I missed this kind of filmmaking. Movies that actually look good and connect emotionally are few and far between these days. Luckily we live in a time where Warner Bros, desperate for new IP and sources of revenue, has given in to Dennis Villeneuve and allowed him to make some of the most incredible science fiction put to film.
I admit to being skeptical of a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel. The Sci-Fi Channel produced a decent miniseries and David Lynch’s psychedelic 1984 classic remains a favorite of mine. After numerous failed attempts at getting this off the ground, the studio gave it to Villeneuve, who adores the novel and has a genuine take on the material. While the hype for Dune (2021) was real the promise of the second part was not guaranteed. The surprise hit was maybe the most incredible filmgoing experience of the year, convincing everyone that we had to have part two.
It’s an incredible film.
Part One involved a lot of excellent scenes of dudes talking in rooms, something I’m quite fond of, but it was meant to set up for the rise of a messiah bred throughout generations and the table setting kept the good stuff waiting in the wings. Dune: Part Two takes no prisoners and doesn’t leave one minute without something beautiful to look at or a performance to love. Did I leave half deaf, my teeth still rattling in the back of my skull after the boom of the IMAX? Yes, and it was worth it.
I don’t mean to give hope to those who may not have connected with the first film. While this second half is a different animal it’s still cut from the same cloth. New energy comes from some of the new cast members but make no mistake, this is a continuation of what you loved last time.
And the new cast mostly holds its own! By far the standout is Austin Butler, who’s threatening Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a menacing mini version of Skarsgård’s larger-than-life Baron. Butler’s monochromatic introduction, drenched in violence and adulation, is a chilling look at the privilege the character’s family lives with but also the adoration the people have for their violence. He’s joined on Geidi Prime by Countess Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux), a Bene Gesserit who has been enlisted to verify him as a potential prescient being and to make sure the Harkonnen bloodline does not go extinct. By far the wildest addition is Christopher Walken as the Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe. His performance hearkens back to his more dramatic days, long before the “Weapon of Choice” music video and the memeification of his person. He’s joined by Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, a character that is lacking in this film due to the potential for a third entry.
That’s the major issue with Dune: Part Two. Splitting the novel into two parts for it to breathe and feel complete was a great idea. Villeneuve has raised a lot of online hype for an adaptation of the second novel, Dune Messiah, and that has wormed its way to the very foundations of the script. All notes build to an incredible conclusion, one that will satisfy most fans of the book, but it all feels like this is merely the setup for the final note in Paul’s story. Don’t get me wrong, I’m psyched for a third film, but some sense of conclusion to one story would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, Dune: Part Two has only one major misstep but it’s a big one. Parts one and two of a story is a wonderful way to do this but there’s a lack of conclusive satisfaction that will leave some wanting.
Thankfully everything else rules. Do you want people riding sandworms? You got it, and you got a lot of it. Visions? Tons of them, often brought on by a poisonous hallucinogenic that opens the mind to all times and spaces that is vomited up by a baby worm that you have to drown. Atomic missiles? Oh hell yes, and somehow this detonation is the least exciting part of a massive third act. All promises made in part one are fulfilled in this new film. By far the most exciting fulfillment is Zendaya’s Chani, a character that was barely in the first film that completely dominates the second. Turned from a loving and understanding partner (at least in Herbert’s novel) to a furiously independent Fremen youth, her take on the character is the beating heart of the film and grounds the character of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in a reality that he is forced to grapple with.
Can we talk about Stilgar (Javier Bardem) for a minute? Because everyone is giving their all to this film while he’s just having a blast. One of the most engaging new parts of this sequel is Bardem’s humor, which led to a good amount of unexpected laughter throughout the audience. It’s a welcome respite in a film full of horror and dramatic discussions about doomed destinies. He teases Paul, he’s unintentionally hilarious as a zealot, and his personality serves as a way to find endearment amongst the Fremen looking for jihad.
Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser has turned in a truly gorgeous film with Villeneuve. Dune was full of interesting landscapes and closed-door sets but Dune: Part Two takes all of those things and blows them up to prodigious proportions. The desert itself is alive, mostly with Fremen and sandworms. The Harkonnen planet of Geidi Prime has become monochromatic under its “black sun.” Even the city of Arakeen gets a small makeover to feel more of its returning masters. There’s nothing held back on the part of visual pageantry.
Returning composer Hans Zimmer expands on his previous award-winning work, building new themes into old ones while his wailing tracks grow louder than ever before. It’s a massive work that might be one of the highlights of his career and yet the scope sometimes struggles to keep up with what’s onscreen. When we’re on Geidi Prime? Zimmer is locked in, able to stand up with the black-and-white gladiator battle step by step. And yet the finale overshadows his compositions and leaves part of this new album a little forgettable. All of the same movements are still here and I’m sure the music will stand alone on vinyl but seated at the theatre it is less consistent.
I loved Dune: Part Two, flaws and all. I wished for more finality in its massive conclusion but at this point a third film feels inevitable. I’ve grown used to movies that don’t feel like they can stand on their own (looking at almost all Marvel films) and while both current Dune films feel like a complete arc it doesn’t feel like a story that knows it’s over. We’ll see how Villeneuve wraps up his epic trilogy in a few years but in the meantime, this will be a staple double-feature for years to come.
Dune: Part Two is currently in theatres.
WRITE DRUNK; EDIT DRUNK 