In 2021, Dune: Part One, the beginning of a franchise based on Frank Herbert’s beloved book series, was a visually stunning spectacle that served as an interesting first look at this complex world. It introduced a ton of characters, as well as the world and premise, so the story wasn’t always completely clear. It also leaned very heavily on setup, like an impressive pilot episode for a TV show. However, the characters had understandable motivations, the action was good and, again, the visuals were fantastic. Dune: Part Two picks up precisely where the opening entry paused. This is one of those series that is really telling a single large-scale story across several movies. That means 1) you have to be patient and 2) you should see Part One before Part Two or you will have no idea what’s going on. That said, as much as I enjoyed the first one, this is even better.
Part Two takes advantage of all the setup. There are new characters here too, yet there’s not nearly as many and, since we now know everyone else around them, they don’t need as much explanation. Director/cowriter Denis Villeneuve established the desert planet of Arrakis so successfully already that now he gets to play in it. The result is thrilling, compelling and leaves me quite excited for the forthcoming Part 3.
When we last left them, Paul Atreides and his mother, Jessica, had joined up with the desert-dwelling Fremen after their house had been massacred by the villainous Harkonnen. While Paul is committed to learning the ways of the Fremen so that together they can destroy the Harkonnen, Jessica is more concerned with her son fulfilling a prophecy. There is also the matter of the relationship between Paul and Fremen woman Chani, more scheming from the Harkonnen and the arrival to the plot of the Emperor, who ordered the fall of House Atreides in the first place. It probably sounds overwhelming when I lay it out like this, but the screenplay is structured well enough that it’s easy to keep track of everything.
The other key aspect here is that dialogue is secondary to the visuals. There is so much scope on display. The seemingly endless ocean of sand, giant crowd shots, a sky full of helicopters. Then there are surprising moments of isolation, such as a tense ride on a sandworm or the intimate climactic fight. Villeneuve’s camera is either in close, allowing the actors’ faces to fill up the entire screen, or in long shot, giving his viewers a sense of the imposing environment these people must navigate. The individual character arcs are interesting (especially Paul’s) and Villeneuve does a lot of visual storytelling.
Paul went from the sheltered son of a duke to a survivor looking for revenge last time out. In Dune: Part Two (158 minutes, minus the end credits), he’s more mature, craftier, seeming more like his father’s son, though occasionally making choices with his heart. It is nice to see a big blockbuster take the time to show this type of evolution, even with explosions, enormous worms, war and psychic visions happening around it. I am genuinely invested in Paul’s journey, which is not something I expected going into Part One.
As Paul, Timothée Chalamet does a good job of showing us a boy becoming a man. There is a sweetness to him, especially in the way he looks at Chani, and a large desire to prove himself. There is also a cunning that wasn’t present before. He is beginning to realize that, between inheriting his father’s title and being worshipped as a prophet (approximately half of the Fremen believe him to be their prophesied savior), he cannot live quietly as the member of a group. He will always be special. He will always be hunted, at least once his family’s enemies inevitably discover he still lives. Chalamet disappears in the sheer size of the production from time to time, but he seems to have a strong grasp of who Paul is, delivering in the big moments.
The same is true of most of the cast. Zendaya, barely in Part One, factors in a lot more here as Chani, though she mostly serves as the mildly bland object of Paul’s affection. Rebecca Ferguson’s Jessica was my favorite character coming in, balancing her love for her family with her responsibility to the order of powerful psychics she belongs to. She’s basically a side character here, making some decisions that move the plot forward. Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgård and Léa Seydoux appear as well, with varying levels of impact. A story this massive, with an equally huge cast, has to focus on a few. Even talented actors can get lost in the shuffle when that happens.
The standout performance goes to Austin Butler, entering the series as Feyd-Rautha, the murderous, power-hungry, nephew of the evil Baron Harkonnen. Feyd-Rautha is tasked with reclaiming Arrakis, by any means necessary. Butler plays him as a man who truly gets pleasure out of taking lives and turning fear into control. He is having fun slitting throats and waging war. This is an effective foil for Paul because, while Paul is a good person thrust by fate into being a leader, Feyd-Rautha is a maniac with no morals, no sympathy and pride in his status as a killer. His scenes have an energy to them that give the movie a welcome boost.
If you liked Dune: Part One, Dune: Part Two is an excellent continuation, expanding on Frank Herbert’s universe, adding tension, stakes and mythology. Big sci-fi/action franchises dominate multiplexes these days, with gradually diminishing results. Let this release be a reminder that these kinds of movies don’t have to be dull, derivative, cynical products with little artistic value, existing only to give consumers something to spend money on. Dune: Part Two is a mega-budgeted sequel adapted from a popular property with a star-filled cast and lots of special-effects. It is also smart, really well-made and fun to watch. Part Three can’t come soon enough.
4½ out of 5
Cast:
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
Zendaya as Chani
Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica
Javier Bardem as Stilgar
Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen
Dave Batista as Beast Rabban
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts