Use of Tension
When Paul summoned a grand-father sand-worm and dropped onto it, I thought he was gonna die. I felt uncomfortable when he touched it. When Paul killed the Baron, I thought he was gonna immediately kill the Emperor. But that's not what happened. When Jessica drank the Water of Life, I thought she was gonna die, but she didn't. The same applies to Paul and Chani. In all of those scenes, the high stakes, build-up and tension were still there.
Part One and Two
Drama & Immersive World-Building and Action & Eye-Candy
The two movies have different jobs. The First Part fulfills its job of establishing context and immersing us into its world through its slow, dramatic, world-building-ish flow. The Second Part is a different movie. It fulfills its job by showing us Victory, Eye-Candy, and Ear-Candy whilst not letting tropes, sounds, and famous actors ruin the movie. Also, the movie is more than just candy. It's a story about the double-edged sword of fulfilling prophecies. There's the successes and victories of Paul's prophecy, and the self-fulfilling nightmare Paul has. On the surface, Paul looks like he has control. In reality, he doesn't.
Dominance
Watching Paul assert dominance over Baron Harkon, Emperor, Mother Mothiam, and Feyd-Rautha is satisfying. The anger of Timothee Chalamet's voice, and his confidence in pursuing his enemies is addictive. Its a side to Paul I haven't seen before. Seeing Paul use the Voice on Mother Mothiam is a pay-off, knowing how she previously asserted dominance over him with the poison and the box.
Sound
I love the use of audio. Whether it be the rumbling silence of Paul, Stilgar, Chani, and company trying to be silent in the desert, or astronauts hovering up rocks, or Chani teaching Paul how to sand-walk in the night. Action sequences + absence of music and non-diegetic sounds + small diegetic sounds are a great combination for high stakes, build-up and tension. That way, people are on the edge of their seats.
An Ensemble of Famous Actors
Nowadays, the mere fact a movie has a lot of famous actors is seen as a cash-grab. It is, but for the movie, it's not necessarily bad. Whether it be seeing Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux, and Anya-Taylor Joy in the same movie. Or Austin Butler and Christopher Walken joining the party as well, none of it ruins the movie. They all did their job. They gave their characters nuance and uniqueness.
Paul's Self-Fulfilling Nightmare
Paul of course has the nightmare of leading his own people to death. He does indeed go to the South. Everything that's been foreseen comes to light. We know that Paul will lead his people to death, which adds nuance to Paul becoming dominant. He knows he has to kill the people who are heir to the throne. He knows he has to lead his people. But he knows that his nightmare will be fulfilled. I feel happy and scared. Happy because of his victories. Scared because in landing victorious, his nightmare is becoming true.
Enjoy the candy and story.
