"Our enemies are all around us, and in so many futures they prevail. But I do see a way, there is a narrow way through."

I find it incredibly difficult to review movies that are just this good. There was just a little that I had to criticize about part one, but there is nothing but praise that I have for Dune: Part Two. Straight from the start, this film separates itself apart from its predecessor. Dune (2021) had suspense throughout that led to an impactful third act, while Part Two is just straight up exhilarating from start to finish. It’s one of the most powerful movies I’ve ever seen, not for its themes or messages, which are still well done by the way, but simply for its tone and pace. There is never a dull moment and it's one of those movies where you wonder where the time even went once you finish it.

I said in my review of part one that it was one of the best-looking movies I’ve ever seen. Well, its sequel might honestly be the very best-looking movie I’ve ever seen. The cinematography is simply unbelievable, and I love how well the color grading contrasts with the first movie (another thing that sets it apart). Greig Fraser did an incredible job with the visuals, and I’m both disappointed and somewhat confused as to why he is helming the Beatles biopics instead of Dune: Part Three (or whatever they end up calling it). I’m not too worried though because I’ve never seen a movie directed by Villeneuve that didn’t look incredible. I just don’t know if Part Three will quite be able to live up to this one in that regard.

Hans Zimmer is one of the greatest composers of all-time, and if I’m being completely honest, I think this just might be his magnum opus. I know a lot of the score from part one was used here, which was why Part Two was ineligible for best score at the academy awards (a whole separate conversation by the way), but both the new and recycled stuff was pretty incredible to say the least. The recycled stuff was used here in a way that didn’t just seem like they were copying and pasting it. They absolutely weren’t because it’s used in a much different way than it was before. The recycled tracks have so much power and “umph” to them that add to the exhilaration. The best examples of this are easily the worm-riding scenes.

Obviously, this movie elevates the first part because it completes that storyline in an amazing way, but there is definitely more to it than that. While rewatching Dune: Part Two, I realized just how good of an actor Timothée Chalamet is. The best way this part of the story contrasts with the first is the character of Paul Atreides, and Chalamet did a simply unbelievable job of portraying that. In the first movie he was a shy, quiet, and an honestly kind of simple character that was hard to get behind. This was intentional though to set up the second half of the story so well. Here he is just a completely different person. He has ambition, a different type of complexity to him, and goals that really are clear from the start. Adding onto that, he goes from someone who really just follows other people's orders, to someone with an incredible amount of authority and power. Quite the character arc to say the least.

As I stated in my review of part one, I’m definitely a big fan of “prophecy” stories. This is one of the many reasons why I love Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, for example. Dune completely perfects this type of storytelling, and I honestly might have to say it even tops both of those two franchises I just mentioned, which I never thought I’d ever say. The legacy of Muad’Dib is epic and was written perfectly. The story of an outsider becoming the leader and “messiah” figure of a group of essentially cultists wasn’t just a great premise but was handled in such a compelling way. As a Christian, the idea of a made-up messiah is easily something that could offend me, but both Frank Herbert and the filmmakers make it clear they aren’t just mimicking or creating a metaphor for Jesus. Paul Atreides doesn’t come from humble beginnings, he makes mistakes, and by the end of this film, it’s blatantly obvious that he’s no Christ figure at all.

One change I loved from the book and trust me I won’t really get into the changes (this review is meant purely for the movie), was that they saved Feyd-Rautha's introduction for Part Two. He was clearly hinted at in the first film but never shown onscreen which I honestly think was a decision that was made better in the movie than in the book. I know right, the idea of a movie doing something better than the book is crazy, but it’s true. Feyd-Rautha's brother, Rabban, is a completely different character than him, so when you finally see him on screen in Part Two, you realize he is absolutely nothing like his brother. He’s so sick, twisted, mental, and crazy where Rabban was more of a serious character who just wanted to please his uncle, the Baron. Feyd-Rautha has his own ambitions and is an overall complete menace. Another amazing performance in the movie, this time from Austin Butler.

The third act, just like the first film, absolutely delivers, but this time it’s even better. The arcs for both Paul and all the Fremen are concluded so well and in such a way that perfectly set up the threequel (or sequel if we’re talking about the books) but still help the movie stand on its own two legs. The ending was the main point of criticism for the previous movie because it ended up making the film feel more of like a set up than its own individual story. Definitely not the case in this one.

At the end of the day, I think I’ve come to realize that this just might possibly be the greatest science fiction film ever made. I know I might sound a little recency biased as this literally came out just over a year ago, but I honestly think it’s true. All the way through, it’s exhilarating, full of so many goosebump inducing/chilling scenes, fantastic visuals, and a really compelling and unique story.