Dune: Part Two is a majestic and visual masterpiece
When Denis Villeneuve first revealed that his adaptation of Dune was going to be divided into two parts (kept relatively secret for some reason until the first part’s release in 2021), the news was somewhat disappointing. Was the justification for two parts simply another studio cash grab? Would the first part contain enough story to justify its existence? The answer, as you may know, was that Dune: Part One blew away everyone’s expectations, establishing Villeneuve’s vision as unique, monumental, and cinematically astounding. The stakes were high for Dune: Part Two, since Part One was a critical and box office success and even made a push for the Best Picture Oscar (which it lost to CODA, yeesh). Now Dune: Part Two has finally arrived after a long delay due to the WGA strike last year, and it’s a masterpiece. The new film expands upon the original’s narrative scope, delivering nearly three hours of stunning visual storytelling and character arcs, placing it among the best sci-fi epics of the last fifty years, and making it perhaps one of the greatest sequels in cinema history.
Dune: Part Two picks up where Part One left off, with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), living secretly amongst a Fremen tribe, including Stilgar (Javier Bardem) and Chani (Zendaya), on the planet Arrakis. The new ruling family of Arrakis, the Harkonnens, controlled by Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), who took the planet by force, struggle to maintain order within their spice operations, with the rebellious Fremen tribes fighting back and attacking spice mining equipment. Paul’s fate comes into conflict when the beliefs of Jessica and her Bene Gesserit religious order contrast with factions within the Fremen tribes, some who view Paul as “the One” while others maintain a more anti-religious outlook on their future. As the question of who (and how) a leader will arise to unite the Fremen against the new Imperial ruling Harkonnens, the conflict begins to have wider implications, bending the ears of high-placed Bene Gesserit advisors and even Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken).
Ask anyone who’s read Frank Herbert’s original Dune book and they’ll likely tell you that the plot becomes increasingly complex as the book (and series) goes on. A lot of credit is due to Villeneuve and writer Eric Roth for establishing the Dune universe in clear and clarifying terms in Part One. Their groundwork allowed Villeneuve and writer Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) to spend the majority of Part Two exploring themes and engaging concepts of faith, destiny, and hero worship. Part Two also introduces major new characters, including Baron Harkonnen’s sociopathic nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), the Emperor as mentioned earlier, and the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh).
As with Dune: Part One, Villeneuve and his special effects teams have raised the bar. To suggest that this film must be seen in theaters on the biggest screen possible, and with the best sound system available may be cliché, but it’s close to the objective truth. Villeneuve is a visual storyteller and always has been (even making headlines this week by “hating” on dialogue). Dune: Part Two contains a few action set pieces that rank among the best of the last decade, including Paul learning to ride a sandworm and a mesmerizing Harkonnen arena combat spectacle. The sets, the camera movements, and the action are grandiose and beautiful to behold. The scenery is jaw-dropping. Every scene has the added benefit of Hans Zimmer’s moving score, which takes simple motifs from his Oscar-winning work on Part One and imbues a new orchestration with romantic themes and epic crescendos.
Even the emotional elements are stronger in Part Two. The film is slowly paced in between action sequences, and, in doing so, allows us to focus on the characters, specifically Paul and Chani. Their romance is a prominent feature of Part Two, and Villeneuve handles it deftly, building their connection patiently, scene by scene, while also imbuing their partnership with a sense of foreboding for the inevitable chasms their characters must face. Paul is tasked with reiterating his apprehensions and visions to numerous individuals, separately, which is an interesting way to depict how viewpoints can differ depending on political, cultural, and religious aspirations. Rather than saddle a sci-fi epic with a standard blasé hero’s journey serving no function beyond a conduit by which we can journey through events, Chalamet is tasked with capturing a bold character turn, and he impressively rises to the challenge. Oh, and Butler is an incredible villain. By a wide margin, this is the most memorable performance of his career.
Debates have already begun regarding Dune: Part Two’s place within the echelon of the greatest sequels of all time. It’s too early to make that claim, though the case is strong. Villeneuve has already revealed that the script is nearly complete for the next Dune film (likely based on the book Dune Messiah), so we can already expect to see that project greenlit within a short time of Dune: Part Two’s release, if not before this review is even published. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s enjoy when a film comes along that’s as artistically driven as it is commercially driven, that well-earns its place on thousands of theater screens. Dune: Part Two is the finest example of sequelitis (rarely) done right – bigger, bolder, more characters, more drama, and many more sandworms.
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Dune: Part Two opens in theaters on Friday, March 1st.
