Overview: Duke Paul Atreides joins the Fremen and begins a spiritual and martial journey to become Muad’dib, while trying to prevent the horrible but inevitable future he’s witnessed: a Holy War in his name, spreading throughout the known universe.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the highly-anticipated Dune: Part Two (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this May 14th, 2024.

For my money, this Dune: Part Two (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Dune: Part Two presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265 (51.27 Mbps), Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, and Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.43:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

As for the audio, well we get the choice of: English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps), French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps) and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the continuing story being told, well, overall, Frank Herbert’s Dune is widely considered to be some of the most challenging science fiction material to adapt to the big screen. In 2021, Villeneuve hit it out of the park with Dune - Part One. In Part Two, he outdoes himself in every way. From cinematography to music to choreography to acting and dialogue, this movie had a mountain to climb to prove itself, and it did.

With Hans Zimmer composing the score, it should surprise no one how well it compliments the film. Greig Fraser (Dune - Part One, The Creator, The Batman) was at the helm of cinematography, and really took my breath away with the magnificent vistas, incredible use of colors and even infrared, and expert capture of motion and scale.

Fraser explains that they shot in digital, transposed to 35mm, then back to digital. This seemed absurd to me, until he explained that digital appeared too crisp for audiences, and film too nostalgic. His method obtained the perfect balance. I can’t fault him for that, because I agree.

The real risk here is of course the adaptation. How to retain some of the richest and most beloved science fiction lore in existence and condense it into the 2 hours and 46 minutes runtime. Villeneuve took a huge risk by splitting the first book into two parts. Had studios not green-lit part two, we would have been left with half a book. Unsatisfying for everyone.

Thankfully the gamble paid off, and he was able to tell the epic story across two movies bordering on three hours. Even this required a brisk pace, with many notable scenes omitted. Despite this, I think Villeneuve retained the heart and soul of the story. He created two movies which appeal to both general audiences, and fans alike. There is so much to love here that I can’t imagine anyone walking away feeling unsatisfied with the price of entry.

In closing, this film is a clear early 2025 Oscar candidate for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Design, Best Editing, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Score.