DUNE: PART TWO (2024)
Updated: Apr 23
"LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!!"
Grade: A+
(Spoiler Alert!!)
Denis Villeneuve’s much-anticipated sequel to his 2021 smash hit Dune is a visual masterpiece and a haunting story of power and manipulation. It faithfully follows the vision by author Frank Herbert in subverting the “chosen one” themes prevalent in so many fantasy and science fiction stories. This reviewer had reservations about the first Dune; having read the book, I wasn’t as blown away as I had hoped. But that movie was a warmup for the true spectacle; Part One was good, and Part Two is even better.
The first Dune ended with the noble House Atreides in ruins, and ducal heir Paul (Timothee Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), finding refuge with the desert dwelling Fremen on the planet Arrakis. Paul now seeks revenge against Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), who conspired to destroy House Atreides and kill his father, Duke Leto. Many among the Fremen, including Stilgar (Javier Bardem), believe Paul is “Lisan al Gaib,” a messiah who will lead them to freedom and restore Arrakis to its former beauty. But Paul has no desire to lead, for he has seen visions of a Holy War being fought in his name, consuming the universe with death. But as he learns the Fremen’s ways, it becomes clear to him that he cannot escape his terrible destiny.
Here, even more so than in the first film, Villeneuve and his crew showcase the magnificent beauty of Arrakis, as shot on location in Jordan. There are several amazing overhead shots of giant sandworms plowing through the desert, and it is a sight that deserves to be seen on the big screen. The whole film, in fact, is filled with powerful scenes and images, such as the Fremen fighting the Harkonnens across the desert as well as Paul riding a sandworm, walking through a crowd of Fremen, or dueling the sadistic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) in one of the best-choreographed fights this reviewer has seen in a sci-fi movie. Part of the action also takes place on Giedi Prime, homeworld of House Harkonnen, where the cinematography becomes black-and-white, presumably due to the planet’s black sun. Complementing everything is the score by the returning composer Hans Zimmer, which magnifies the spectacle of it all.
Then there’s the final battle, as Paul leads the Fremen in full-scale revolt against the Emperor and the Harkonnens. Many charge across the sands while others ride on the backs of sandworms. I for one would have had no objection to this sequence lasting longer than it did. As is, it seemed to be over too quickly, though other viewers might see it differently. Either way, one thing is certain-this particular instance, there cannot be too much of a good thing.
But the action is always secondary to the story and themes. Herbert’s novels warned against putting trust in heroes, and that warning is on full display here. Paul’s metamorphosis from cautious fighter to full-scale genocidal messiah is harrowing to watch. For the first half, he is humble, only wanting to join the Fremen against the Harkonnens. But after he drinks an elixir that expands his vision of the past and future, Paul embraces the title of Lisan al Gaib, swaying all the Fremen into joining him. Chalamet’s convincing performance makes this transition all the more horrific. Only Chani (Zendaya), Paul’s Fremen love interest, can see the dangers inherent in everyone blindly following him. And in the background all the while are the Bene Gesserit, led by Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling), the galactic sisterhood pulling all the strings as part of their long-standing plan to bring forth a powerful supreme being.
Dune: Part Two ends on a deliberately uncertain note. Although Paul and the Fremen have accomplished their goals, the ending is not a happy one for the rest of the known universe. The schemes of the Benet Gesserit may now lead the galaxy to ruin, and Chani stands alone in the desert to contemplate this future. The door is thus left open for a possible adaptation of Herbert’s second book, “Dune: Messiah.” Villeneuve is apparently working on it, which is good news-if the past two movies have told us anything, it is that he and his cast and crew would be the perfect choices to continue the story.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay: Denis Villeneuve, Paul Spaihts (Based on the novel "Dune" by Frank Herbert)
Producers: Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, Tanya Lapointe, Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothee Chalamet (Paul "Muad'dib" Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), Javier Bardem (Stilgar), Stellan Skarsgard (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (Beast Rabban), Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam IV), Lea Seydoux (Margot Fenring), Souheila Yakoub (Shishakli), Charlotte Rampling (Gaius Helen Mohiam)
Rated: PG-13 (for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material, and brief strong language)
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