Dune: Part 2

 

Score: A

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgaard, et. al.

Running time: 165 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short: Dune Part 2 is the thrilling, epic conclusion (sort of) to auteur Denis Villeneuve's spectacular adaptation of the classic scifi book.  Villeneuve fully makes good on the promise and potential he set up with 2021's first installment, particularly in his desert world of sight and sound that will just blow you away in the theater (find the biggest one around!).  I'm still left a little cold by the hero but the mixture of the supernatural/mystical with worlds-spanning political battles to the death bring to mind Star Wars and its kin in satisfying ways.  Highly recommended.

Following the devastating Harkonnen attack on House Atreides on the desert planet Arrakis, the only survivors - Paul (Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Ferguson) - flee to the sand home of the Fremen.  The Fremen, natives of the arid planet, reluctantly accept the newcomers.  Some, including Stilgar (Bardem), believe that Paul and Jessica might be outsiders who have come to fulfill an ancient prophecy; others see them only as dangerous refugees from an exploitative empire.  Paul attempts to blend in with the Fremen, becoming closer to skeptical Fremen his age, like Chani (Zendaya).  As the Fremen continue to make life difficult for the conquering Harkonnen, however, they incur a more brutal response from the Baron (Skarsgaard) and his minions.  The status quo cannot last, and Paul must choose what part to play in the inevitable collision.

Dune Part 2 is epic cinema on a level that few in the last decades can match, and must be seen in the theater if at all possible; the story is also good, though it isn't quite up there with the very best.  Dune Part 1, directed by one of today's best filmmakers in Villeneuve, set the stage for this, establishing the desert world and its characters and was very good (highly recommend you to stream before seeing Part 2 - now on Hulu and Max).  Part 2 is the real pay off, though, for both the major action and the characters.  Villeneuve has been a truly immersive director from the start, everything from Prisoners to Blade Runner 2049, pulling you into his worlds with both images and - especially - sound and music.  Dune Part 2 is his best work yet in sensory mastery - again, this MUST be seen in a theater if you can, it's amazing!  Everything is so well done, including the little details: the movement and impressions in the sand; the thump-thumping of the Fremen's wurm-calling devices.  The biggest moments also are fully realized, partly thanks to excellent CGI but moreso due to its blending with the actors and sound: massive, realistic ambushes on Harkonnen mining - the lasers are actually scary, and the Fremen commandoes are terrifying, deadly sand ghosts. But the best of them all are the giant - but mostly heard, unseen - underground sand wurms.  Paul's first "ride" is incredible, from the thrill of anticipation as the wurm approaches to the sensory chaos of his grabbing hold to the freeing open air release of success.   The characters themselves get interesting looks and voices, especially the Bene Gesserit "witches" who provide a little spookiness with unnaturally projected voices and distorting faces; the Fremen, due to the chemical-laden desert, have kinder, distinctive blue eyes.

Dune: Part 2's story and characters also good, if overshadowed by images and sounds; they're also not quite good enough to raise it to true scifi/fantasy "classic" status with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and so on.  Dune of course helped set the path for SW and others, as the book was published in 1965: it has the main elements we're now familiar with, both the spiritual/prophetic (like the Force) and political maneuvering (like the rebels vs. the Empire).  The Bene Gesserit's Force-like powers are notably darker (see: Part 1's hand-in-box) and more mysterious; it's also not at all clear that they're ultimately used for good.  I felt, from the book, that Lady Jessica was the one BG who tried to actively use the powers for good, but was disappointed that the movie doesn't seem to do so (or at least emphasize it). Villeneuve effectively makes the "political" players, the Harkonnen, repugnant, evil creatures, not just in their actions but in their appearance: glistening, slimy white, and hairless, a people from a black-and-white world where gladiator contests and cannibalism abound.  The Fremen, meanwhile, are the classic "rebels", though they, too, are quite brutal; you ultimately root for them and their innocent civilians, but this is definitely more shades-of-gray realistic than other scifi worlds.  Ultimately, I just don't connect as well with the heroes of this story as in my favorite scifi/fantasies, especially Paul.  The same was true of the book: it's just hard to find the real human inside this vessel of power and prophecy. The main villain, Baron, is suitably grotesque, both physically and morally, a worthy Darth Vader analog, but I just couldn't get attached to the "good guys".  The ending clearly indicates a third part: the first book is now finished but there are more (I've only read the first), leaving only the barest hints of what will happen next.  It's not exactly a "happy" ending, though Villeneuve's best character work is with Chani who, after supporting and coming to love Paul as he struggled for acceptance among the Fremen, is now abandoned but likely (hopefully) still has a part to play as he seems headed toward conquest.

***

I looked forward to Dune: Part 2 less as a fan of the book than as a fan of Denis Villeneuve, and he certainly put together a spectacular movie - high-quality blockbuster entertainment in early March!  I believe he will also be working on Dune: Part 3 which I'll definitely see as well.  I kind of hope that he takes a break from scifi after that, though; Sicario and Prisoners showed that we does not need fantastical worlds or creatures in order to make movie magic.  It will be a tall order for any big movie this year - or the next several - to match the quality of this epic; I'm hoping that there will at least be some original efforts to take a crack at it and not just sequels and remakes.  Until next time!

* By CineMaterial, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73709643