Dune: Part Two Movie Review
Nathan Swank
February 23rd, 2024
Two years ago, one of my favorite movies was DUNE: PART ONE, which premiered on HBO during the limited theater appearances following COVID. I am ecstatic to be able to see DUNE: PART TWO in IMAX theater, because it is an absolutely glorious visual and sensory experience to behold.
DUNE: PART TWO picks up immediately where PART ONE left off. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), have escaped and united with the Fremen. Not entirely accepted, Paul has found a respected ally among the group with Chani (Zendaya) and leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) who believes Paul is the prophesied chosen one. Paul is dedicated to his mission to help his new found people and destroy their common enemy and conspirators who destroyed his family, but must choose between his new love and becoming their new leader.
DUNE is a fantastic visual feast. Every image is grand and beautiful. Cinematographer Greig Fraser has clearly outdone himself along with an impactfully thunderous score by composer Hans Zimmer. Director Denis Villeneuve who co-wrote the screenplay by Jon Spaihts, which is based on the popular novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert, has created something truly special. The world is infused with detail that combines LAWRENCE OF ARABIA with STAR WARS. Not since LORD OF THE RINGS has a film production been as grandiose. I loved looking at every inch of the screen as the technical aspects including makeup, costume, and art direction are simply gorgeous.
Many of these technical areas already won Academy awards for DUNE: PART ONE. It would not surprise me if they repeat their wins for PART TWO. But DUNE: PART ONE and PART TWO really deserve to be one film. In retrospect, while the films found a breaking point to divide the stories, they really do feel complete as a singular film with PART TWO as the rewarding action-filled payoff to the incredible world building in PART ONE.
While I did not read the classic science fiction novel, it is clear that certain storylines must have been streamlined or glossed over a bit. At a two hour and forty minute runtime, DUNE: PART TWO never felt long, but I could see details in the story that had to be rushed or skipped. While entertaining and visually satisfying, the film left me wanting to know more and wishing I could have traded some of the deliberate pauses for more supporting character insight. With that said, I was completely enraptured into the story of DUNE. Ultimately, I love the creative, world building aspect. I want to see more of it and be immersed into it longer by learning all the details. This is not only a huge credit to the original source, but everyone behind the films who brought this desert world, full of strange and interesting characters, massive machinery, and even super-sized sandworms to life.
The star power willing to be involved with the film, no matter how little the part, is also impressive. Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem crush their respective roles. But much like one of the film’s many themes, it’s the younger cast replacing their older counterparts that really stands out, Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, and my personal favorite performance, Zendaya.
I remember being a young child when David Lynch’s 1984 DUNE came out. It was a big deal at the time and a bit of an epic production itself that I have not revisited in sometime. But if there was ever a movie that deserved another film adaptation, DUNE is definitely it. DUNE: PART TWO is an impressive, epic spectacle to experience definitely worth checking out on the big screen.
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