After a slight delay due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, fans were ecstatic to finally receive the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s hit 2021 film, “Dune: Part One.”
“Dune: Part Two” is an intensely immersive and epic sci-fi that picks up right where the last movie left off, following Paul Atreides as he finds his footing on Arrakis after the calculated fall of the House of Atreides.
Beside his Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica, Paul joins the Fremen, the natives of the planet of Arrakis, as they fight against oppression from the evil Harkonnen.
It’s tough to describe the plot of the movie in so few words, as many elements need to be discussed to fully understand certain concepts in the two-and-a-half hour film. The official website for the film explains the story as such: “Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, [Paul] must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
While it might prove difficult for me to summarize the plot because of its incredible lore, it is almost effortless to discuss why this film is so deserving of all the hype.
With an all-star cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, Dave Bautista and Javier Bardem, it is no shock that the acting was phenomenal. I could go on and on about the talents of Chalamet and Zendaya as Paul and Chani, or how horrifyingly fantastic Butler was as Feyd-Rautha, but then this article would turn into an essay.
You might think that a movie on a desert planet could get bland and boring, but cinematographer Greig Fraser blessed us with astonishing and grand shots. His previous works include “The Batman” (2022) and “The Creator,” two films known for their well-done camerawork.
At one point, my boyfriend and I actually sat up in our seats to look at each other and high-five during a specific scene that was so remarkable. I hold back from describing it for fear of ruining the moment for future watchers.
The movie’s action was also exciting, with fight scenes and gigantic sandworm riding — yes, sandworm riding, it was awesome.
Even the makeup and costume design were exceptional, with Bautista and Stellan Skarsgård being transformed into almost unrecognizable characters, and outfits like Pugh’s dresses and the stillsuits the Fremen wear were gorgeously crafted. Costume designer Jacqueline West even won an Oscar for her work on the first film.
The music, done by Hans Zimmer, who also worked on “Gladiator” and “Inception,” knows exactly what to put in large-scale films. The theater I saw this in could not even handle the intensity of the score, its speakers crackling at the high volume.
The only — and I hate to use this word in this review — ‘bad’ element of the film is that it was shot for IMAX, and around me, it is hard to find a nice theater with IMAX available. It is almost criminal not to watch the film in its truest form, as it is made for the big screen. However, that fault is on me, not the movie.
It is rare for a sequel to be better than its predecessor, but “Dune: Part Two” takes that stereotype and squashes it. The film’s ending insinuates there will be a third part, and if that is the case, you can find me in theaters on opening night.
5/5 stars
ajones11@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @dunemovie, Instagram
