Dune: Part Two

Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Lea Seydoux, Charlotte Rampling, Souheila Yacoub, Roger Yuan, Anya Taylor-Joy (uncredited)
Directed by: Denis Villenueve
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) unites with the Freemen of Arrakis to wage war against the Harkonnens and their plot to own the spice trade.

Review:

Tim: I love Denis Villeneuve and as much as I really enjoyed Dune, it felt like the movie didn't quite live up to the hype. It was so beautifully crafted, featured great actors, but the narrative felt incomplete. It felt too much preamble and not enough payoff. While I liked the movie, I was shocked that I didn't consider it a great film. Dune: Part Two changes that. This is a great movie. This is the payoff we needed. Villeneuve directs a beautifully crafted film featuring one of the best casts I've seen in years, and this time, the narrative is on point. This is one of the best movies of 2024.

In between watching Villenueve's first film and this one, I did manage to read Dune and Dune Messiah. The script does an excellent job of adapting the back half of that first novel, while changing things up just enough to make this film feel like it stands on its own. I was riveted from the start. In the first film, a ton of time is spent establishing the characters and on worldbuilding. That was important, but it's not until this film where the payoff really comes. We know these characters now and we're ready to jump immediately into their story here. The film is long- 2 hours, 46 minutes. However, Villenueve keeps things moving so briskly that I never felt fatigue. I was just excited to see what happened next.

The visuals are certainly a major strength here. So often today, movies look cheap- the advancement of computer technology hasn't always translated on screen. That is absolutely not the case here- the visuals are all believable and often jaw-dropping. To see the cinematography, to see Arrakis come to life, is stunning. To see the giant worms plowing through the sand, the battles, the explosions- this is one of the best visual films I've seen in recent years. It's beautiful, unforgettable. From that early scene of the bad guys flying up the cliff face, to the final sequence, this is an expertly crafted film that immerses audiences into this faraway world. The experience of watching all this was fantastic.

The cast is almost beyond belief. Timothee Chalamet is incredible. He's settled into Paul Atreides and tackles the role with even more power. He makes this potential Messiah come to life, but also shows the great cost it takes on him. Chalamet is one of the best actors working today and all that's on display here. Zendaya is still a supporting character, but I love that she got several bigger and more important scenes this time around. She's an impressive actress and I was so glad to see her role expand from the first film. Rebecca Ferguson adds so much to the film, too. I sensed her role was elevated from the book (at least from what I remember) and it's good to have her get so much screen time. Javier Bardem is definitely a supporting character here, but he gets some wonderfully big moments. I loved seeing Josh Brolin reprise his role from the previous film. Dave Bautista is as chilling as ever. Stellan Skarsgard played a smaller role, but still looms large in our memory.

Austin Butler was a great addition to the cast. He's been a rising star for a while now and roles like this- different, unique, not featuring him in the lead; only add to his credit. He plays this supporting, villainous role perfectly well. I loved seeing Florence Pugh here. Her character in the books always felt like too much of an afterthought, so I was ecstatic to see Pugh force us to pay attention to her character. Her performance is strong and effective enough that we can't look away when she's on screen. Christopher Walken is great as the emperor in a toned-down, restrained performance. Lea Seydoux always lights up movies for me and I thought her several scenes were full of intrigue. She pulls the audience toward her. I was beyond excited for Anya Taylor-Joy to make her uncredited appearance here. I certainly hope we see much more of her in the next film. It's funny to consider how Villeneuve assembled nearly all the biggest and brightest future stars of Hollywood- Chalamet, Zendaya, Butler, Pugh, and Joy in the same film? That is a legendary casting job. Two decades from now, we'll look back at these 5 and marvel that they were in the same film.

Besides the technical superiority of this film, Villeneuve is able to tell an epic, exciting, unforgettable story set on a planet that nearly defies belief. I loved learning more about the Fremen culture here. The questions of religion, of belief in a Messiah, of the political intrigue boiling behind the scenes- this is a movie with real depth. It's not just a science fiction film or an action drama, it takes on larger meaning. Some of this comes from the great complexity of Frank Herbert's novel, but it required a brilliant script by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts to translate it onto the screen.

Dune: Part Two is a brilliant film. It transforms a very good first movie into now, one of the most powerful novel adaptations in years. The preamble, the slow set up in the first film might have occasionally been annoying, but it allowed for this genius film to fire on all cylinders. I loved this movie. I also need to gush in my praise of Villeneuve- for him to have crafted 5 great films- Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, Sicario, and now, Dune: Part Two this early in his career is nothing short of miraculous. This is just the latest addition to one of the all-time great directors.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Dune (2021), Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario, Dune (1984)