Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two
Starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
After the surprise attack by the House Harkonnen that led to the death of his father, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have taken refuge with the Fremen people: desert dwellers who roam Arrakis and who have a special relationship with it. The Fremen's leader, Sietch (Javier Bardem) believes Paul is the coming Messiah who will deliver the Fremen from their hardships. Paul at first is unbelieving, as is young Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya), whom begins a relationship with Paul. However, when Jessica becomes the Fremen's new Reverend Mother, she uses the prophecy to convince the Fremen to side with them, and soon Paul begins to embrace his possible future as he launches a war against the Harkonnen house, led by Baron Vladimir (Stellan Skarsgard), his oldest nephew Glossu (Dave Bautista), and his youngest nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) - a deranged madman who will stop at nothing to end Paul's life. As the prophecy seems to be fulfilled, Chani's disbelief creates a rift between the two that threatens to end their relationship before it fully blossoms.
The first "Dune" was a multi-Oscar winning film that introduced the world to the work of Frank Herbert as never seen before, thanks to Denis Villeneuve's excellent direction and fantastic behind-the-scenes magic that put the world of Arrakis to the glorious screen. Hailed as a modern sci-fi masterpiece, hopes were exceedingly high for the sequel, and not only did it deliver - it far exceeded even the loftiest expectations. A masterpiece, a cinematic marvel, a massive epic - these words somehow fail to describe the elegance of it all. From the performances to the story to the lavish cinematography, there's not one moment wasted in this nearly three-hour epic, leaving you feeling like you were right there in the desert with Paul and the Fremen through their cinematic adventure.
While the first "Dune" was a rather cut-and-dry story about good versus evil, "Part Two" blurs those lines where you're left not sure fully who you support, because essentially everyone has blood on their hands by the end of it. Paul is a reluctant Neo - the supposed "chosen one" selected by a higher power to lead the Fremen out of their poverty - but he doesn't fully accept it. In fact, he tries to run from it after having visions of him heading south and encountering millions of starving people due to his actions. Yet he's pressed by Stilgar to undergo a series of tests to prove that he is the Messiah, and as he passes the trials he begins to think that he could be the Messiah after all - something Chani strongly disagrees with. She views the Messiah prophecy as a way to control the Fremen, and you can sense the tug-of-war she's enduring within as she clearly loves Paul, but worries that he could begin to believe the hype and lead the Fremens in the wrong direction. This is all under the watchful eye of Jessica, the new Reverend Mother who sees the past, present and future and who seemingly turned villainous, attempting to draw the weaker Fremen people to their cause.
For the nearly three-hour runtime, the story focuses on Paul and his time with the Fremen, witnessing his own hero's journey as he embarks on his fateful journey, which is interesting considering it should've been a more good versus evil between the Fremen and the Harkonnen, yet they're not really in the picture all that often. When the final battle begins, however, it's an all-out war, with cinematography and action sequences done so perfectly the last time I saw such visual wonders was the last "Lord of the Rings" movie. It left my jaw on the floor, in awe of what I had witnessed, and I realized then that it wasn't just the battle, but everything that led up to it, that left me gobsmacked. It's sheer perfection, a wholly materialized world that feels real despite its science fiction nature.
That's thanks to the (undoubtedly future) Oscar-winning work of cinematographer Greig Fraser (who also won for the first film) as he turns the deserts of Arrakkis into sweeping grandiose spectacles, and transforms the Harkonnen world in shades of grey so beautiful. Hans Zimmer's score flourishes the scenes with jarring musical scores, separating the Harkonnen (with a more metallic feel) to the Fremens (with a more heated score). The sound effects are jarring, resonating in my seat as the sandworms emerge from their underground world more astonishingly than the original, giving them a new sense of fearful appreciation. The costume designs are also exceptional, particularly the Reverend Mothers who look like alien beings and the regal look of the Emperor of the Known Universe and his daughter.
The story is something that's as timely as ever, and involves fulfilling prophecy and religious fanaticism. The Fremens worship Paul as their coming Messiah, and no matter what he does to try to disprove it, they see it as it being fulfillment. It's almost comical how he disavows his Messiah-ship at every turn while Stilgar sees each test as a way of proving he is the Savior of the Fremen. Paul rebukes the claims as long as he could until he starts believing his own hype, and together with his mother uses it to their advantage over the Fremen to get revenge against the Harkonnens. Only Chani sees through it, and much like the lone voice in the desert, goes unheard against the throngs of faithful.
Timothee Chalamet once again proves himself as one of this generation's greatest actors as Paul, a man who at first struggles with his fate before ultimately embracing it, while Zendaya also proves herself more than capable as the headstrong Chani, the fiercest Fremen warrior who becomes the lone voice of reason. Rebecca Ferguson takes on a more darker role as Jessica this time around, while Javier Bardem delivers some lighthearted humor to the festivities. On the other side, Stellan Skarsgard still doesn't have a lot to work with, as his Baron seems a mix of Jabba the Hut and Darth Vader pre-mask. Dave Bautista is given more to do here thankfully, but it's Austin Butler who steals the show as the barbaric, psychopathic Feyd-Rautha. His presence is menacing, and you eagerly anticipate the final fight between him and Paul - and it doesn't disappoint.
Denis Villeneuve is one of the few directors out there who can bring in A-list actors in essentially thankless roles, appearing a little longer than a cameo but not long enough to be fully supporting - at least until the final film comes out. Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Charlotte Rampling and Lea Seydoux give it their all in their few moments on screen as well, giving their momentary characters more emotional heft than you'd expect.
Although it serves as a middle story between two bookends, "Dune: Part Two" elevates itself from other middle-film trilogies with exceptional performances, dazzling effects, spellbinding visuals and stunning action that places it firmly in the upper echelon of sequels in cinematic history.
The Score: A+
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