After a delay caused by the twin Hollywood strikes for a chunk of last year, the long anticipated sequel to Dune is upon us as director Denis Villeneuve’s next installment hits multiplexes nationwide. He looks to build upon the solid first film and box office results with bigger sequel that expands the world and story. In just about every way, he and those involved with the film have succeeded.
Picking up almost immediately after the events of the first film, Dune: Part Two places us alongside Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) following the fall of the House of Atreides and their joining with the Fremen of Arrakis. The two survivors seek revenge against the Harkonnens and the Emperor (Christopher Walken) while Paul grows closer to Chani (Zendaya). As their plans unfold, Paul must balance his quest for vengeance with the Fremen belief in his status as the messiah Lisan al Gaib as he tries to avoid a future for the fate of the universe that only he can foresee.
Part two of this journey through the universe of Dune ups the ante and scale of its already impressive predecessor in every way. The action in this film is plentiful and helps to keep it engaging during the first two acts while the story and its characters are being fully fleshed out. One of the film’s most exciting sequences follows Paul’s journey toward ingratiating himself with the Fremen by learning to summon and ride a sandworm. The scale of the large worm being called to the surface of the sandy planet as Paul attempts to latch onto it, accompanied with an intricate sound design that brings the arduous task completely to life fully encapsulates the technical mastery of Dune: Part Two and what Villeneuve has accomplished with this film. The cinematography is truly breathtaking throughout, culminating in a brutally mesmerizing visit to Giedi Prime home of the Harkonnens shot in startling monochrome that makes both the actors and the set standout and completely captivate the audience. Villeneuve and director of photography Greig Fraser make bold visual choices throughout, such as depicting Lady Jessica’s sentient fetus in utero as it communicates with her, rather than as a disembodied voice. Combining their out of the box but bold and colorful visuals with Hans Zimmer’s ethereal score with elements that bit the tribal setting of the Fremen make for an audio-visual experience that is par excellence and brings the theatrical experience to life.
This second installment builds upon and improves from its predecessor not just in its bombast and grand scale, but also in terms of its story as we see Paul change from young and inexperienced Prince into reluctant savior and finally into forceful and commanding leader. Likewise, the film’s subplot exploring Lady Jessica’s ulterior motives in both protecting her son and securing revenge for House Atreides through the Bene Gesserit order’s longtime manipulation of the Fremen’s belief in, and desperation for, a coming messiah to liberate and save them provides a fascinating exploration of the nexus between religion and power within societies. Watching Paul and the Fremen’s actions be fueled by the belief in his destiny as Lisan al Gaib, and the fundamentalist southern Fremen and doubtful northern Fremen split on the validity of the prophecy and thus Paul’s suitability to lead, while knowing that the invisible hand of the Bene Gesserit and the religious myths they’d carefully implanted on Arrakis over the centuries for their own ends brought to mind humanity’s own experience with how faith has been used to control whole populations for the benefit of a few. This story thread adds thematic depth and intrigue that elevate Dune: Part Two past just being sci-fi blockbuster spectacle into a true film with both substance and style.
In establishing and setting up this theme through political, Game of Thrones-like machinations during its first two acts, Dune: Part Two can suffer from a slight pacing hiccup during viewers’ first watch of the film. Their patience is rewarded however, beginning with the introduction of Paul’s dark mirror and foil in the House of Harkonnen na-Baron Feyd-Rautha played brilliantly and intensely by Austin Butler. His presence onscreen is an intense and commanding one, portraying a pure, psychopathic villain of the kind that makes for a great foil and contrast to the protagonist. From the moment viewers are presented with the stunning monochrome cinematography of the Harkonnen’s home Geidi Prime and Butler’s captivating performance, the film turns from philosophical exploration to a sci-fi war epic whose action perfectly compliments its character exploration of corrupted power, ambition, and faith. Chalamet’s depiction of this arc through Paul’s journey results in some of the best acting of his young career so far, displaying his range from quiet subtlety to intense rage. Paul’s development is the crux upon which Dune: Part Two hangs and Chalamet ensures that it goes off without a hitch. Zendaya compliments him perfectly as a love interest who must also balance her skepticism of his anointing as the savior of his people with her performance capturing this duality well. Javier Bardem’s Stilgar provides both some comic relief and the yin to Zendaya’s yang when it comes to Paul’s place as Lisan al Gaib, providing the juxtaposition between the two Fremen viewpoints and helping to drive Paul’s development.
Dune: Part Two burns at a calm but steady pace until it explodes in the best third act in a blockbuster that has been seen in a blockbuster in years, grabbing the audience’s attention, pulling them to the edges of the seats, and not letting go. It makes for a dense but engaging watch that is clearly only going to grow stronger in the immediate time after watching and with subsequent viewings. The film’s technical aspects are impeccable and demand to be seen in the most premium theater possible with the cinematography, sound and production design, and score immediately cemented as among the year’s best before the year has really even begun. The cast all turn in top notch performances led by Timothee Chalamet, Austin Butler, Zendaya, and Javier Bardem. The ensemble assist in elevating the film’s take on religion, power, vengeance, and internal struggle that make Dune: Part Two more than just a big sci-fi spectacle. This is a film that came in with a ton of hype and managed to live up to it, a welcome feat for all movie lovers.
Image: Warner Bros.
