By now you’re probably aware of my ambivalence towards the lore and mythos of “Dune.” I’m sorry, but I just don’t care enough to deep dive into Arrakis and become one with the Shai Hulud, and I’m not reading 6 books for it to make sense. I don’t say this to disparage the fans and/or fandom; it’s truly wonderful that people have things they love. On the contrary, I’m reiterating my take it or leave it attitude to make my next statement more impactful: “Dune Part 2” is incredible. Yes, you heard that right. The sequel improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, delivering a layered, riveting war epic that never bores and constantly dazzles. “Dune Part 2” may not do enough to drive me to deep dive into the lore or turn me into a diehard fan, but it does redefine scale, scope and spectacle, and sets a new bar for sequels. The spice is twice as nice in this absolute visual feast.
Director Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis with his “Dune Part 1” crew in tow, including co-writer Jon Spaihts, cinematographer Greig Fraser, VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert, and all of his returning cast with some additions. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista all return to reprise their roles, with new additions including Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, and Florence Pugh.
“Dune Part 2” picks up immediately where the first film left off, as Paul (Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Ferguson) join the Fremen and begin learning the ways the of the desert for survival. Paul and Chani (Zendaya) begin to fall for each other, while Stilgar (Bardem) is devout in his belief that Paul is in fact the Lisan al Gaib, the prophesied Messiah who will free his people and lead them to Paradise. Paul must now face a choice between love and destiny, and as he seeks revenge on the powers that destroyed his family, he also struggles with his own beliefs in himself as a messiah and visions of what dark futures await him depending on what path he chooses.
Though it is required to watch “Dune Part 1” to understand this sequel, “Dune Part 2” corrects a lot of the meandering exposition that bogged down the first film. Gone are the long shots of people standing around dark rooms talking about things we’re assumed to already know. All of the pieces have already been set it place, and Villeneuve now has the freedom to move those pieces about the board in as many epic ways as he so chooses. This allows “Dune Part 2” to brisk by at a rapid pace, never lulling and filling every frame with gorgeous visuals that overshadow any lore or space politics you may still be questioning. This sequel is far more streamlined, anchored by a believable love story and a far less convoluted tale of revenge and destiny. Even the cautionary tales of cyclical religious oppression and dangerous blind faith are more thematic than mythos, and while both of those things combined certainly enhance the experience, it is not as necessary as it was previously. “Dune Part 2” indulges the the best parts of visual storytelling and keeps things as simple as it possibly can without completely disregarding its source material.
Of course, with plenty of new additions to the cast and more expansive world building, “Dune Part 2” doesn’t complete the whole story, withholding some things like it did in “Dune Part 1” for an inevitable third film. Characters like Princess Irulan (Pugh) are more of a foreshadowing background character than a prominent player. Though vital to the story at hand, you get the sense pretty quickly that her role (much like Zendaya’s) will be expanded in the future and is merely introduced here. Almost all of the new cast is treated this way, while previous characters like Chani and Stilgar (Bardem) are greatly expanded. Zendaya in particular is crucial to the success of “Dune Part 2,” as she is our proverbial audience surrogate watching Paul’s transformation from reluctant leader to terrifying believer. The work she does here as she watches the events unfold is spectacular. It is a lot to ask someone to shoulder a film this grand with a little more than few looks and some emotional beats, and Zendaya proves she is more than up to the challenge. Seriously, she’s great here.
Bardem too, gets a welcomed expansion and injects some much needed humor missing from its predecessor. “Dune Part 2” actually has some laugh out loud moments that largely come from Bardem himself, and his fanticism of belief in Paul is both a detriment and necessity for himself and his people. The juxtaposition of Stilgar’s unwavering belief and Chani’s cautious reservations both help to expand Paul as a character, too. Chalamet is better for who’s around him, making Paul a character you want to root for but also rightfully fear as the prophecy begins to take shape. “Dune Part 2” utilizes its cast to much better success than the previous film, even giving more insight into the Space Witches (the Bene Gesserit, but I like my name for them better) as the real villains of the story and true puppeteers behind basically everything in the empire. We no longer care about the psychedelic mystery powers of spice and The Voice that felt vastly unanswered in the first film because their true intentions are laid bare in this sequel. Their works are a shadowy force of events in “Dune Part 2,” and everything from the erasure of House Atreides, the rise of a Messiah, and the revolution of the Fremen are all born from witches’ whispers.
There really isn’t a bad performance in “Dune Part 2.” There isn’t enough time to give everyone an expansion, but even with less screen time everyone makes their presence felt. Bulter finally proves that he didn’t actually become Elvis and instead becomes Stellan Skarsgård. I kid, but not really because he’s doing a near perfect impression of Skarsgård’s creepy Baron. He ramps up the psychopath as Feyd-Rautha, all but wearing a sign that says “I’m batshit crazy and I will cut a bitch just because.” I will never complain about seeing Léa Seydoux do pretty much anything, even if that’s seducing a nutcase like Feyd so the space witches can have another heir to manipulate in the future or something I don’t know, I was kind focused on how hot Seydoux looked during this part. Really it’s Walken and Pugh who are muted, which is more due to the story “Dune Part 2” purposefully withholding them for later importance instead of their own capabilities. There’s only so much you can do with who you have, and while it’s nice to see them and learn more about the Emperor, the real crux and rightful focus is our main characters Paul and Chani.
Of course, none of the performances matter if “Dune Part 2” doesn’t deliver on its visuals. And my god, does it ever. This the definition of bigger, badder and better, with Villeneuve and team revitalizing the much needed overhaul of visuals and action in movies today. Gone is the over-glossed digital sheen that has permeated pretty much all of cinema. The kind that looks like a fresh coat of digital wax shine that removes all sense of geography and constantly signals to viewers that there are no physical locations or sets anywhere. “Dune Part 2” feels fresh, with Fraser’s cinematography beautifully capturing gorgeous desert landscapes, outer world planets and epic action set pieces that feel real and lived in. THIS is how you use digital and practical effects. THIS is how you wow audiences with stunning visuals they won’t forget. THIS is how you use IMAX and create something so special it has to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
“Dune Part 2” sets a new bar for sci-fi action, and ushers in a new era of what’s possible for cinema. I can’t even believe I’m going to say this, but “Dune Part 2” is why we should go to the movies. You can forget all of the lore and mythos and space politics and be completely swept up in the visual and technical mastery. It is sensory overload, an immersive visual feast for the eyes that demonstrates true cinematic magic when placed in the right hands. The combination of Villeneuve and Fraser push the boundaries of science fiction filmmaking, and elevate not just the genre but what movies are suppose to instill in audiences. “Dune Part 2” is both complex and purposeful while also being a big, giant blockbuster, making a statement that you can have your cake and eat it too if you know how to make a delicious cake first. It is bombastic and loud and stunning, but never without merit, meaning, or passion. I’ll say it again: THIS is why we go to the movies.
So yeah, “Dune Part 2” absolutely fucking rules and you should see it on the biggest screen possible. And that’s saying a lot coming from me, someone who isn’t motivated to dig further into the source material, was pretty mid on “Dune Part 1,” and someone who didn’t eat his popcorn from a Shai Hulud Flesh Bucket. “Dune Part 2” is as a good as cinema can get, and it’s more than worth the trip back to Arrakis.
Guess I’ll see you in three years for “Dune 3: Messiah With a Vengance.”
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Dune Part 2” hits theaters March 1st. You can watch the trailer below.
