Directed by:
Denis VilleneuveCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
Hans ZimmerCast:
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux (more)VOD (4)
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Dune: Part Two explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (14)
It is almost the same as with the first visit to the sand dune. Dune is a huge blockbuster with stunning visual aspects and captivating Chalamet in the lead role. He effortlessly crosses the boundaries set by the script, as his Paul remains a bit lost Pavlík until the final third, and his transformation towards the events that were promised is quite sudden. Thanks to him, it is easier to forget that most characters (Chani, Irulan and all the other benegesserits) are more interesting than the main hero, and I still can't get rid of the feeling of how much of a shame it is when such an enchanting, cruel, and complex world revolves around one questionable prophecy. But do not be fooled. This dazzling blockbuster is exactly what we repeatedly call for and love the sound whirlwind that is supposed to happen when the lights go out in the cinema.
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The main problem I had with the first Dune was that I had a hard time finding even one single character whose fate I cared about. It was a beautiful but cold and empty film. The second film, however, manages to repair the series' reputation in that sense rather quickly. The heroes finally do something interesting, they talk to each other, the debates have a point, and Villeneuve wraps it all up in just a little bit nicer visuals. Dune: Part Two is more beautiful, but also more action-packed, brisker and more watchable. Until suddenly it isn't. Villeneuve seems to realise after a hundred minutes or so that he still has a lot of story to tell and that he just can't cram it into the remaining hour. So he hits the gas and the film is suddenly unnecessarily rushed, running away from interesting topics because he still has to finish this or that. And while the final battle looks really magnificent, once again, with the closing credits, I got the feeling that there may very well be a great story behind this beautiful film, but even this time it didn't get told in the way it deserved. Unlike the first part, I wasn't bored this time, but if I ever see this part again, it will be before the premiere of the eventual third. For despite all the qualities, there is still a certain aftertaste of incompleteness.
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Impressive scale, a strong story that goes brutally against all modern trends and a young cast in top form (Austin Butler is demonic). It looks gorgeous, the polished design (a black and white planet!) where they paid attention to every detail surpasses the benchmark first film in places, and Hans Zimmer has taken the score to an even higher level. I liked the first part of Dune a bit more, though. It was more meditative and fresh. Here we're playing it safe and the cinemas are bursting at the seams. SPOILERS: It's interesting that a film about a colonizer who infiltrates a terrorist organization of religious fanatics and declares Jihad (it's interesting that they avoid that label) on the entire world order to avenge the death of his father gets this kind of space. Prophetic? We shall see. Denis Villeneuve has been mum about the third installment so far, and he's doing well because the leap to Savior is huge. Much more personal and the scale is smaller. The ending is bleak.
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What The Empire Strikes Back is to A New Hope, Dune: Part Two is to the previous film. In short, it's a perfectly natural sequel that doesn't suffer from the infamous ills of second parts, but continues to develop the story, stretching it out to unexpected breadth and depth, and from the opening scene gives the impression that last time it was just a set-up of pieces on a chessboard and a few tentative but thoughtful moves, but the real game only begins now. Stunning is probably the word that describes Dune: Part Two in every possible way. The elaborate script, the breathtaking desert scenery in particular, the believability, the palpability, the actors and actresses who just really are those characters. Even those unfamiliar with the source material will easily understand what makes Herbert's work special when they see all the unexpected turns the plot takes. Special mention must again go to Hans Zimmer, who probably hasn't composed anything decent since the last Dune because he was working on the second part. As was the case with the last film, I now have no choice but to believe that I will see the next installment(s), because all those ajar doors and gates are just so very tempting.
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I can't deny Villeneuve's amazing ability to create captivating images and materialize fantastic book worlds, but Herbert's "Dune" with giant worms and a strange combination of spaceships and medieval society equipped with cutting weapons always seemed dysfunctional to me. I just can't immerse myself in that world, I can't enjoy it, and I'm not able to appreciate it. Unfortunately, Denis Villeneuve did not use his talent for dozens of other titles of science fiction literature, on which the genre is built. Something like "Roadside Picnic" in Villeneuve's rendition would be an irresistible treat. Overall impression: 60%.
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