In 2015 when I was a sophomore in college I did a presentation on Denis Villeneuve during my contemporary film class and my professor at the time hadn't even heard of him. A couple years removed from Prisoners and Enemy, and on the verge of Sicario's release, there was no telling that he would go on to cement himself atop his craft and deliver one of the most visually striking filmographies in the history of the medium. If he hadn't arrived at that point already, Dune: Part Two cuts down any contrarian argument like Feyd-Rautha in the war room.

Just take a step back and look at the pieces behind this movie. You have three generations of actors, one of the greatest working directors of photography, impeccable sound design, an efficacious score, and an auteur director bringing all of it together with an unprecedented sense of vision and quality control. For all intents and purposes, this film is a collaborative masterpiece.

I said this when I watched the original for the first time (and probably felt the same during Villeneuve's last 3 films) but I truly can't comprehend how they pulled off some of these moments. The scope is unparalleled. I'm not sure there's ever been a fantastical world built in live action with such resonate detail. I'm probably being redundant at this point but I'm just so happy this thing exists.

Timothée Chalamet put all doubts to bed regarding his charisma. His screen presence is undeniable and his delivery is powerful, especially in the third act. Austin Butler establishes himself as possibly the most versatile young actor working right now. I didn't expect Javier Bardem to serve as comic relief, but he does it so well and Josh Brolin carries some of the film's most emotionally resonate moments.

Nothing moves a third act quite as vigorously as the realization of revenge, and while the conclusion of Part II is undoubtedly satisfying, the story leaves us with a question of whether or not there truly was a hero in it all. The cycle of revenge, the cycle of war, and the inevitable corruption of power looms behind Paul Atreides like a shadow.

I love this movie. It carries the finite touch of the original with an indelible energy of triumph. As much as I'd love to see Denis make another Dune film, I want this guy's touch to reach as many different stories as possible. Dune: Part Two will be looked back on as an indisputable classic and might just be the greatest science fiction film of all time. Incredible.