Dune: Part 2 Review


The World of Dune:

Frank Herbert wrote Dune in 1965. He then wrote five sequels (his son also wrote twenty two books but I haven’t heard anything positive about them). Villeneuve hopes to turn the second book, Dune: Messiah, into a third movie. After what he has achieved so far, I hope so.

Turning Dune and Dune Messiah into a trilogy is a wise choice. The second book is only half the length and does feel somewhat like a coda or epilogue. As for the third book, Children of Dune, if it gets adapted I can see it being a two part movie again.

Anyway, how do you follow up a film that, whilst gaining critical success, didn’t achieve much at the box office? By heaping far more action as well as including some interesting artistic choices that hints at a bizarre and exotic world, featured heavily in the source material to keep the fans happy.

There are a few changes but surprisingly none that I have an issue with. In fact, without giving anything away, the ending is significantly different with interesting implications for future films.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Dune focuses on a planet named Arrakis. There are “Houses” within the galaxy that have influence and control over billions of people, scattered across numerous worlds. The Houses seek the precious natural resource on Arrakis named Spice, a substance which acts as fuel for starships, as well as an ingredient that can alter perception, and give the ability of foresight.

House Atreides had control over the planet until House Harkonnen murdered their leader, Duke Leto, as well as his entire family. Or so they thought. Unbeknownst to the Harkonnens, a son named Paul survived, and intends to seek revenge on those who killed his father.

Clearly influenced by Arabic and Islamic cultures, Herbert introduces the Fremen, the indigenous inhabitants of Arrakis, who Paul (Chalamet) attempts to in order to use them for his own benefit, are not just caricatures. There are moderates and extremists, believers and non-believers in the prophet, the messiah, that is Paul Muad'Dib. It’s easy to believe the story falls into the white saviour trope, but it’s clear Paul is not your average protagonist. His visions foretell unimaginable bloodshed in a future Holy war.

It’s not only a religious and spiritual universe that Herbert has created but one based on Politics, Geology, and Epistemology.

The Cast and Crew:

Villeneuve has established himself as a visionary. Dune, Blade runner, Sicario, and Prisoners are great examples of his great talent for memorable storytelling and jaw-dropping visuals in modern cinema. Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts have returned to write, but no longer with Eric Roth (what’s going on with Roth? There’s rumours he pulled out of Killers of the Flower Moon and was replaced by Paul Thomas Anderson). Composer Hans Zimmer, and cinematographer Greig Fraser have also returned.

Pros:

Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh, Brolin, and Stellan Skarsgard return, along with newcomers Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Florence Pugh. All of the cast are excellent, but Butler (the first performance I’ve seen by him) particularly shines as the psychotic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

Dune: Part 2 is a purely an audio-visual spectacle. The landscape is shot in a way that gives you a true sense of the vastness of the world. You also get a sense of many secrets being buried underneath the sand. Once again, the set design and costumes are magnificent. I’ve never been interested in purchasing a prop but I’d love to get me a stillsuit.

The film never ceases to entertain and despite the running time never outstays its welcome. The ending is satisfying, and leaves you wanting more. 

It should also be considered, along with Aliens, Terminator 2, and The Empire Strikes Back, as one of the best Sci-Fi sequels of all time. 

Cons:

There’s more action, a lot more than the first film, which audiences seem to be happy about, but I can’t help but think I’d prefer more political intrigue and Machiavellian plotting that made the villains so interesting in the books. In Villeneuve’s Dune, they are obsessed with throat-cutting and being angry all the time.

The music is bombastic and almost constant, especially in the second half. It would've been nice for more quiet moments so the story could breathe, instead of endlessly pushing the narrative forward.

Conclusion:

Despite a few flaws, Denis Villeneuve captured the essence of the Dune universe and Dune: Part 2 is a fitting conclusion to what occurs in the first film. I slightly prefer the first film, simply because the issues aren’t as hindering as they are here. Both are remarkable achievements, and as stated before I hope he has the opportunity to cap it all off by adapting Dune: Messiah.

P.s. Is that a Lynch reference (the ants) I see?

P.s.s. Is that a Star Wars reference (tent radio) I see?

Next to watch: Lynch’s Dune, Jodorowsky’s Dune, and Sci-fi channel’s Dune mini-series of Messiah and Children.

For anyone interested, I’ll leave Dune (2021) review here:

Dune (2021) letterboxd.voirfilms24.com/shauny_32/film/dune-2021/

Dune Books Ranked:

Dune
Children of Dune
Dune Messiah

Villeneuve Ranked: boxd.it/dqUuc