“Dune: Part Two” is a captivating and action packed sci-fi epic. It adapts the second half of the culturally iconic 1965 novel “Dune,” by Frank Herbert.

From its score to the seamless blend of breathtaking cinematography and computer-generated effects, “Dune: Part Two” is sure to leave the viewer captured in the world being presented before them.

Released in theaters on March 1, the film (rated PG-13) was directed by Denis Villenuve, and Released by Warner Bros. Pictures. You may also be familiar Villenuve’s work in recent popular movies like “Arrival”(2016) and Blade “Runner 2049”(2017)  which he both directed. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer.

“Dune: Part Two” stars Timothee Chalamet as the lead protagonist Paul Atreides, Zendaya as the female lead and Paul’s love interest Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mother Jessica, and Austin Butler as the main antagonist Feyd-Rautha.

On the planet Arrakis, the great houses compete for a natural resource called Spice. “Dune: Part Two” follows Paul Atreides,  after the events of the first film with House Atreides being destroyed by House Harkonen.

Paul and his mother Jessica escape and find Arriakis’s native people, the Freman. Paul Atreides has to grapple with a prophecy that he is supposedly a part of while tensions are strengthening as a galactic war brews between the houses.

You don’t have to have read the book to appreciate “Dune: Part Two.” I haven’t read the book, and Part Two still stands as its own amazing film despite it being an adaptation. Although books go into more detail, the film still allows you to understand the general plot and aspects of this world pretty well.

“Dune: Part Two” was one of the greatest cinematic experiences I have had in a long time. I left the theater and my only thought was just “wow… that was amazing.”

One thing that stood out to me was that it never felt like there was a dull moment the whole duration of the film. Even during simple and slow dialogue scenes, Villinve finds a way to make the cinematography interesting and Zimmer makes the score captivating.

I love this style of filmmaking because it keeps the viewer engaged and reinforces the dialogue and narrative. With the sound design, music, and visuals, “Dune: Part Two” was almost overstimulating in a good way. It was a very emotionally exhausting movie. It really gets you totally absorbed in the world.

One scene that does this amazingly was the sandworm scene. As Paul Atreides learns the Fremen ways,  one of their rights of passage is to ride on one of the giant desert sandworms. You see it off in the distance barreling towards Paul. The anticipation for its arrival builds, as it reaches the crest of the sand dune. Paul quickly jumps down onto the worm trying to get his bearings.

This is where the sound design and visual effects shine. The scene is very loud the whole time. It does a great job of conveying the disorientation and struggle Paul experiences on the sandworm, with camera angles and the fast paced action of the scene. Villenuve does an amazing job conveying the sheer scale and grandeur of the sand worm. The scene reminded me of how it feels in a rough ocean with waves crashing, as you struggle to catch a wave, but instead in an ocean of sand.

I really like the visual style of this film. Each environment and sequence all had its own look to it. For example, at the beginning of the movie, the Arrakis was  under a solar eclipse. This cast this very distinctive orange hue on everything giving the opening scenes a very intriguing look to them.

Another sequence that displays this well are the scenes on the Harkonnens home planet. All the scenes are shot in black and white. This is not just  a creative choice. The scenes are shot with an infrared camera, to show the planet’s low light sun that only emits IR light. Once again showing the unique visual style of “Dune: Part Two.”

Although I have really enjoyed this film, this has been a little bit of negative reception. This mainly comes from the fact that the film did make some changes from the book, in terms of character and plot.

Now, if you are a die hard fan of the book, I can easily see how that could have upset some people. But I think that can easily be overlooked by how great the production quality of this movie is. You can tell alot of care and soul was put into it.

Although Dune Part was not a 1:1 recreation of the book, its performance from the actors, story and dialogue pales in comparison to a lot of  movies these days. I can’t honestly find one major flaw in dune other than it not being completely faithful to the book. It is truly a cinematic masterpiece.

But, don’t take my word for it – go out and see it yourself, and form your own opinion. My biggest takeaway from this movie is that it reminds you why you go to the cinema, why you see movies on the big screen, and why you shouldn’t wait for it to come out on streaming.

If you like Sci-fi/Fantasy as a genre, saga-like stories with deep meaning and lore, I’m sure you’ll like “Dune: Part Two.” It is truly a breath of fresh air  from the current trajectory of Hollywood, and how that’s been going with flop after flop.

Overall “Dune: Part Two” was a great adventure, totally worth seeing at least once.