Review: ‘Dune: Part Two’ rises as the defining sci-fi epic for a new generation
“Lead them to Paradise.”
A decade ago, Denis Villeneuve was fresh off his first Hollywood production “Prisoners” and gearing up to make his next mid-budget crime thriller, “Sicario.” Before long, his attention would turn to science-fiction, earning his first Oscar nomination for directing “Arrival” before making “Blade Runner 2049,” a sequel worthy of the legendary original. As it turns out, the Quebecois filmmaker’s foundational passion for cinema lay in sci-fi, naming “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Blade Runner” among his favorite films since childhood.
Enter “Dune.”
Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part One” was the first step in realizing a childhood dream of adapting the unadaptable tale of Paul Atreides (Timothèe Chalamet) and the desert planet of Arrakis. When the film released in 2021 to the tune of over $400 million at the global box office (despite a day-and-date HBO Max release) and six Oscar wins, Villeneuve had succeeded where the likes of Alejandro Jodorowksy and David Lynch had failed.
Well, half-succeeded.
“Dune: Part One” may not have been marketed as such, but the chief critique of the widely-acclaimed film was that it simply did not tell the full story of Paul and left audiences with a rather inconvenient cliffhanger. It was dubbed by Villeneuve as the appetizer to the cinematic meal that is “Part Two.” With the groundwork laid and most of the key pieces on the board, Villeneuve holds nothing back and pushes himself into realms previously unexplored in his oeuvre. It’s an even more spectacular blockbuster than its predecessor, while daring to be darker and stranger as it engages with some of the novel’s most compelling ideas.
The beating, bloody heart of “Part Two” is the relationship between Paul and Chani (Zendaya) as he and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) go into hiding with the Fremen. Only explored from an outsider, surface-level perspective in the first film, Fremen culture is a focal point of this picture. As Paul weighs his options to exploit their strength in his quest for revenge, his hand is partly stayed by the affection he develops for Chani, who begins as a skeptical mentor and transforms into his lover and most-trusted confidant. For all of its strengths, the novel’s depiction of their romance can come across as rushed and underdeveloped, something taken for granted rather than paid significant attention.
Villeneuve’s screenplay, co-written with his fellow Oscar-nominee for “Part One” Jon Spaihts, feels sinewy compared to the hefty exposition of the first. The pair feel more inclined to keep things simple, using dialogue to merely hint at key points when possible, with Villeneuve relying on the form to communicate information now that audiences are already immersed in the rules of this world. This approach goes a long way in subtly, efficiently growing the central romance, but the chemistry between Chalamet and Zendaya can’t be understated. It’s not just a good romance for a blockbuster, but a moving romance by any metric.
Their love is grown in the quiet between storms, however, which is the raging conflict between the Harkonnens and Fremen. “Part Two” is an outright war flm of the highest magnitude, featuring gripping guerrilla warfare, as well as jaw-dropping battles of incredible scale. It’s a major evolution for Villeneuve, who caught some flak for the way he handled the relatively minimal action in “Part One.” He takes his place here among the likes of Peter Jackson and James Cameron in terms of epic action direction. Whether it’s a beautifully-designed Fremen attack on a single sand harvester or the bulk of their forces attempting to overtake Arrakeen on the backs of Shai-Hulud, the dynamic shot design and pleasantly patient editing helps to breathe life into sequences unlike anything seen on the big screen in a long time. Cinematographer Greig Fraser and editor Joe Walker are the clear standouts in this regard, but every department feels more empowered to experiment and flex their creative muscles.
This escalation in armed conflict comes as a result of Paul pushing the Bene Gesserit agenda amongst the Fremen, with the help of his mother and unborn sister. Jessica has a reduced role compared to the first entry, but her presence is stronger than ever, going through a radical transformation that also alters the embryo growing inside her. It’s a shocking, viscerally upsetting turn for the character that still feels like a natural progression, and Ferguson’s work will leave viewers worming in their seats. Grappling with the “prophecy” and his own free will, Chalamet’s initial admiration, and even love, of Fremen ways of life comes across with the same earnestness that we saw in the character previously. It makes his moral descent and political ascent all the more disturbing, with Chalamet transforming into something we’ve never seen from him. He’s utterly dominating and magnetic.
What is an electric lead performance without an antagonist to match, though?
Thankfully, the world will never know in the case of “Dune: Part Two,” because Austin Butler comes fresh off his Oscar nomination for “Elvis” and knocks it out of the park as the Harkonnen heir Feyd-Rautha. It would be easy for some to simply rely on the makeup and bald cap to disappear, but down to his core Feyd is a transformative performance for Butler, who cements himself as one of the most electric performers in Hollywood. He’s a psychosexual murderer with a flair for showmanship, making the character a key player in multiple show-stopping sequences, from his introduction on Giedi Prime to the climactic duel.
Butler is not the only impressive addition, sharing scenes with Lèa Seydoux as the consummate Bene Gesserit, Lady Margot Fenring. Off of Giedi Prime and Arrakis, we are introduced early on to the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), the latter of whom is a promising addition for a potential future installment. Their scenes here are brief but paint a portrait that explains more about why the events of “Part One” panned out as they did, and watching Pugh process and plan makes her small role satisfying in its own right. Meanwhile, other members of the returning cast deliver far more stirring work here, particularly Javier Bardem as the fanatical Fremen leader Stilgar and Josh Brolin as the soulful Atreides officer Gurney Halleck.
“Dune: Part Two” had the success of “Part One” to live up to, while also being expected to resolve the strongest criticism that film faced. Villeneuve has somehow outdone his previous sci-fi masterworks with a new crown jewel in his crown that honors Frank Herbert’s original works, elevates the significance of “Part One” and stands alone as a singular cinematic vision that will live on as the definitive retelling of this landmark saga.
Star Rating: 5 out of 5
“Dune: Part Two” releases in theaters March 1, 2024.