Written by Cole Mihalich, Images courtesy of Warner Bros
Did you know Pooler, GA, our neighboring city, hosts the World’s Tallest IMAX? For some, it’s the last place they would expect to find it, but it’s true.
In 2022, Royal Cinemas and IMAX laid the finishing touches on the new Laser screen, which stands at 76 feet tall and 101 feet wide—nearly 7,700 square feet. If you haven’t visited, why not christen the experience with the newest blockbuster IMAX experience, “Dune: Part Two.”
For IMAX, bigger equals better; in this case, it’s true. While buying the $23 tickets online for “Dune: Part Two,” I was lucky enough to have my pick of seats. (Hint: buy C21). My friends grabbed tickets for the flanking seats. After a twenty or so-minute drive, we arrived. Walking into Royal Cinemas 14, you’re met with a lobby out of the nineties, in stark contrast to the $14 million slick investment that is the towering attached IMAX screen. We picked up our physical tickets and headed over to our theater.
After making our way up the stairs (the escalator was broken), we passed by a low-res tapestry of our greatest films, from the “Return of the King” to The Rock’s magnum opus, “Rampage.” Promotional art covered the walls. Reaching the theater, the first thing you do is look up at the massive screen, and by the time we found our spot, the rest of the theater’s 300+ leather recliner seats were filled. After a minor territorial dispute with a moviegoer who couldn’t read their ticket, we took our place. The movie began.
I’m unsure that there has ever been a better film to experience in IMAX than “Dune: Part Two.” From colossal warships to literal grains of sand, everything is captured with an imposing beauty. Scale is the name of the game here, not only in visuals but in story. The movie’s attempt to balance the intimate and the epic is a high-wire act of impressive parity. While we’ve seen the story of a prophecy-plagued, coming-of-age outsider before, “Dune: Part Two” handles it with incredible care and a modern attitude.
The cast, one of the most star-studded since last year’s “Barbenheimer” summer event, plays each part in this sci-fi odyssey with fresh sincerity. Timothée Chalamet leads the company with an earned confidence, evident not only in his character’s arc but his ability to work within a movie of this scale. Other standouts are Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Rebecca Ferguson.
The sound, especially in the IMAX theater, was earth-shattering. Beyond hyperbole, the entire theater shook during some of the most heart-pounding scenes. Celestial sound design continually envelops you in the world, locking you in an audial trance.
The pace of the film, despite its runtime, is almost breakneck. It left me wishing that we might spend a few more seconds on so many of the incredible visuals presented. Often, it can feel like the film wants to leave a scene as soon as it enters one. With that, some characters’ arcs feel rushed, particularly Paul’s Atreides central turmoil.
Rarely was there a moment when I questioned the world or the experience, save for Christopher Walken’s portrayal of the space emperor from Queens. Whenever he spoke, I thought he might begin a monologue about the lack of a cowbell. It’s hard for Walken to not play himself.
On the contrary, an unrecognizable Austin Butler leads as the certifiable Feyd-Rautha in one of the best uses of Pooler’s IMAX verticality. During a gladiator-esque sequence, Butler fights in a massive colosseum. In the IMAX theater, the arena literally towers over you. I had to look up thirty feet at the crowds above me as they roared. That type of physicality was just one of the many moments that made a screen of this scope so enjoyable.
This film cannot be praised or reviewed without mentioning its director, Denis Villeneuve and some of the wizards he works with, including composer Hans Zimmer, cinematographer Greig Fraser, casting director Francine Maisler, editor Joe Walker, and costume designer Jacqueline West. A fantastic group of technicians and artists who worked together in incredible synchrony.
When the film was over, no one clapped. For those who know the story, it’s hard to clap for its outcome. A few relieved sighs and a distant “wow” was the only noise in the theater until Hans Zimmer’s score drowned out our thoughts.
In the days following, I haven’t been able to shake the film’s mythic images. They’ve continued to play in my head like an old dream. For now, the rest of my headspace is occupied by one question: When can I see it again?
Cole Mihalich is a Contributing Editor at SCAD District. He is a junior majoring in Film and TV and minoring in Dramatic Writing. When not writing for District, he can be found writing for other things, reading or watching paint dry.
