Jay Rohr
Dune: Part 2 is proof that sometimes cinema is the only outlet for the immense scale of imagination. This continuation of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel refines the source material into a more digestible form, while managing to maintain the solid core of that work. In some ways it exceeds the preceding film by being a more rapidly flowing story.
The price of its active narrative full of grandiose warfare and thematic flashpoints yields fewer instances of hypnotic, mysterious vistas, and engagingly enigmatic encounters. Still, the world is alive in ways most filmmakers fail to achieve. Melodrama with an unbridled galactic scope, set in a fictional world alien yet familiar, Dune: Part 2 is the very definition of space opera.
The sequel finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) among the Fremen people. Seemingly sole survivors of the massacre that slaughtered their friends and family, each is seeking to find their place in this desert society. Aspiring for revenge, Paul assumes the role of guerilla rebel, eventually evolving into a figure feared like a folklore demon. All the while Jessica becomes a religious leader fostering messianic beliefs about him. Meanwhile, the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) brutally reclaims the planet Arrakis with a genocidal fervor. Yet, he is not the sole schemer watching pieces in play. In another part of the cosmos, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe is nervously watching events unfold. Beside the blood, love is blossoming between Paul and Chani, while the galaxy waits to see whether the spice will flow.
The cast from the first film returns to their roles with ease. Though many remain the same, some characters aren’t as they were before. Rebecca Ferguson is uniquely unsettling as a religious leader knowingly manipulating the Fremen people to protect her children. Without a word she’s a figure displaying power, fortitude, and fear. Timothée Chalamet brings less naivety to Paul as he struggles to avoid the destiny he may need to embrace. Zendaya finally gets to display her part’s depth as the fierce yet tender Chani. And Dave Bautista satisfyingly crumbles from ferocious brute into terrified coward.
A few new faces freshen the plot. Christopher Walken is a solid choice as Emperor Shaddam IV, an elderly man terribly aware the end of his reign is at hand. Florence Pugh as his daughter Princess Irulan, splendidly conveys someone contemplative, hiding the nervousness behind her steps along the galactic stage, yet bold enough to take them when she knows best. Austin Butler enters as the psychotic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, giving him a sick gleefulness in cruelty but a pitiable aspect when the time is right—there are no monsters in Dune, only people warped by people.
Director Denis Villeneuve spent the majority of the first film world building. Those methodical efforts pay off in Dune: Part 2 with the story able to hit the ground running. The sequel dives into its narrative headlong with established pieces in motion, while new inclusions simultaneously expand the lore and plot. The result is a film able to include more action alongside a multitude of thematic implications.
The downside, however, is that to incorporate so much new material, particularly the more philosophical notions, many elements are introduced bluntly. Characters will outright state things like their opinion of religion, especially regarding the messianic nature of Paul Atreides. Still, Dune: Part 2 manages to show more than tell. Tight editing keeps the action at a thrilling pace, while filmmakers know when to slow things down so the emotional consequences of certain moments are expressed by the stellar cast.
Inspired production design allows for a world that feels lived in. Characters enter places that carry a sense of history, albeit fictional. Costumes have cultural as well as functional implications. Linguist David J. Peterson has even composed an entire language for the Fremen. Then there is an epic scale to some settings that reminds how miniscule even these mythological characters are in the cosmic sense of things. Everything feeds into a notion of the past propelling the future.
The monochromatic world of the Harkonnen is a place of infernal beauty. It speaks to how an entire society might evolve into a celebration of cruelty. Few mediums could express this sinister realm, which is almost painful to look at, and it also affords the opportunity to showcase costumer designer Jaqueline West’s brilliance given the way Benne Gesserit robes reveal hidden patterns only visible beneath the black Harkonnen sun.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser returns to capture majestic visuals. The primary desert setting poetically encapsulates all that is awful and beautiful about such places. The way colors shift depending on setting injects meaning into every moment. Everywhere feels distinct but also coincides with the subtext of certain events.
Highlighting such aspects further is the epic music composed by Hans Zimmer. Since the first film finished he has apparently remained busy arranging more aural murals. That extra time and enthusiasm pays off with a powerful soundtrack. I highly recommend seeing this in theaters to feel the sound of this score as well as the audio effects.
If Dune: Part 2 has any weaknesses, the frequent whispery chats between Chalamet and Zendaya can get tiresome. Not to mention, it can be hard to buy either as guerilla soldiers, especially as the film frequently strays close to being pretty people in the desert thoughtfully staring into the distance. Still, there are several more moments where both stars shine brilliantly. More difficult to get around is the movie’s 165-minute runtime. That can be felt regardless of how engrossing the whole space opera is.
Expertly shot, there isn’t a view without effect or meaning in Dune: Part 2. As a bookworm, I happily risk the blasphemous statement: Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation is better than the book. Although suspension of disbelief is necessary here and there, the cast is impeccable. Cinematically, the movie delivers a grandiose tale that is best experienced in a proper theater. Dune: Part 2 is one for the ages.
