Dune: Part Two, 2024.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Starring 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, Tim Blake Nelson, Souheila Yacoub, Roger Yuan, Babs Olusanmokun, Alison Halstead, Giusi Merli, Joelle, Peter Sztojanov Jr., Gino Salvano, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
SYNOPSIS:
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
The spice flows incredibly well in Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to his 2021 sci-fi hit Dune which adapted the first half of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel. Dune: Part Two takes everything that worked in the first film and surpasses them in every way. It is rare a film raises its stakes and exceeds the expectations of its first film, but Villeneuve sticks the landing in adapting a novel many considered impossible to make.
Dune: Part Two picks up where the previous film left off with House Atreides betrayed and decimated on the planet Arrakis. As Paul, the sole heir to the Atreides legacy, and his mother flee with Arrakis’ native Fremen insurgents, Paul joins their rebellion against the Imperium to avenge his family while trying to prevent a terrible war that will spread across the universe if he takes the slightest misstep.
The first thing to be said of Part Two is that it is a visual masterpiece. The cinematography, the set design, the costumes make everything feel like a lived-in place and breathes life into this heightened sci-fi setting. The desert sequences themselves gives Arrakis a sense of beauty and terror, more so than the first film as Paul and the audience see the planet more from the perspective of the Freman instead of the colonizers. The vibrant colours of the landscape really pop and the terrific sound design adds to the feeling of you being there with the the way the wind and sand rush during scenes like Paul’s first sandworm ride.
It goes even beyond that with the battles, bringing to life epic sequences that call to mind the groundbreaking battles in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King, especially when viewed on an IMAX screen. Just based on the visuals alone, Dune: Part Two is likely to be one of if not the best-looking film of 2024.
Timothée Chalamet carries the film as Paul Atreides, making Paul’s ascension from an exiled and fugitive lord to rebel and religious leader with ease. He has a very commanding presence throughout the story, particularly in the final third as the climax approaches. Chalamet gives Paul a sense of sincerity through his conversations with Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica and Zendaya’s Chani, making us feel his emotions and share his same fear of what he or his followers could ultimately become.
Zendaya nearly steals the show as Chani with her layered performance and dedication to both her Fremen people and Paul, but makes clear she has an independent streak of her own. Ferguson, meanwhile, delivers a very different performance as Jessica as she does whatever she can, no matter how morally grey it is, to help Paul in his quest. Javier Bardem is also a standout as Stilgar, wearing his emotions, earnestness and faith on his sleeve in one of the film’s most impactful performances.
Outside of those main four, the cast does very well with their roles. Newcomer Austin Butler is a fine addition as the villainous Feyd-Rautha, Baron Harkonnen’s violent, sadistic and cunning nephew who is just as dangerous as him. Feyd is presented as something of the anti-Paul, a dark mirror image of who Paul could have been in a different life. Butler provides Feyd with an amount of depth that slightly separates him from his uncle and brother with how calculating he is, using his body language to show how physically imposing Feyd can be even when he stands still.
Florence Pugh doesn’t have a lot of screentime as Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter, but she conveys how politically insightful, compassionate and somewhat ruthless she can be in her few scenes while Christopher Walken doesn’t succumb to his “Walkenisms” and gives the Emperor an intimidating air of authority.
The pacing is much more streamlined than Dune as there’s less worldbuilding to focus on. The story moves along fairly quickly, but not enough where it sacrifices its character beats or plot to get to the big moments. There’s plenty of introspection from its characters as well as the deconstruction of the ‘Chosen One’ hero’s journey the Dune franchise is known for. It’s arguable Dune: Part Two dives even deeper into its themes than the first film as Paul really embraces his leader and icon role among the Fremen, having to come to terms with what that means as others in the Imperium scheme for their next hero.
Readers of the novel may be disappointed at the absence of some story elements and characters, but Villeneuve maintains the integrity of Herbert’s themes as he makes changes necessary to fit the runtime and not overload the audience with even more new faces. Consider Dune the starter course and Dune: Part Two the main serving.
Villeneuve succeeds once again in adapting an “unadaptable” novel and makes it one of the most visually compelling sci-fi films ever made with its gorgeous locations, costumes, sets and blend of practical and special effects. The cast have great chemistry together with Chalamet, Zendaya and Bardem giving the most emotionally driven performances that bolster up the film’s dense themes. It absolutely needs to be seen on the big screen.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
