After “Dune: Part One” made $400 million worldwide following its September 2021 release, its sequel “Dune: Part Two” had an uncertain future due to a delay caused by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Three years later, director Denis Villeneuve's second installment of his series based on the book series by Frank Herbert has brought the 2024 box office back to life.
“Dune: Part Two” is one of the most visually impressive films I have ever seen — a film that demands to be seen on the biggest screen if possible.
The plot of “Dune” focuses on Duke Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), whose kingdom is destroyed by the Harkonnen, another noble family. Paul and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), join the native Fremen people of Arrakis to take his revenge against the Harkonnens while attempting to avoid Paul’s visions of a deadly war.
Arrakis, the fictional planet where most of the film takes place, is stunningly realized through magnificent cinematography. Massive wide shots, dynamic lighting, soft focus and on-location shooting give a realistic look to this otherworldly location.
Hans Zimmer’s score is bold and epic, yet quietly intimate when the story demands it. Not to mention the spectacular sound design and thrilling fight choreography.
The film’s technical values are certainly a big selling point, but its cast is another. Timothée Chalamet’s portrayal of Paul Atreides is more world-weary this time around as he starts to experience more of the real world in his time with the Fremen. The character has to make some hard choices to save his loved ones and changes drastically as a result. It's compelling to see an actor grow up alongside a character, and Chalamet is certainly a prime example of this, with “Dune” being arguably his darkest performance to date.
Lady Jessica is also radically transformed, as she takes on memories of all the previous Bene Gesserit mothers, a powerful organization of women trained in mind control and other practices, and becomes warped as a result. Her influence over Paul becomes much more sinister as she goes from a caring mother figure to more of a power-hungry prophet.
Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) reunite in "Dune: Part Two."
Zendaya gets a much meatier role as Chani than she did in the first film, and her chemistry with Chalamet is electric. Still, though, she is able to fuel her character with a sense of agency of her own that previous adaptations lacked.
Other notable standouts are Javier Bardem’s surprisingly funny performance as Stilgar, a Fremen leader, Austin Butler’s deranged take on Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and the return of Josh Brolin as revenge-hungry Gurney Halleck.
With this adaptation, Villeneuve takes a sledgehammer to the idea that “Dune” is a white savior narrative. The novel was always a subversion of this trope, but the film strays from this idea even further through key narrative changes — specifically through the characters of Paul, Jessica and Chani.
Paul’s actions throughout the film will certainly leave audiences divided, and that’s precisely the point of his character. We aren’t supposed to wholeheartedly embrace his “chosen one” journey like that of Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars.”
Much of the criticism directed at “Dune: Part One” was toward its narrative. It was dubiously tasked with setting up the mythical world and characters while also scaling down the novel, which spans 704 pages in today’s paperback format, to make for a more visually appealing experience. Consequently, character motivations weren’t always clear, and a few characters got the short end of the stick entirely.
That being said, “Dune: Part Two” had its work cut out for it too. The film had to find the balance between introducing pivotal characters like Feyd-Rautha, Princess Irulan and the Emperor while delivering an impactful conclusion, which was massively successful — as it managed to keep the door ajar for a potential “Dune: Part Three.”
If there's one area “Dune: Part Two” falls short in, it's pacing. The film feels like it's dragging its feet at the beginning, with a lot of conflictless scenes depicting Paul’s acceptance into the Fremen clan and bonding with Chani.
By the time the conflict ramps up again and the Harkonnens come back into the picture, the film doesn't have enough screen time left to produce adequate battles and wraps up somewhat hastily.
I also felt that the tension was never high enough. Despite the film’s attempt to prove that Paul and the Fremen are on the back foot, it barely shows them in any danger, and they come across as the stronger force the entire time. All things considered, the film's nearly three-hour runtime absolutely flies by the viewer.
Overall, I think it's a no-brainer that we’ll be getting a “Dune: Part Three” within the next few years. “Part Two” has already connected with critics and fans alike to the tune of universal acclaim and will almost certainly linger in people’s minds as one of the most stunning films of the year.
You can still catch "Dune: Part Two" at limited screens in Lawrence’s local Regal Southwind theater, and I would recommend going while you still can. If you wait to see this on a smaller screen, you’ll be sorely missing out.
