Movie Review: "Dune: Part Two" (2024)
Dune: Part Two Movie Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Released by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Frank Herbert
2024, 166 minutes, Rated PG-13
Released on March 1st, 2024
Starring:
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
Zendaya as Chani
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
Javier Bardem as Stilgar
Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban Harkonnen
Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
Review:
It’s hard to know where to begin when reviewing Dune: Part Two. As an admitted fanboy of the original six tales that make up the “Dune-iverse” (see what I did there?), I approached Dune: Part One with great trepidation. I knew Denis Villeneuve was a master visual filmmaker, but I wondered if he could take the themes at the core of Dune and strike the proper tone. That first iteration eased my mind and left me quite satisfied, so much so that I became giddy for the second film. Fear is the mind-killer, after all, and my fear fell away.
Shai Hulud is in full effect!
Dune: Part Two ups the ante in so many ways that it’s almost dizzying. The technical mastery that won Oscars for the first film is somehow improved as we get a deep look into not only Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet; Call Me By Your Name) ascent into messianic status but also the monochromatic hell of Giedi Prime and the lush environs of the homeworld of Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken; The Dead Zone). The battles are exponentially more massive. The sandworms are more plentiful. The themes of religious fanaticism and the true nature of power are deeply delved.
I mean, it’s a sequel…you’re supposed to raise the stakes, right?
The story picks up quite literally right where it left off with Paul, Chani (Zendaya; Spiderman: Homecoming), and the Fremen transporting the body of the bested Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) back to Sietch Tabr. Meanwhile, the bloodthirsty and barbarically cruel Harkonnens are stepping up their attacks on the various Fremen strongholds after the slaughter of House Atreides. Stilgar (Javier Bardem; No Country For Old Men) is enamored with Paul and believes him to be the Lisan Al Gaib (“Voice From the Outer World”), the messiah foretold in the Bene Gesserit prophecies. Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson; Doctor Sleep), is feeding that fire with zealous fervor. Paul is reluctant to take that step, as his visions show him a holy war stretching across the galaxy as a result. Still, Paul will have his revenge on Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård; Good Will Hunting) and the Emperor for wiping out his family at all costs, and it’s damn hard to avoid the slippery slope of godhood when your own personal holy war checks all the boxes craftily set forth by the sect of witches pulling the strings.
From the opening shot, you know you’re in for another visual feast. Villeneuve has such a great eye for what the readers of Dune saw in their mind’s eye; it’s a little eerie. Dune: Part Two is damn near overloaded with killer shots, breathtaking panoramas, and moments that are felt as much as seen. The scope and execution of the entire affair…and the battle scenes in particular…elevate Dune: Part Two that at the very least rivals (and in my humble opinion tops) Peter Jackson’s work in the Lord of the Rings series.
Yeah, I said it. I just got downright blasphemous in this bad boy. I’ll double down before all is said and done, too.
The utterly loaded ensemble cast hits all the right notes. Dave Bautista continues to impress with his range and adaptability. Zendaya grows on me with every role I see her in; she brings both a vulnerability and a toughness to Chani that just feels right. Rebecca Ferguson should (and probably will) win a Best Supporting Actor for her role as Lady Jessica Atreides; her devolution from loving mother to Reverend Mother is chilling to watch and reminds you that the blade of religious fanaticism has more than just two edges. And what more can you say about what Timothée Chalamet brings to the film’s key role? Like Paul Muad’dib himself, Chalamet grows into the part by degrees until, in the end, he leaves you floored with his power and ferocity.
This son of a bitch isn’t messing around!
I loved absolutely every damn thing about the Harkonnen side of things. The black and white hell of Giedi Prime, simmering under its black sun, is everything my heart wanted from the source material. Stellan Skarsgård continues to prove he’s a master of the craft as the Baron, looking like something out of Jabba the Hut’s nightmares. Then there’s Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler; Elvis), who steals every scene that he’s in with serious villainous intensity. I mean, the dude chews up scenes like I chew up a three-meat BBQ plate from Terry Black’s when I’m stoned out of my mind. It’s a thing of beauty to watch. His birthday “celebration” is worth the price of admission alone.
The word “epic” is thrown around far too much in Hollywood, but what Denis Villeneuve has done here is give us just that. Dune: Part Two is a spiritual and structural cross between The Empire Strikes Back and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The core themes are richly mined. Everything about Dune: Part Two is indeed epic- visuals, story/plotting, execution, and intent. It’s a masterful piece of filmmaking that reminds us all that a big-budget tentpole of a movie can have true artistry and a deeper meaning at its core.
In other words, Frank Herbert would be damn proud, and Peter Jackson is busy rubbing the red spot on his cheek. Is that a hot take? Hear me well…I used The Voice when I said it.
Grade:
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
