PART TWO is a big-screen spectacle

Dune: Part Two (English) Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating

Direction: Denis Villeneuve

Dune: Part Two Movie Story Review:
DUNE: PART TWO is the story of a warrior. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) defeats Fremen warrior Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun) and gets accepted into the clan along with his pregnant mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). Some Fremen members have reservations about their entry into their clan. But Stilgar (Javier Bardem) tries to convince some of the members that he might be the Prophet who will help them defeat the Harkonnens. Paul slowly begins to learn the way of the Fremen. He and the other warriors fiercely attack Harkonnen soldiers and even their spice fields. Rabbon (Dave Bautista) tries his best but is unable to defeat them. This is when Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) sends his fierce nephew Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) to Arrakis to teach the Fremen a lesson. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The story is fascinating and well-detailed. Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts’s screenplay is effective and neatly merges all the subplots together. A few dramatic scenes are very well written. However, in some scenes, the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The dialogues are conversational, and a few one-liners are powerful.

Denis Villeneuve’s direction is exemplary. He handles the grandeur beautifully and ensures that it doesn’t look like similar big-scale films of recent times or even in the past. The makers take a lot of care about the character arcs and the changes they go through seem organic. A few scenes that stand out are the opening fight scene, Paul and Chani (Zendaya) on the desert trip together, Paul riding the sandworm, Feyd-Rautha’s entry and the climax.

On the flipside, the film is too long at 167 minutes. A few scenes are repetitive and hence, the impact also diminishes. The villain gets introduced in a grand fashion but in the second half, he gets a raw deal. Also, throughout the film, the powerful Harkonnens don’t seem to be using all their powers to get back at Fremen.

Dune: Part Two Movie Performances:
Timothée Chalamet, as expected, gives a wonderful performance but watch out for him in the second half. One has never seen him in such an avatar. Zendaya thankfully has considerable screen time, and she lights up the screen with her presence and performance. Austin Butler makes a strong impact with his performance, despite late entry. Rebecca Ferguson is a surprise as her character goes through a major change and she has done a fine job. Javier Bardem is dependable. Stellan Skarsgård is apt for the role while Dave Bautista is okay. The others who do well are Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), Christopher Walken (Emperor) and Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot Fenring).

Dune: Part Two Movie music and other technical aspects:
Hans Zimmer’s music, like always, enhances the impact. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is top-notch. Patrice Vermette’s production design is world-class. The same applies to Jacqueline West’s costumes. Joe Walker’s editing should have been sharper.

Dune: Part Two Movie Conclusion:
On the whole, DUNE: PART TWO is a big-screen spectacle but could have had a slicker and shorter second half. At the box office, the immense hype among the urban audience can help the film become a success.