Good news, everyone! DUNE: PART TWO stuck the landing! Combined with its predecessor, this easily becomes the greatest adaptation of Frank Herbert's work.

After all that intrigue and set-up, this one immediately hits the ground running. It moves faster. It boasts more thrilling action and wry humor. It gets to the point. Grand spectacle and political machinations continue to make the experience compelling. Many jaw-dropping moments ensue. Denis Villeneuve takes a bolder, darker, eerier direction with this material, ultimately building to a grand slam finish. Better yet, he enables its brilliant allegory to stay relevant and timeless now. Once again, we're treated to breathtaking visuals, rousing music, and impressive sound design. Thorough worldbuilding leaves Arrakis and Giedi Prime more lived-in than ever. Timothée Chalamet grows deeper and further into his role to astonishing effect. Of the new additions, Austin Butler stands out with a menacing screen presence. The rest of the cast delivers superb acting, especially Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem. My only gripe is that they rushed the third act. Yes, it was still greatly executed. However, it seems like everyone wanted it to wrap up as quickly as possible. That diluted the intended emotional impact a tad for me. Also, the editing here didn't feel nearly as mesmerizing as Part One's journey.

As a whole, this still offers a powerful, satisfying, and cathartic epic. Thanks to a director who doesn't miss and a ionate crew, DUNE shines as a crowning example of an adaptation done right! It's been a long time since a film adaptation with staggering potential followed through on that with 100% integrity! Last time was... The Lord of the Rings trilogy? Wow...

While it's way too early to call it, I honestly think Dune: Part Two will remain the best film of the year when the sand settles. See it on the biggest screen possible! Felt amazing to witness it in IMAX. There's a reason why the novel Dune has endured for so long in our culture. And it pleases me to say Villeneuve's films successfully conveyed that.