In preparation for my viewing of Denis Villenueve’s Dune: Part Two, the feature-length follow-up to the spectacular Dune: Part One from 2021., I spent the week watching all of Villeneuve’s English language films, including a couple I hadn’t seen before: one named Prisoners, and another titled Enemy. However, if you plan on viewing Dune: Part Two, I think it’s essential that you watch Dune: Part One. It’s currently streaming on the MAX streaming service as well as Digital VOD. In fact, VUDU, the digital retailer that is being renamed Fandango At Home, is already offering pre-orders for both films in a bundle for $34.99 US in 4K UHD.
Villeneuve picks up Dune: Part Two right after the end of Dune: Part One. There is the briefest exposition of what has occurred between the two films. Villeneuve quickly picks up the dramatic narrative as Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica continue their journey with the Fremen to their homeland trying to avoid the Harkonnens, who have continued to attack Arrakis, the planet taken from them by the Emperor and given to the Atreides. After apparently eliminating all of the Atreides, the Harkonnens continue to attack the Fremen because they want unfettered control of the planet’s Spice.
Paul is taken in by the Fremen after demonstrating his ability to fight. He is determined to learn the ways of the Fremen and seeks the counsel and instruction of the Fremen’s leader, Stilgar. Many of the Fremen do not trust Paul and Jessica, but Stilgar is convinced that Paul is the fulfillment of the sect’s prophecies and takes him under his wing. Meanwhile, Jessica, as a member of the Bene Gesserit, is informed that the local Reverend Mother is dying and the sect wants Lady Jessica to take her place.
Timothée Chalamet continues his excellent performance as Paul, who continues to have visions about his fate and those around him including the woman he falls in love with, Chani, skillfully played by Zendaya. Zendaya plays Chani as fiercely independent, at first suspicious of Paul’s ability to survive. Rebecca Ferguson returns as Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother who has trained Paul in the ways of the Bene Gesserit against the order’s wishes. Javier Bardem comes back as the Fremen leader Stilgar, and for a major portion of the film, I was impressed by the portrayal of Glossu Rabban Harkkonen by Dave Bautista. Bautista embodies the character’s arrogance and brutality, seemingly effortlessly.
Also appearing as an even more brutal Harkonnen is Elvis… er… Austin Butler, who gives another strong performance as the heir apparent to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, expertly played by Stellan Skarsgard in a repeat performance from PART ONE.
Up until now, I have bestowed nothing but praise on the film.
I’ll be the first to admit that what follows is nitpicking.
• There are so many Bene Gesserit wandering around. It was difficult for me to tell one apart from the other with the very similar costumes.
• There’s a scene we saw in the trailer; so, I don’t mind discussing it.
It’s a huge setpiece of Paul learning to mount a sandworm and riding it.
As the film progresses, we see that riding sandworms is how the Fremen get around.
We learn how they get ON, but we never see them get OFF.
Also, the sandworms are like Amtrak. You’ll see what I mean.
• Paul has so many names.
First, he’s Paul.
Then, he’s Muad’Dib.
Then, he’s Usul.
And, he has even more names and they use them interchangeably and inconsistently.
I suppose there’s a story reason for it, but it’s problematic. At least for me.
• Finally, there are parts of the film that look like they were filmed on the set of Star Trek: Discovery. Huge setpieces that look like they were filmed on a soundstage with huge matte photographs or paintings forming the background. It made the scenes look flat, again to me.
In those sequences, it somewhat took me out of the film.
Still, the score by Hans Zimmer and the majority of the photography lensed by Greig Fraser was immersive and stunning. Their work and Denis Villeneuve’s direction along with the entire cast and crew made this a marvelous second chapter of a story of destiny, revenge, and environmentalism.
Dune: Part Two is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material, and brief strong language.
Now, what did I think of the film?
I gave DUNE: PART TWO, not a 10 as I gave PART ONE, but close.
I gave DUNE: PART TWO a nine out of ten, equivalent to 4½ stars out of five.
You absolutely should see DUNE: PART TWO in theatres as soon as you can.
As I always say, WATCH CONTENT; FORM OPINION.
You just heard mine; I’d like to hear yours.
Mikeylito @LEISURE 