Bear with me because I just left the theater less than 20 minutes ago, but this movie absolutely blew me away!
I’ve been super excited for this movie since I left the theater over two years ago when I saw Dune: Part One. I revisited that film last week, for the first time since seeing it in the cinema, and seeing the difference between these two installments is insane. If I thought I loved the first one, I don’t even know what I’d say about this one. Visually grand (again), amazing storytelling, and better performances all around. There’s not much I can complain about.
Looking back at the first film (and this might just be comparison coming in to skew my perception), it is a much more straight-forward story than I remember it being. Part two adds so much more depth to the story and to the world in which it takes place, something every great second film should do.
I adore the way this film feels. Just like the first one, it brings you into a new world. This is helped tremendously by the music and sound design. A movie made to be seen at the theater just for the sound design alone, never mind the visuals (just an expression, you should definitely pay mind to the visuals). There’s certainly no words that can describe the other worldly feeling this movie presents.
The unique production design is once again top-tier. A lot of work seemingly went into how this film behaves as a comparison of the clean, pristine villains and the dirty, rugged heroes. This goes further than just production design. This level of design can be seen in the makeup, hairstyling, costumes, and CGI. It truly is a realized product that translates amazingly onto the screen.
The one thing I am sad about is that the distinct blue sky is absent from this film. That was one of the visuals from the first movie that really stuck out to me and made me remember the feel, especially the ending. Not a huge deal, but it made such an impact the first time around, I was disappointed when I didn’t notice it being included in part two.
Something else that connects the viewer to the film is that the characters feel more real. The movie really gives them time to breathe and lets the audience see a fully depiction of them. This is helped so much, of course, by the acting in the film. All around, the acting is phenomenal. There is not a single performance that really stands out to me because, as an ensemble, the cast does a great job of being a part of this fantastical world. I did think that Timothée Chalamet’s acting in this film felt more natural than it did in the previous Dune though. He was much more believable in the role this time around.
But I will say that Chalamet looks a lot older and more mature in this sequel, which adds a lot of depth to the film. I remember when the first one came out and there was a lot of talk about how Denis Villeneuve wanted to film both parts back-to-back, but the studio wanted to see how part one did first. I was disappointed by this for the longest time, but I think it worked in this film’s favor. By having years in between filming, it allowed Chalamet to age some. He looks more like a capable leader and someone that has this higher status. I’m not sure if he could’ve pulled this role off as well if he had filmed it at the same time as the first part. Even if Paul is supposed to be the same age in both halves, symbolically the aging conveys a growth period for the character and I think that adds a lot.
Final Thoughts:
In all, I thought this movie was fantastic and I’m already thinking about going again before it’s out of theaters. A movie that truly elevates the genre. When I looked at the runtime, I was a little nervous, but the movie used all its time well and didn’t feel overlong by any stretch; I’d even say it could’ve been longer!
I know this review is a little all over the place and sloppily written, but maybe once my thoughts are more in order I can re-organize and clarify my review. I am just so pumped from the experience. My opinion could also change, and I might update my review to reflect this after the recency bias wears off. But at the moment, this film is a perfect ten out of ten!
Ratings:
As a Film: 10/10
Personal Enjoyment: 10/10
Within its Genre: 10/10 (Sci-Fi Fantasy)
Fun Scale: 10/10