Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is finally here! And only one weekend into its opening, the prestige blockbuster has already delivered at the box office, bringing in $81.5 million domestic and $178.5 million global at the time of this post. Meanwhile, speculation percolates as to whether or when Villeneuve plans to make a third Dune film, presumably based on Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed that there will be a third film. How long will fans hang in the balance, hungry for more?

In this episode of The Long Take Review, Greg, P.T., and I rejoice and revel in our very recent (and, in Greg’s case, multiple!) viewings of Dune: Part Two. We also try to interpret all that we have seen (and, in some cases, read).

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Image Credit: LA Times

The Short Take We each share our general impressions of Dune: Part Two. 4:14

The Recommendation Algorithm Can you jump in without having seen Part One? Should you see this in IMAX or at a Dolby theater? Plus, we give a popcorn bucket/merch report from each of our theaters: AMC, Regal, and the Alamo Drafthouse. 7:57

SPOILER MODE What surprised those of us who have read vs. not read the books? What do certain reveals or plot twists contribute to the story? 20:22

The Rhetorical Situation How well does this film subvert or dispel the White Savior Narrative that some critics associate with the Dune mythology? What is this film saying about politics, power, and prophecies? Is Paul Atreides the hero of this film? 46:23

Our Favs After we conclude The Rhetorical Situation, we celebrate the cast of this film and shout out our favorite performances. The conversation then devolves into us just naming and gawking at shots, visual effects, or other elements of the film we loved. 1:05:28

Oscars Watch Now that we’ve seen the film, what do we think its Oscars chances are next year? Had it been released as originally planned, how would it have fared at this year’s Oscars? 1:37:09

All music licensed through Epidemic Sound.

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