Joey Magidson
What a difference a few years makes. I went into Dune (reviewed out of TIFF here) with trepidation, wondering if this would just be another grandly ambitious misfire. I walked out of that festival screening turned around on the property and actually excited to see what was next. At the same time, I did have a bit of worry in the back of my mind about the second part. Could it maintain momentum and work as well as the first one? Or, would having a little over five hours to tell Frank Herbert‘s book in total lead to bloat and perhaps even too much of a good thing? Well, I’m here to report that Dune: Part Two is none of those things. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has managed to improve on every aspect of Dune, which is saying something. The first part was just a great setup for a grand science fiction tale that’s also Villeneuve’s epic war film. I once again stand corrected, as my fears and worries were for nothing.
Dune: Part Two manages to complete the novel’s story while raising the stakes in all regards. The action is bigger, the scale is incredible, and the actual ideas of the novel, as well as the complicated themes of religious fanaticism, come across with crystal clarity. Even if I won’t go quite as far as to call this The Empire Strikes Back for our time, those who are saying it are not completely speaking in hyperbole.
Picking up where the first movie left off but with a small time jump, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has become one of the Fremen, participating in raids against House Harkonnen as he pursues vengeance for the murder of his father. Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), cautions him that his father didn’t believe in revenge, but his thirst is strong. He’s also attracted to Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya), while their leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) believes Paul to be a messianic figure. Many of the Fremen don’t believe, but he does, seeing in Paul the way forward.
While the attacks are coming, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) grows displeased and replaces Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista) with the vicious Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) as the point man on Arrakis. We also learn more about how the Baron was working under the instructions of the Emperor (Christopher Walken) to take out Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). As the Fremen build towards an epic showdown with the Harkonnen warriors, much more than Arrakis hangs in the balance. There’s a ton more going on, but that’s a good set-up, especially if you’re unfamiliar with what happens in the book.
Everyone in the cast is all-in here, which is crucial. They have to say some fairly silly things, but if they didn’t take it seriously, the cards would all crumble. The commitment they display not only fits with the characters, but it serves the movie well. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are best in show, really growing into far more complex roles this time around, though Javier Bardem and Austin Butler are memorable, to say the least. Returning players like Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, and Stellan Skarsgård are solid, while newcomer to the story Christopher Walken brings added gravitas. Florence Pugh is a bit underutilized but she provides a form of a framing device, while also becoming important to the third act denouement. Josh Brolin and Charlotte Rampling return in small but crucial roles, while the huge supporting cast also includes Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, and more.
Director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve is in full command of his craft. The script he once again penned with Jon Spaihts feels both as part of a whole while also having its own structure. That being said, it’s technical wizardry and visuals on display that really sing. Once again, there’s impeccable work from cinematographer Greig Fraser, composer Hans Zimmer, editor Joe Walker, and production designer Patrice Vermette. The scale in Dune: Part Two is so much bigger feeling, and the first flick was plenty epic itself. Spaihts and Villeneuve have some complicated themes they’re working with but never dumb it down. Pacing wise, Villeneuve never lets up, almost as if he’s making sure we all know that he was just getting started last time around.
Oscar-wise, Dune: Part Two should again be a below the line juggernaut. Best Picture remains to be seen, of course, and Best Director for Villeneuve will be very much a question mark. Look for the movie to potentially be a player in Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. Depending on how things go, Best Adapted Screenplay for Spaihts and Villeneuve is hardly unachievable, either. It’s early, but the film could be a similar Academy favorite.
Dune: Part Two impressed me in almost all regards. Does it run the risk of being a bit silly to those who don’t dig on sci-fi? Sure, but it’s still an epic blockbuster, regardless. It should be a big hit, one of the better reviewed films of the year, and a potential awards player. What more can you ask for? If we have Dune Messiah on the table next, I won’t be a doubter. Villeneuve and company have sold me on Dune.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
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