like this. I have never felt anything like this. I wouldn't even know how to describe it.

There were moments that were so swelling emotionally, with the cinematography and the music, that I wept. For no other reason than being completely overwhelmed, and unable to comprehend that what I was witnessing was something that was actually real.

I was misty-eyed before the opening logos. Because it was already giving me everything I wanted. And it continued to do so.

I love how the big climactic swelling music cue occurs during/for a first kiss.

Watching this was like begging for a unicorn for Christmas, knowing I won't get one, because they don't exist so that's not possible. And then Christmas morning, I get a unicorn. How is this possible!?

But within minutes I realized what this film was doing, and it was blowing my mind. I'm thrilled that it ended up being 2 parts, because I have never seen a 2 part story told in this way. Where Part Two perfectly mirrors everything that happens in Part One.

It's like the Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon, Wizard of Oz thing. I want to watch Part One and Part Two at the same time (I have since done so. It's not only all true, but even more glorious than you could possibly imagine) Because they're hitting the same beats. The music will be similar, but different.

Part One begins with Paul waking up from a vision. Part Two begins with Paul waking up from a vision.

In Dune Part One, Paul asks why not save the water instead of watering those palm trees. And he's told that the palm trees are sacred. Around the same point in the run time of Dune Part Two, Lady Jessica is told that they're saving the water, because it is sacred.

Part One has that shot of the harvanger carrier, dropping it off and leaving due to its malfunction. In Part Two, there is the same shot of a perfectly functional carrier. Only this time it's crashing from an explosion.

In Part One the reverend mother tells Paul "silence." And in Part Two, Paul tells her "SILENCE!"

These films are like identical twins with different personalities. Everything that was happening, was a mirror image of the first one. The message, the drums, the voice over, the first and last shots, the music, the water of life mirroring the Gom Jabbar/Box test (with Paul standing outside the room, fearing her death. Just like Jessica was standing outside the room, fearing his death, in Part One) the Baron in a "bath" and/or naked (plus I loved him as Jabba the Hutt) and most importantly...

SPOILER ALERT

Jamis is my favorite character. And for 3 years, I have been wishing Denis Villeneuve would put him in Part Two, since we still had options with possible futures that never came to . That was how we got to know Jamis in the first place.

I was teary eyed through probably half of this experience. But when Jamis not only started out as present in the story, whether it was his body or his name, then Paul started bringing him up and they were hinting at what was to come. When I heard and saw Jamis on screen, I wept. And once again, around the same point as in Part One, he had important profound words of wisdom, that are necessary to put Paul on his trajectory.

So that was one thing I thought was impossible, and I would never get in this film. But I got it. This film meets AND exceeds expectations.

When Paul gives his big speech, it is about the same point in the run time as in Part One when Duncan dies. And both scenes are using the same music.

Both parts feature the ring seal being used.

But the emperor deserved worse, after not ACTUALLY touching his lips to that ring.

Part One ends with Zendaya having the final line, and the final shot is on Jessica. Part Two ends with Jessica having the final line, and the final shot is on Zendaya.

Plus, the shot of Zendaya with the Maker Hooks, waiting for the Sandworm, is just like the shot in Part One, of Doctor kynes with her Maker Hooks, waiting for the Sandwarm.

I love how when everyone kneels for Paul at the very end, the only 2 still standing are his 2 women, the only 2 who don't believe in him.

And it cracks me up that when earlier in the story, Zendaya asks Paul "will you always be with me?" He responds with "as long as I breathe." But then at the end, he has to update his status, and let her know, oh hey, by the way, "I will LOVE you, as long as I breathe." But I gotta go marry Florence Pugh real quick.

Part One has Paul's father telling him he cannot take such risks. Part Two has Josh Brolin asking why Paul takes such risks.

I love how they kept showing close ups of Rabban's whip, in both Parts One and Two. Then at the end of Part Two, when he's finally got it in his hand, about to use it, he just immediately dies. He never gets to use the whip that made him so intimidating. Because he's really just a coward.

In Part One, when Paul begins to manipulate the prophecy, Jessica whispers "careful." In Part Two when Paul takes full advantage of the prophecy, Jessica whispers "slow down."

Both Part One and Part Two even end with Paul having a 1 on 1 dual to the death. Both at sunrise, and with some of the same witnesses. Both with no music during the fight. And both featuring the same line of dialogue "may thy knife chip and shatter" to begin the fight.

There's a moment in this that was the first time I have ever felt in a film what it feels like the moment you fall in love with someone. When Paul is staring at Zendaya while she explains to him how a wind trap works, and the way she looks is exactly how someone looks when you fall in love with them. I don't know how Denis pulled that off, but he did.

I find it absolutely hilarious that the final trailer for this, featured the line "you are not prepared for what is to come." And most of us thought that was Rebecca Ferguson speaking. But because it's whisper voice, we had no idea that it was literally Anya Taylor-Joy in the trailer. LOL

This is by far Timothee Chalamet's best performance to date. I have never been a huge fan of Zendaya. But I am now. She is fantastic in this. And Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem completely steal every scene they're in. And I loved Javier's Donald Duck impression.

And everything on Giedi Prime was absolutely astounding. I would vacation there, anytime. Those weird fireworks things! That's the kind of amazing design that I don't even know how people come up with. But it's astounding to see all the science fiction design in these 2 films. Especially in this one. Absolutely breath-taking. Things like the mines, hidden in the sand, then flinging towards the vehicles and exploding. I've never seen anything like that. Incredible.

And for weeks I have been joking... Well, let me start over. For months I have been willing to bet the farm that there would be a Part Three, and that's already a done deal. So for weeks, I've been joking, Part One ends with Zendaya saying the final line "this is only the beginning." So it would be funny if they ended Part Two with her saying "this is only the middle." But as soon as she said something in particular, I perked up and thought to myself, is that going to be her last line!? And sure enough, it was. So I actually got what I asked for, as the last thing Zendaya says in Part Two is...

"This isn't over yet."

Ironically enough, this film felt to me very much like Episode 2 Attack of the Clones. Setting up a war to lead into the climax. And ironically enough, Episode 2 even ends with Count Dooku saying, "this is merely the beginning."

And the last line of Episode 2 is Yoda saying "begun, the clone wars, have." Then it cuts to ships taking off into the sky, heading to war.

The last line of Dune Part Two is Jessica saying "the holy war begins." As she watches ships taking off into the sky, heading to war.

I can't wait for Dune: Messiah!

Dune Part Two and Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace I have seen in theaters more than any other. 24 times.

Long live the fighters...