ThisIsBigCat’s review published on Letterboxd:
After being blown away by Blade Runner 2049, I was very excited about what Denis Villeneuve can do with ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᑕ. I really enjoyed Part One, but it was held back by only covering the book's first half. The way the film ended abruptly right in the middle of the story really bothered me. But in ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᑕ: Part Two, Villeneuve fully lives up to his potential. This is one of the most visually stunning and epic blockbusters in recent memory.
I was fortunate enough to watch this film at IMAX 70mm. What makes this such an engrossing experience is not just the massive screen size that takes up your entire eyesight, it's the sound. The seats are vibrated by the loud bass and the surround sound immerses you into the world of the film. The best example of this is when the film shows Giedi Prime. The planet is under a black sun, devoid of wildlife, zapped of color, and the inhabitants are pale and bald. It's a world so alien and inhuman it's beyond human comprehension. The dichotomy between Giedi Prime's greyscale visuals and Arrakis' orange hue gives me goosebumps. It's the kind of experience you could only get in a theater, especially in a format.
Covering the book's second half, the plot realizes its full potential. We finally see the culmination of Paul Atriedes' character arc, going from a boyish prince to an extremely dangerous religious leader. Austin Butler has a standout performance as the terrifying Feyd-Rautha. We may not get Sting in a codpiece, but we do get a psychotic Erling Haaland. One major book change I noticed is that Alia remains unborn. I guess the filmmakers couldn't make an adult-like child work.
I really hope ᑐ ᑌ ᑎ ᑕ: Messiah gets made because this franchise can definitely go down as The Lord of the Rings of this generation.
