Dune: Part Two Movie Review

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Hurry with Dune: Part Three! This is clearly going to be a trilogy and how you know this is exquisite. The opening line is, “Power over Spice is power overall.” Yes. It’s a vital import.

This is so impressive. I’ll be watching Part One and this second film again very soon. The new and old characters are, not surprisingly, beautifully acted. The score by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is, of course, to be cherished and what cannot and will not be overlooked is the cinematography by Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser, who worked on the first film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and also last year’s The Creator. He knows how to make a wide shot work to build the story almost better than anyone. Here, there are often times when so much is going on that we may have missed chunks of the outline without Fraser’s knowledge of how to get our attention. Fraser and Director Denis Villeneuve know how stunning shots of war in the sand appear and what life among several Houses and large crowds looks like, taking full advantage of the big budget they were given. This must be seen on IMAX if possible. The production and sound design call for it. The bigger the screen, the more you’ll enjoy this unbelievable tale playing out before you.

Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), have had their world destroyed. The emperor, surprisingly played by a quiet, seemingly weak Christopher Walken, was behind the end of his father and their land. Young Paul realizes his destiny is to seek revenge for this atrocity and rebuild the House of Atreides. They have been taken in by the nomadic Fremen on the planet of Spice, Arrakis. They are learning their ways, as Paul began to do in Part One, such as how the Fremen get their water. While doing so, Paul falls in love with the girl of his dreams, named Chani, literally and figuratively, played by Zendaya, who had a much smaller part in Dune: Part One. She and Stilgar (Javier Bardem) are significant parts of Paul’s life here. Stilgar pushes onto everyone who will listen, the religious part of who Paul is. He’s “The One.”

Paul does not want to be responsible for the lives of millions of people. He does begin to accept it around the time their primary foe The House of Harkonnen. Stellan Skarsgård played Baron Harkonnen, a total freak and aberration who’s fun to watch in both movies. There’s so much strangeness to him that you can’t wait to see what he does next. It was disappointing to see his part here is on the bottom rung. Ahead of him is his nephew, who is a suitable replacement. No, not the unhinged, angry Beat Rabban (Dave Bautista), but his brother Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a purely demented man. When they’re on screen, they’re in black-and-white, and it works so well to see the psychotic family’s odd look (no hair and black teeth) support their lack of empathy. The Bene Gesserit wants to use Paul and Feyd to attempt the creation of a super-human. Feyd, a sociopath, can be controlled as he’s sexually vulnerable. Paul is not so easy.

Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, becomes a Reverand Mother, but Paul does not want to be anyone’s messiah. There is a rather entertaining scene that tells you what all this means but also shows you how it happens. A tiny sandworm is grabbed, and its water is extracted for the “Water of Life.” Lady Jessica drinks it and the growing baby inside of her is surrounded by the color blue. Then, its eye opens and is perfectly formed. Lady Jessica now insists that Paul be allowed to drink, even though he is a man. Paul can speak to the baby inside of his mother, as she does. Scenes like this will make this one of the best sci-fi movies ever.

Paul’s riding, or surfing, on a sandworm, is a fun scene. He climbs atop a grandfather worm, which is one of the biggest. The fundamentalists are now more confident he is their prophet. He isn’t interested in this. He’s lovestruck and wants to be with Chani. The movie doesn’t really get too political, but some moments make you think of the idea of men controlling our lives comes from. White men at that! Women have some say, but only to a degree. It’s fascinating to watch as the fatty spectacle that is the Baron is cheered on like mad by the people, even though he’s a murderer. Parades are thrown for him, circa 1930s Germany. Feyd-Rautha will be next and may be worse. Will people ever learn?

The movie was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy, which are astonishing locations. This is extraordinary in every way possible. You’ll enjoy it, even though it’s just under three hours long. There is a slight repetitiveness that isn’t necessary. Still, you’ll forgive those moments as your ability to continue being in this world is worth the length. Dune: Part Two is pure delight.

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