Dune: Part Two Review

The Fremen Strikes Back

The first Dune film released back in 2021 made the bold decision to split the gargantuan novel into two halves. This strategy hasn’t been super popular in the recent years with other books, as they have been seen as something that just generates more revenue than actually services the story. Fortunately, Dune: Part Two does not fall into this category as its ambitious scope is completely realized and positions this film among the likes of the greatest sequels of all time. Like The Empire Strikes Back, The Two Towers, or The Dark Knight before it, Dune: Part Two will go down in history as one of the greats as it builds off the excellent foundation of the first, positions its characters into challenging inward and external conflicts, and delivers an explosive display of imagination in portraying a massive vision to the silver screen.

Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

The first film did a lot of the heavy lifting in setting up this world, the characters, the conflicts, and the different lore allowing Dune: Part Two to run wild and tell its thrilling story. At the heart is the story of Paul Atreides and his coming-of-age as deals with the ramifications of the first film but also establishing his own destiny in the process. Given the lore of this world, his character goes through tremendous amount of change as we see him interact with the Fremen people, become stronger with the desert, and start to unravel the prophecies concerning Arrakis. His growth throughout the movie is one of the more interesting facets of the film, especially since his inward growth also has external conflicts arise through the people he interacts with.

The returning cast from the first film all deliver great performances as their characters transform and evolve from the first film. Zendaya’s Chani definitely gets more screen time this film and her relationship with Paul is a focal point with which the story rests. Young adult novel romances are often a slog, but the budding and authentic romance between the two feels genuine as they both grow into their own and see how their relationship strengthens and encounters strife along the way. Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica undergoes more of a conflictive relationship with her son Paul as both of them stand on opposite sides regarding the fulfilment of prophecies. While the son and mother dynamic is present, it is interesting to see them undergo real conflict yet maintain this relationship. Finally, Javier Bardem does an excellent job with more screen time as he leads the charge on believing in Paul’s true potential. A lot of his moments are played for earned moments of humor, but it showcases just how much of a believer he is and the drastic need for hope that he strives for.

New antagonists arise in the form of Feyd-Rautha Harkonen (Austin Butler), the nephew of Baron Harkkonen (Stellan Skarsgaard). While the Baron is scheming and ruthless tactician. Feyd-Rautha is a belligerent and bloodthirsty monster. His screen presence strikes fear into the audience, gripping you into the conflict even more by knowing what’s at stake for our protagonists should they have to come in contact with him. But he evolves more than that and certainly his intriguing connections establish him as something more especially when it comes in contact with the religious figures.

A big theme in Dune: Part Two is the intersectionality of faith, religion, and the yearning for hope. The prophecy of the Lisan Al-Gaib (the messiah who will deliver the Fremen) looms heavy over the film as people stand on opposing sides on whether this is prophecy or propaganda to enslave them. It conveys just how far someone is willing to go for what they believe in versus someone striving for their own independence. At the center of this is Paul, who must manage both sides of this internal religious conflict while also fighting off against the galactic houses that seek to destroy the Fremen and reclaim Arrakis.

It may seem that the film is handling very heavy themes and will be bogged down in character exposition and dramatics, but that could not be further from the case. Denis Villeneuve knows when to inject an exciting action sequence amidst all of the world building and prophetical exegesis happening on screen. These sequences feel massively epic, bringing you into the action and feeling the tension of each moment. However, these sequences aren’t just dropped to create excitement (and they certainly do) but they are there in service to the story. A sequence involving Feyd-Rautha battling a group of men showcases the brutality of skills. Paul attempting to ride a sandworm invites a thrill that conveys his character growth. Even a small skirmish to destroy Harkonen soldiers invading, brings a wonderful reunion. Action is utilized to advance and heighten the story of top of the beautiful spectacle it brings.

The growth of Paul Atreides remains one of the most fascinating aspects of the Dune films, and it feels earned now that we have had time to marinate on all of the set up and get to see a thrilling journey ahead of him. The best films are ones that position their characters in contrasting places inwardly from the beginning to the end of the film. Who Paul, Lady Jessica, the Emperor, Stillgar, and Chani are at the beginning of the film is largely dissimilar and dynamic than where they are at the end of the film. The character work remains masterful, and Denis captures all of the intricacies quite well.

There can seem like there is a lot going on, between different names, cultures, identities, beliefs, and houses. The film does a good job of explaining things so you can follow along quite well. I would recommend a repeat viewing of Dune: Part One if you haven’t already before going to see this one as it will only help. This is one of the few movies that actually makes me excited to see if they will adapt the rest of the Dune novels as well, just given how invested and mesmerized I am by this world and wanting to see more from it.

I walked out of Dune: Part Two absolutely loving it, and I haven’t felt this way about a film since I last saw Oppenheimer. This is why movies are made. This is film. This is the reason Hollywood should keep existing, And these are the kinds of movies we need to support! Thoughtful direction, pure escapism, inviting lore, intricate worldbuilding, and dynamic characters all need to be required staples of films and Denis Villeneuve is one of the best filmmakers working today! The film is beautifully paced even for its 2 hour and 45 minute runtime, but every second counts and matters. If Denis does make a third film, he will stand amongst the greats of creating one of the greatest trilogies of all time. For now, he has positioned himself beautifully in one of the best sequels and has made a 5 hour epic well worth your time and investment!

(A+) Cinematically Amazing