StephY’s review published on Letterboxd:
Maybe it's the IMAX, or maybe it's because I knew what I was getting into, but Dune Part Two seemed to flow better this time around.
Villeneuve's comments about dialogue from a few weeks ago that divided people, seem to make more sense if you pay attention. He has an eye for striking imagery: from the haunting opening shots of an embryo, moving through the overwhelming dessert with poise and grace, to the ostentatious negative atmosphere of Gedi Prime; these moments are enough to make anyone believe in the power of the image.
However, his dialogue can sometimes leave a bit to be desired. Even with the idea of leaving the book behind, he falters in over-explaining some obvious bits to the audience. The easier example of this is Chani, who is a very different character to that of Herbert's. Zendaya is great, and a lot has been said about how much she does with her face, but every now and then she would throw a phrase that just feels out of place. It happens sporadically enough to not be a detriment, but it's an issue that wasn't present in Dune (maybe Eric Roth's departure from the writing team is more of an issue than I originally thought).
When Villeneuve says that he "is not interested in dialogue" and that he would rather make a film were not a word is spoken, I feel like it's more of a way of saying that dialogue can be fucking hard. I say this as someone who loves writing: conveying ideas through words without feeling preachy or overbearing but also not too restrained, is a balance that few can truly master. It's definitely easier to just toss that aside and focus on what you're more comfortable with.
Luckily for him, Dune Part Two excels despite its shortcomings. Watching the space opera of Dune come to life in such a pleasing way is just something that I never thought I'd be able to experience, least of all on IMAX. I'm genuinely curious about how he will approach Messiah, because now it's a matter of when instead of if.
