Dune : Part Two picks up more or less straight after the events of part one and follows Paul Atreides as he and his mother Lady Jessica take refuge with the Fremen. They then set about befriending\radicalising the desert natives to aid in their revenge against the forces that wiped out their family. Considering the monolithic task of adapting a book as thematically dense as Dune the story plays out with remarkable clarity and the visual effects set a new high bar in grand sci fi realism. Still, its not a film that everybody with get on with.
First thing is first, it would be a waste of time to try and watch this without seeking out 2021's part one first as a brief opening catch up is unlikely to get any Arrakis virgins up to speed and the relentless pace of events here doesn't leave time for filling in the gaps. For all the spectacle he delivers, director Denis Villenueve's greatest strength is his storytelling laser focus and the skill that stopped the time wrangling philosophy of Arrival getting lost in the weeds allows him to cut through the dense Dune source material here. The film does away with the books years long time skip while Paul lives with the Fremen and sees him quickly rise to the status of "Lisan al Gaib", a messiah figure many of the Fremen believe will lead them to paradise. This shortening of the timeline may make things feel slightly less grand than its literary source but suits this telling of the story, making it clear the Dune dwellers never actually needed their chosen one. It also allows Rebecca Ferguson's Reverend Mother to look extra crazy as she plots from the sidelines, tattoo-faced and muttering to the foetus in her womb. Anything from the book that wouldn't further this particular version of the story is gone, with no mention of guilds and less depth to the Fremen culture. The emphasis is on coherent narrative rather than the trippy vibes of the 1984 David Lynch movie, which had some out there visuals but was thematically empty and incomprehensible to non book devotees. The different approaches mean this film (together with part one) and its 80's counterpart make fascinating companion pieces.
They may not be psychedelic but the visuals are breathtaking. Conversion from digital to film and back again, infra red rigged 3D cameras and other insane filming techniques combine with chunky, grand scale design to create one of the most lived in worlds ever put to screen. There's no shiny finish and smooth edges on the massive harvesting machines, its clear they're built for industrial purpose, to get a job done and get it done as cheaply as possible. The giant worms are a living part of the desert, exploding onto the screen like a sentient force of nature. Its all backed up by a soaring score and cinema shaking sound effects.
Timothee Chalamet turns out to be perfect casting for Paul. He ups his presence from the first film as the new head of House Atreides grows in to his chosen one persona but he's never completely comfortable. Essentially Chalamet is likeable enough that people would follow him but not charismatic enough that you believe he would ever achieve his status without the space nun's meddling. In terms of screen time, Paul is very much still the main character but the nature of the narrative means he is aloof from the human part of the story leaving Zendaya to carry the heart as Chani. Fortunately she has the necessary charisma in spades, anchoring the film with movie star charm that will see her on Hollywood's A-list for years to come. Fellow Freman Stilgar is played with earnest glee by Javier Bardem, who even manages to inject some rare humour into a Villenueve film with his Life of Brian esque dedication to the notion Paul is his messiah. Stand out amongst the new cast members is Austin Butler as mental case Harkonnen Feyd-Rautha. The murderous Na-Baron could easily have slipped into caricature but Butler anchors him with enough subtle nuance that he stays on the side of real character.
Its a performance that's needed too, since the Harkonnens in general can come across a little cartoony compared to the rest of the movie. The striking look is one thing but their constant blood lust is a bit much. Quite how they manage to run any sort of spice operation when the high ranking family members might randomly kill anyone near them at a moments notice is anyones guess. Christopher Walken is also a little distracting as Emperor Shaddam. He isn't bad, I mean its Christopher Walken, but in a film where everyone else blends seamlessly into their roles he is very obviously Christopher Walken.
Such quibbles feel mean spirited in the face of such a cinematic achievement. Dune Part 2 stands as a monumental example of big budget sci fi film making and accomplishes something once considered impossible in putting a coherent telling of this tale on the big screen.
8 none chipped and shattered blades out of 10.
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