MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Epic Sci-Fi/Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Anya Taylor-Joy, Tim Blake Nelson/Runtime: 167 minutes
I think it can easily be said that if you were to make a list of the most iconic works in the realm of sci-fi literature, one that should undoubtedly make that list would be the novel known simply as “Dune”. Indeed this is a novel which has, ever since coming out all the way back in the long-ago year of 1965, proven to be both a bonafide masterpiece let alone a story that has not only managed to capture the hearts and imaginations of countless readers the world, but also managed to inspire other iconic sci-fi sagas including a teeny-tiny little one you may or may not have heard of known as “Star Wars”. As influential as Dune has been however, it has also hit some minor roadblocks of its own in its journey from the page to the silver screen. Of course, let’s be honest dear reader: this is one story that any cinematic adaptation of was going to be quite the task for a filmmaker to pull off. I mean not only is this a remarkably immense story that is chock-full of details with respect to politics, religious beliefs, and even cultures in an entirely different universe, but it also regales us with a narrative that starts seemingly simple only to eventually unveil that it is far more ominous and nuanced than anticipated. Even so, in the year 1984, audiences got to see as iconic film helmer David Lynch valiantly made the effort to bring it to life and, despite being a cult classic, the finished product is still derided for making the creative choice to tell the entire story in only a single film. As a result, and despite a game television miniseries from 2000 trying as well to crack this particular nut, the spice on Arrakis went dormant once more. Then in the long-ago year of 2021, an immensely talented director by the name of Denis Villeneuve decided to dust off this story and give it another cinematic go. The end result was Dune: Part One and not only was it a financial success, but it also received a phenomenal degree of praise and no less than 6 Oscars to its name. Even with all the praise being afforded to it though, there were still quite a few people who took issue with the fact that the film was still only part 1 of this much larger story. Thankfully, we now have Dune: Part Two and honestly, I am shaking dear reader. Not because it’s terrible by any stretch. Rather, it’s because this is not only one of the best sequels I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, but easily one of the best sci-fi films I have seen in the last decade period. Suffice it to say then that, with the aid of top-tier work on both sides of the camera, Dune: Part Two is more than just a phenomenal movie. Rather, it is also the kind of film that is able to present cinema to the world as the art form that it truly can be when done with both heart and passion in equal measure.
The plot is as follows: Taking us as movie goers to the exact point in time where the first installment from 2021 left off, Dune: Part Two gets underway as we see our boy hero, one Paul Atreides, and his mother Lady Jessica are being joined by a group of the inhabitants of the planet of Arrakis known as the Fremen to a Fremen community known as Sietch Tabr. A place where not only will they (hopefully) be safe from the villainous clan known as the Harkonnens, but also where it will be decided what exactly ought to be done with them. Yet, despite the fact that he is now in a position to cultivate the partnership that his deceased father strove to achieve, we see that Paul’s main reason for doing so is not the one his father had. Instead, due to the fact that the Harkonnens just seemingly destroyed all he knew, Paul is out for blood and revenge (and not in that order). Even so though, we see that Paul keeps this from the Fremen and instead chooses to become one of the group right down to learning their ways, riding a sandworm, falling in love with a Fremen woman who he had been having visions of in the previous film known as Chani, and even taking on a new identity with the group who, impressed with his sense of honor and skills to say nothing of respect for them, even christen him with the warrior title of Muad’dib. As all of this is occurring however, things are starting to come to a head in the Fremen’s guerilla war campaign against the Harkonnens as not only has it significantly disrupted the flow of Spice, but the Emperor has started to take notice to the point that he has begun to put a fair amount of pressure on the diabolical Baron Harkonen to send out his downright ruthless and bloodthirsty nephew Feyd-Rautha to handle the matter. On top of all of that, Paul’s legend amongst the Fremen has also gotten to such a point that they are now starting to believe that Paul might just be their long-anticipated deliverer of sorts who will not only defeat the evil plaguing the land, but also lead the Fremen to their promised land known as the Lisan al Gaib. Yet also Paul is more than a tad bit reticent to accept this lofty position, we see that he might not be able to say keep pushing it away as circumstances (including his own mother proclaiming him as such to the masses on Arrakis) outside of his control continue to propel him toward a horrific endgame that only he has the ability to foretell. As for what this means for both our hero to say nothing of the people in his life and (maybe just maybe) the entire universe that is something that I shall leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off, it should be noted that the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is nothing short of breathtaking. This starts with the work done at the helm by Denis Villeneuve who is wonderfully aware that if there is not a viable personal story at the core of, what amounts to, a war epic the stakes would be not come off as genuine. To that end, praise should be given to Villeneuve for dedicating quite a bit of time to that component of the narrative and ensuring that not only does Paul’s arc feel realistic and genuinely emotional whilst also intricately constructing the rest of the cast of characters, both old and new, and world of the film rather than just giving audiences over the top action beats simply to keep them engaged from beginning to end. Along with the work done by Villeneuve, it should be noted that the rest of the work behind the camera is just as skilled. Indeed because the crew was able to start work on this fairly quickly after the first film, its follow-up is blessed with a visual connectivity that ensures it gives off the vibe of being a cohesive whole rather than a delayed follow-up. This starts with the work done by cinematographer Greig Fraser who gives us the best desert canvas in a film since, at the very least, Lawrence of Arabia. The work from the costume and production design departments also does their part to liven up this world through such things as not only contributing more intricacies to the Fremen culture (with particular regard to a certain device that is downright awesome), the world of the villainous Harkonnens, and even presenting us with snippets of the tranquil locale where two of the other characters live. We also see that the work from the sound department is nothing short of jaw-dropping especially in the moment where Paul rides a sandworm. I mean your jaw will drop, your heart will soar, and you will most assuredly be left in awe by the majesty you are seeing unfold before you. Ultimately, perhaps the crown jewel in the work behind the camera’s crown is the next-level musical accompaniment from Hans Zimmer. Indeed the manner in which it threads its way so flawlessly through the runtime of the film manages to make for another magical example of how brilliantly cinema can take the written word and give it life in a way that fans of a given book might never have imagined. Amongst the work that Zimmer does on the film however, it is his love theme for Paul and Chani that distinguishes itself. Not only does it do a beautiful job of placing audiences right beside them as their relationship blossoms against not only the desert landscape, but also a grander narrative that, fans of the literary material know, is only just beginning. Suffice it to say then that, in terms of the work done behind the camera, this film is a masterclass that aspiring moviemakers (especially ones working on their own short films right now) should watch and study so they know how to keep the medium alive.
Of course, the other big element that aids this film immensely would have to be the work done by the nothing short of phenomenal cast of talent assembled in front of the camera. Undeniably this starts with Timothee Chalamet and honestly I think this might be easily one of the top 5 performances of his career. Indeed Chalamet does a phenomenal job at not only giving audiences the two distinct sides of who this character is, but also in making his journey between both feel genuine as the movie goes along. Perhaps one of the key moments that really stands out is a moment where we see Paul provide his Fremen allies with a speech that not only will chill you to the core, but also make you want to stand up, cheer, and immediately stand by him no matter what. Suffice it to say this is a nothing short of legendary turn from a young man who has easily become one of the finest actors of his generation. The film also gives us a phenomenal turn from Zendaya who, in many respects, is both the heart and the guide for the audience that the film needs. Indeed, without going into spoilers, I promise that if you were upset by how little screentime she had in the first film then you will be ecstatic with how much screentime and material she gets here. We are also treated to a wonderful performance from the returning Rebecca Ferguson in the role of Lady Jessica. With that said though, you should know that much like the first film, her role is more significant in the first half than the second half despite the fact that there are certain parts to both her and Paul’s character that are definitely amongst the more intriguing components that this film sequel baits us with. Alongside Ferguson, this film also gives us a welcome return here from Josh Brolin in the role of Gurney Halleck even he doesn’t contribute a whole lot to the narrative besides being a mentor for Paul to lean on when he needs it most as well as from Javier Bardem whose character is given a heck of a lot more in terms of characterization as well as narrative material than how we were first introduced to him in the first film. Alongside the work done by this film’s roster of returning stars, we see that this film also contains quite a few new cast members into the mix as well. Key among those, and perhaps one of the standouts in general, is Austin Butler in the role of Feyd-Rautha and if you’re here because of his turn as Elvis then woah are you in for a surprise here since this role is a phenomenal 180 from that (right down to not even singing once here). Indeed Butler does an incredible job at giving the audience a gleefully wicked turn that is not only a physical force to be reckoned with, but a psychological one as well due in no small part to the fact that this guy is driven by a volatile cocktail of drive as well as a twisted delight in seeing other people suffer. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in top-tier work from such performers as the always welcome Christopher Walken who is brilliantly cast as Emperor Shaddam IV, Florence Pugh who is perfectly cast as Princess Irulan, Léa Seydoux who is effectively chilling as Lady Margot Fenring, Dave Bautista, a once-again unrecognizable yet no less brutal Stellan Skarsgard, and a viper-like turn from the returning Charlotte Rampling among others it’s clear that this film’s cast is absolutely brilliant no matter how big or small their amount of screentime may be.
All in all and at the end of the day I must confess that if you are, like me, wondering just how in the world Denis Villeneuve will go about adapting Dune: Messiah (or as I like to call it Dune Book 2) then honestly that is a terrific question, but I think that is one that we should wait to speculate on another day. As for right now though, I think that (if nothing else) those who have long had a love and fondness for at the very least Dune Book 1 (or just Dune if you prefer) can stand and applaud. I say this because, after all of this time and after all of the patient waiting, we now at long last have a cinematic adaptation of this story that we have deserved all these years. I say that because Dune: Part Two is a truly majestic movie that not only manages to bypass its predecessor in virtually every way, but it even inexplicably improves upon it now that we have the whole story (give or take). Indeed as far as I’m concerned, you can definitely take the time to put this side by side with such sequels as The Godfather Part 2, The Dark Knight, or even The Empire Strikes Back since this is definitely worthy to be amidst that esteemed company. Indeed the story is brilliant, the themes are engaging, the rest of the work behind the camera is top-tier, the performances across the board are nothing short of exemplary, and the action delivers on both a gigantic and intimate scale especially the last one on one fight between Paul and Feyd-Rautha which will have you on the edge of your seat in the best way possible. I mean after really thinking about it, not only are the issues I have maybe a few miniscule issues here and there, but also the fact that the fans are going to be left craving even more time in this world based on how it all ends which I promise I shall not go into any significant detail here. As it is, this truly is epic movie magic at its best and when you think about how his career has already given audiences such gems as Blade Runner 2049 and Prisoners, I think what Villeneuve has achieved here might just be with this two-film (as of now) saga might just be the film that places him in the same pantheon as such icons as Spielberg and Scorsese respectively. Suffice it to say then I think the best way to end this review is to say what Villeneuve did here recently in a promo video to promote this movie and add a little bit more to it. Therefore, long live the Fremen, long live Arrakis, long live Denis, and long live cinema now and forever more! Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Dune: Part Two a solid 4.5 out of 5.
