After walking out ofDune, I felt assured thatDenis Villeneuve’s vision of Arrakis and Paul Atreides couldn’t be topped. Villeneuve did what many failed to do:adapt the unadaptable. WithDune: Part Twothough,it’s about sticking the landing for that adaptation.Part Twoachieves the impossible by fully realizing Villeneuve and authorFrank Herbert’s vision, but nothing is perfect.Part Twooffers a lot more on the visual cinematic front, with impressive visuals and a fantastic score, however, where it struggles is with its widening scope. The larger cast and a dive deeper into the mythos of the story creates some issues, especially if you’re stepping into the story as just a casual movie watcher. WhilePart Twois impressive on multiple fronts, it doesn’t make it to the finish line without stumbling first.
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
‘Dune: Part Two’ Is Larger in Scope and Cast
Part Twopicks up mere hours after the first movieand follows Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), as they adjust to their new normal now living among the unfamiliar Fremen in the vast deserts of Arrakis. Paul learns from both Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Chani (Zendaya) about how to navigate the desert as Jessica continues to fuel the belief that Paul is the messiah. Meanwhile, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) oversees his new control of Arrakis as it mines theprecious and valuable spice. When his nephew, Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista), fails to fight off the attacking Fremen and obtain command of the planet, the Baron sends in his other nephew, the sadistic Feyd-Rautha (a perfectly menacingAustin Butler), to the planet in his place. On top of all of that, we also meet Princess Irulan (a fleetingFlorence Pugh), the daughter of the Emperor (an enigmatic and restrainedChristopher Walken), who played a large part in the fall of House Atreides.
Part of the problem withPart Twowas always going to arise when tacklingDune. With the expansion of the world comes more characters. Where we mainly circled the Atreides family inPart One, the second part not only throws us into the world of the Fremen, but also introduces moreBene Gesserits, more Harkonnens, and the Emperor and his family. If you’re familiar withthe Dune book series, you’ll know that these characters are quite important and need to have their time on screen. Butif you’re not familiar with the books, you might be wondering why there’s a new character popping up on screenevery few minutes.
Similarly, the scope has widened. While before it was merely about arriving and understanding Arrakis,Part Twodeals with the beginnings of a holy war, perpetuating a prophecy, and taking over an entire galaxy. This is where the story begins to deal with the larger concepts at the heart ofDuneand, for someone coming in for the first time, this can all be very daunting. For those who indulge in complicated worldbuilding and love to explore new fantasy universes,Part Twogoes deeper than ever before and warrants a second viewing to get all the details. But for more casual viewers, all those extra details might just end up falling by the wayside as incomprehensible.
‘Dune: Part Two’s Focus Is Weakened by Its Pacing
As the world expands,Part Twois somehow both too long of a movie and too short. It became clear to me that if television shows had the budgets that movies had,these two movies would have been better served as a multi-episode seriesrather than two massive films. In one instance, when Paul is first learning how to survive in the desert with the Fremen, we might expect the film to go through a montage of endurance and inner strength. Instead, it cuts immediately from him preparing to face this challenge to his success a vague number of days later. These cuts make sense given the long runtime of the film, but weaken the narrative with an inconsistent timeline and achievements that are unearned.
Newly introduced characters likePrincess Irulanor Feyd-Rautha barely have any personality beyond the trope they are meant to embody. Irulan acts as a privileged and emotionally distant figure who serves partially as a narrator. And though we get glimpses into Feyd-Rautha’s psychology in his time on his home planet, there is little depth to the character who simply acts as an agent of cruelty and domination. Despite marketing leaning heavily on Florence Pugh andAustin Butler’s star power, much likeDune: Part One’s Zendaya, they are in less of the movie than you might think.
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In his attempt to cover the totality ofDune, Villeneuve must pack in all the universe-building that exists in Frank Herbert’s books while also trying to tell a compelling story. There are scenes where one character must explain, in detail, an aspect of the universe to the other for the benefit of the audience.The result is a film that is heavy in exposition. It isn’t until the final third of the movie that we rush toward the conclusion of the narrative. Up until then, the pacing of the film is inconsistent, leading to a feeling of aimlessness. It’s clear halfway through that this is not the end of Villeneuve’s storytelling. He is setting the stage for future installments of the franchise, and it’s hard to tell at this point if his gamble will pay off.
Characters Struggle To Shine in ‘Dune 2’
While the acting is by no means bad, it pales in comparison to the technical mastery ofDune: Part Two. Ferguson, who had such an impactful performance inPart One, is relegated tothe position of a mysterious religious leader, while Chalamet must now pick up the mantle of a would-be messiah. The vague white savior vibes thatDunehas always given off are still here inPart Two. No matter the complexity behind it, the optics of a white kid walking into a sea of brown people bowing to him and calling him a messiah is going to turn him into a white savior. The saving grace is Paul’s own belief that his identity as a savior is merely manufactured by his mother and the other Bene Gesserit. Chani and the other younger Fremen’s doubt of his position as a messiah also adds a counterpoint to the zealous believers in Paul’s destiny.
With more time on-screen, Chalamet primarily shares his scenes with Zendaya, who is a bright spark as Chani. Although we only got glimpses of her inPart One,Part Tworeveals that Zendaya and Chalamet lack the romantic chemistry to make the couple feel believable, andperhaps the relationship is best seen only in small amounts. Instead,Chalamet has far more exciting and electric chemistry with Austin Butler, especially when the two characters finally face off against each other in a duel in Arrakeen. Similarly, the film only gives us a bit of Irulan and Paul. For those who enjoyedGreta Gerwig’sLittle Womenwhere Chalamet charmed as Laurie and Florence Pughwon our hearts as the flawed Amy, this will be a disappointing reunion. But, the promise of more interactions between the characters might be enough for fans anticipatinga sequel toPart Two.
Special Effects, Massive Fight Scenes, and Sound Editing Remain the Highlights in ‘Dune 2’
However, more time in the desert meansmore time on the sandwormsand that turns this film into a full-on spectacle to witness. While we might have only gotten a glimpse of the sandworm riding inPart One,Part Twotriples down on them.The special effects are magnificent anda masterpiece of filmmaking. Watching Paul master riding the shai-hulud (as they are called in Arrakis) is a heart-pounding experience and the masterful sound editing inPart Twois a major contributor to this as well. Villeneuve takes us into the sandstorm, putting us in Paul’s shoes as he struggles to ride the massive beast, throwing the viewer into confusion and disarray with the movement of the camera. It is only after pulling away that we see his triumph from the eyes of the fellow Fremen. It’s an exhilarating experience made better through the different perspectives Villeneuve employs.
While I had my criticisms ofPart One’s sound editing and soundtrack with its loud female vocals that sounded off like an alarm in every other scene,Part Twofinds a perfect harmony in the visual and the aural.The action sequences are also a delight to watch. Whether we’re on the Harkonnen planet, bathed in black and white and among the crowd of cheering fans in a gladiatorial stadium or watching from the ground on Arrakeenas three monstrous sandworms come barreling toward usthrough a haboob accompanied by thousands of Fremen, it’s impossible to capture the immense scale of these scenes on a small screen.
One of the highlights of the first film was the first attack on Arrakeen, where Villeneuve matched sweeping shots of the planet with close encounters between characters within the palace. The same exists here in a parallel as we watch the Fremen launch their attack on the Harkonnen in wide shots that linger over the city to show the scale of the battle. Within the palace, the setting sun behind Paul and Feyd-Rautha as they fight makes it look like they’re on fire. As much chaos as there is on the ground, there is tense control held by these two men in their fight to the death. Unlike most big-budget movies today, Villeneuve doesn’t employ heavy cutting that confuses the viewer as to where the characters are. Instead, the way the camera lingers during fight sequences ratchets up the tension during the one-on-one face-off.Movies are always best enjoyed on the biggest screen, but never has a movie demanded an IMAX screen more thanDune: Part Two. Get yourself to the biggest theater you can to enjoy this.
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‘Dune: Part Two’ Overflows Into the Future
As the movie draws to a close, it would be hard to say that there’s any true tone of finality inPart Two. Instead,the sense is that this is merely the end of the beginning of Paul’s story. It feels like a prequel — one where we, as the audience, should already know where Paul ends up. Villeneuve has set up a lot and I leftDune: Part Twoexcited for more of this story,especially with surprising cameos that hint at a fantastic future. I’ve criticized a lot of this movie, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a joy to watch on screen. Villeneuve has achieved the impossible, and I’m sure he’s converted many people into becomingDunefans. But, I can’t help but think that this is how I felt in 2021 when I first sawPart One. WillDune: Part Twobecome a pivotal part of a movie franchise or a harbinger of worse things to come?
‘Dune: Part Two’ achieves masterful special effects success and widens the scope of the universe.
Dune: Part Twois now available to stream on Max in the U.S.
