Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Blu and orange.

Arriving three years after the first chapter, Denis Vileneuve's Dune: Part Two was a well-received sequel that outdid its predecessor in just about every conceivable department. Running time? Naturally. Scope? Of course. Action? Yep. Box office? Hell yeah. For plenty of sci-fi fans, Dune Part Two is already in the running for "Best Film of 2024"... and while I wouldn't go quite that far, I can fully admit that it's a well-made follow-up with outstanding atmosphere, potent action, and a wider level of accessibility than the first film. Simply put, this is a great way to spend 166 minutes.

As is the custom for most franchises these days, several different options are available besides for the standard 4K and Blu-ray; these include a 4K Steelbook and a two-film collection in both 4K and Blu-ray editions. All offer proportionately good to great A/V presentations as well as a decent collection of bonus features, so pick your poison.

Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, you can consider my separate review of the 4K edition as an overview of Dune: Part Two's visual aesthetic, with this handsomely-shot production taking most of its visual cues from the first film while upping the ante for overall scope and scale. These HD screenshots, which are sourced directly from the Blu-ray disc but slightly compressed for online viewing, indeed show that Warner Bros.' 1080p/SDR transfer is a largely capable effort that fits well into the "above average" tier of high-profile releases for the format. However (and this "however" comes from having watched the 4K edition first), it sporadically falters in direct comparison, largely in the areas of overall color presentation and disc encoding. Neither should come as much of a surprise, but the second could have been easily avoided: WB took the cheap route by essentially cramming four hours of HD video (the film and extras) onto a single disc, which means that this otherwise decently-encoded release falls victim to occasional compression artifacts. It's admittedly not as bad as I feared -- and even the 4K seems a touch bit-starved by the numbers -- but on small to medium-sized screens. this Blu-ray should play smoothly enough. Still, bearing in mind that Dune: Part Two should be seen on as large a screen as possible due to its visual style and scope, those with more sizable setups will notice a difference.

Much like the first film, Dune: Part Two is also not presented with a shifting aspect ratio as seen in IMAX theaters, but rather a flat 2.39:1 from start to finish. There's no word on whether or not some sort of future edition is planned where these scenes will be restored to their original state (for lack of a better word)... but due to its increased use of "taller" compositions compared to Part One, at least a modest half-point deduction is warranted. I've appreciated when shifting aspect ratios are at least partially preserved on home video (mostly by way of Christopher Nolan's films, such as The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer)... so while I can also understand the opinions of those who don't care for it as much, I feel that a slightly more comfortable middle ground could have been achieved here.

Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For details about Dune: Part Two's Dolby Atmos track, please refer to my recent review of the 4K edition.

Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork, a matching matte-finish slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. The extras -- all in HD with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio and optional subtitles -- are decently well-rounded and mostly take their cues from the first film, even if there are fewer this time around.

For more details about the below behind-the-scenes features, see my review of the 4K edition.

• Chakobsa Training (4:51)
• Creating the Fremen World (11:41)
• Finding the Worlds of Dune (6:24)
• Buzz Around the New "Thopter" (3:51)
• Worm-Riding (9:23)
• Becoming Feyd (7:33)
• A New Set of Threads (7:40)
• Deeper into the Desert: The Sounds of the Dune (12:59)

Dune: Part Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Denis Vileneuve's Dune: Part Two follows in the considerable footsteps of the first chapter, offering massively-scaled (and dare I say more accessible) sci-fi adventure that largely builds upon what's come before. The outstanding visuals, atmosphere, and sound design all provide varying levels of support, with this Blu-ray carrying most of the weight but occasionally falling well short of the separate 4K edition. It's still a solid release, though I'd urge fans on the format fence to pony up for the Steelbook combo pack as it's an ideal way to future-proof your collection.