Dune: Part Two Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“We need all the Fremen to believe in the prophecy. We must convert the non-believers one by one. We need to start with the weaker ones, the vulnerable ones, the ones who fear us.”
Rebecca Ferguson’s Jessica remains one of the strongest characters in the Dune universe—a formidable figure who propels her son towards his destiny as the potential “messiah” of the Fremen, seeking vengeance against the emperor. For those in need of a refresher, “Dune: Part Two” opens with a significant recap of events from “Dune: Part One” before seamlessly continuing the story. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) joins the Fremen after defeating one of their own in a fair fight, but he must still earn the trust of the rest of the clan to solidify his place among them. With Stilgar’s (Javier Barden) support, Paul steadily wins over the citizens of Arrakis and takes the name of Muad’Dib to become one of them.
Among the new faces in “Dune: Part Two” is Florence Pugh, who plays Princess Irulan, the emperor’s (Christopher Walken) daughter, a young woman wise beyond her years, who like most royalty, is mentored by a member of the Bene Gesserit. Dave Bautista reprises his role as Beast Rabban, who takes over the spice trade in Arrakis, but is constantly thwarted by the Fremen, so Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) directs his nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) to take over.
Austin Butler looks evil personified as Feyd-Rautha, and gets a “Gladiator”-like introduction scene where he must battle three men in a packed arena, with thousands of spectators cheering for him. However, despite the creators’ intentions to portray the battle scene as fantastic, it is rather underwhelming. The scene is meant to establish Feyd-Rautha’s strength, ruthlessness, and brute force, but the fight is rigged. Three of his opponents are drugged, undermining the authenticity of his victory. In a surprise twist, one of his opponents isn’t drugged, forcing Feyd-Rautha to engage in a genuine fight. However, even this opponent appears near death, diminishing the intensity of the battle and making it less compelling to watch.
Much like “Dune: Part One,” the world-building and special effects in “Dune: Part Two” continue to be quite spectacular. However, the creators’ decision to depict Giedi Prime (the planet inhabited by the House of Harkonnen) in black-and-white tones seems a bit of an overkill, a too-literal metaphor to depict them as one-dimensional beings who are cruel without cause. Although some viewers might appreciate the color scheme and its metaphorical implications.
“This is exactly like Avatar!” my movie partner exclaimed loudly in the hall at a scene where Paul tries to ride a Shai-Hulud, one of those giant sand-worms of the desert that are revered by the Fremen. And of-course, once you start to think about it, “Dune: Part Two” really does feel a lot like James Cameron’s “Avatar” (although the Dune books were written much before). But it was a hilarious comment which made me think of the similarities between the two stories – both of them are about an outsider winning over the people of a different planet and helping them take down their oppressors. Although Dune is much more epic in scale, lot less colorful, with significant religious elements and Paul Atreides has a personal beef with the villains.
Javier Barden as Stilgar emerges as the most entertaining character in “Dune: Part Two”, from being introduced as a stoic, formidable figure who doesn’t trust the Atreides line, he becomes Paul’s hype-man, who firmly believes Paul is indeed the “Mahdi”, the prophetic savior of the Fremen in Arrakis. Timothy Chalamet embodies Paul Atreides with skill, yet his portrayal lacks the elusive “X factor” that propels a lead role into greatness. While he delivers a solid performance, it falls short of capturing the essence of a prophetic messiah and inter-galactic hero. Zendaya on the other hand had the same expression throughout the movie, she just a made a miffed face in every scene and rarely expressed different emotions.
Despite its extensive runtime of 2 hours and 46 minutes, “Dune: Part Two” struggles to allocate sufficient screen time to its numerous characters. With its visionary scope, ample resources, and stunning special effects, director Denis Villeneuve and his team could have opted to transform this cinematic experience into a grandiose series. The film concludes with a gripping confrontation between Paul and the primary antagonist. Unfortunately, the choreography of their one-on-one battle feels lackluster, failing to deliver the climactic intensity expected. Nevertheless, a significant plot twist unfolds, promising an intriguing future for both Paul and the fate of Arrakis. It will leave audience eagerly anticipating the next chapter of the Dune universe.
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