‘Dune: Part Two’ Proves Denis Villeneuve Is the King of Sci-Fi
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There are roughly 47,000—oh, wait, a new Netflix Original just dropped; make that 47,001—TV shows and movies coming out each week. At Obsessed, we consider it our social duty to help you see the best and skip the rest.
We’ve already got a variety of in-depth, exclusive coverage on all of your streaming favorites and new releases, but sometimes what you’re looking for is a simple Do or Don’t. That’s why we created See/Skip, to tell you exactly what our writers think you should See and what you can Skip from the past week’s crowded entertainment landscape.
See: Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two is a sprawling testament to director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi prowess. It’s a sequel that not only matches the merits of its predecessor, but exceeds them for a masterful piece of filmmaking that will be revered as one of the greats for generations to come.
Here’s Nick Schager’s take:
“Everything about 2021’s Dune was colossal—except its conclusion. Closing on a cliffhanger at the very moment its tale was getting started, Denis Villeneuve’s 155-minute epic couldn’t escape the fact that, for all its breathtaking strengths, it was a prologue in need of a follow-up. That now arrives with Dune: Part Two (in theaters Mar. 1), a dense and action-heavy sequel that estimably expands this titanic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s landmark 1965 sci-fi novel. Boasting a gargantuan aesthetic design that demands to be experienced on the biggest screen if possible, as well as an ambitious and exhilarating story that matches its style, it’s not only the finest thing Villeneuve has helmed—it’s the 2024 film to beat for outsized sci-fi showmanship.
The Gigantic, Glorious ‘Dune: Part Two’ Squishes Other Epics Like Ants
Just don’t expect a definitive ending.”
(L-R) Gordon Cormier as Ang and Kiawentiio as Katara in the Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Skip: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender improves on M. Night Shyamalan’s 2010 film flop, but the latest live-action remake of the beloved animated series can’t live up to the majestic worlds and excellently crafted character in the original, making this version feel like all hot air.
Here’s Coleman Spilde’s take:
“In 2010, M. Night Shyamalan aimed his chest toward the masses and encouraged them to fire their missiles with his live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Nickelodeon’s beloved animated series. Shyamalan’s version—simply titled The Last Airbender—was so shoddily made that it earned the director the worst reviews of his entire career. Despite its $150 million budget, a decent box office gross, and its writer-director’s characteristic ambition, The Last Airbender flopped so hard among audiences and critics that it was enough to scrap a planned live-action movie trilogy altogether.
Netflix Should Never Have Taken ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Off Ice
Given all of this history, you’d think that anyone with half a clue would want to stay far away from another live-action take on the series, which ended in 2008. But put a risky venture in front of Netflix execs and ask for a palm full of money, and their answer will more often than not be, it seems, ‘Why the hell not?’”
Joe Manganiello on Deal or No Deal Island.
See: Deal or No Deal Island
Deal or No Deal Island takes all the nostalgic chaos of the game show’s first iteration and goes tropical, mixing the high-stakes simplicity of the show’s concept with Survivor-like challenges that will test its contestants’ lust for money and love of metal briefcases.
Here’s Fletcher Peters’ take:
“The chaotic brilliance of Deal or No Deal has returned. But it’s back with a Survivor-style twist. Deal or No Deal Island may sound like a title ripped from 30 Rock—I feel like I write this every week at this point, with reality shows about twins dating, MILFs, and polyamory always popping up—but it’s 100 percent real and about to debut on NBC.
‘Deal or No Deal Island’ Recaptures the Game Show’s Chaos
Deal or No Deal Island, which premieres Monday night on NBC at 9:30 p.m. ET, was a show made for anyone who still watches reruns on the Deal or No Deal Roku Channel that airs reruns at every hour of the day. (So, me. I’m unapologetic about this fact—Deal or No Deal rocks.) It was made for people who want to scream, ‘Don’t make that deal!’ at confused contestants who think a measly $83,000 is better than a potential million bucks hiding within their case. Even without Howie Mandel, Deal or No Deal Island is a dreamlike, messy, absurdist concept that ties in facets of the original Deal or No Deal with ease.”
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira as Michonne in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
See: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Lived
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live doesn’t just feel like the millionth Walking Dead spinoff, it practically is. But where others have failed, this continuation succeeds with one important matter in mind: No one wants to see human survivors go it alone during a zombie apocalypse.
Here’s Laura Bradley’s take:
“There’s no small bit of irony to the goriest premiere moment in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. (Warning: In case it wasn’t obvious, some spoilers lie ahead.) At the start of AMC’s Walking Dead spin-off series, our long-disappeared hero, Rick Grimes, is clearly not doing well. We first spot him watching a news segment while holding a piece of glass to his neck. He’s been trying to break free and reunite with his family for years, but each attempt has failed miserably. During Sunday’s episode, we flashed back to see Rick’s latest failed attempt, in which he chopped off his own hand with an ax to break free from a handcuff leash.
‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’ Has Gutted Rick Grimes
For anyone who watched the original series, which once teased that Rick could lose his hand just like he did in the comics, the moment feels like an ominous coda. Rick might’ve been protected from such losses in The Walking Dead, but The Ones Who Live is out to devastate him in ways its progenitor never did.”
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