Some are calling Dune a “masterpiece.” I cannot say it’s a masterpiece because as of right now, it’s incomplete. What I can say is it’s incredibly cinematic; a jaw-dropping achievement in the art of epic movie making. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a film with this much scale. A film designed for the biggest screen possible so the movie can absolutely overwhelm your senses for two and a half hours straight.

For the first hour of the film, I remember thinking to myself on many occasions, “This is fire.” After seeing the first film, which is handled with such wanton confusion despite its dizzying amount of exposition, I could see the similarities being ironed out, allowing for a much smoother process of a storyline. In fact, as I watched the film’s first half play out, the movie itself felt very much like a book happening onscreen.

The screenplay is phenomenal, moving along at its own pace as Villeneuve’s otherworldly vision of Dune came to life along with Hans Zimmer’s mesmerizing score that I’m listening to at this very moment while I write this.

Like I said before, this is no masterpiece but wow was I impressed. I found myself also appreciating it far more than the last three Star Wars movies (The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and The Rise of Skywalker.) Star Wars has become such a phenomenon that people have become lazy with the material, providing generic looks at a franchise that is, in essence, as epic as Dune. Filmmakers, however, have turned Star Wars into a joke; a tale for children with cool lightsabers that make awesome noises and the simply bland heroes-versus-villains tales that keep being told over and over again in unimaginative ways.

I miss looking at Star Wars and feeling like the directors actually care about giving us something epic to look at. Not just ideas that will be crafted into a wave of new toys (like the Sith Troopers) or a new ride at a Disney theme park (like Rise of the Resistance.)

I also haven’t been this blown away by a cast too. Despite the wave of A-listers that joined this movie they don’t feel out of place. In fact, Villeneuve gives them new lanes to shine in. He utilizes every actor for their personal strengths and uses them to perfection.