Science Fiction

Dune: Part 2 is the action-packed science fiction film about warring royal houses in a far off future galaxy, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Synopsis

Following previous events which led to his beloved father Duke Leto being assasinated, aristocrat Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with his lover Chani (Zendaya) and her Fremen brethren on the strategically important, desert planet of Arrakis, while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Review by @Reelreviewer

May thy knife chip and shatter.

Paul/Muad’Dib Atreides prepares to do battle with Feyd (Austin Butler).

It’s not often I open a review by admitting a (possible) mistake. But, in my critique of Dune (2021), I might have made one.

Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is a member of a sisterhood trained to control all aspects of their bodies and emotions. They decide which sex of offspring they will bring to term, but Jessica has gone rogue and born a son – Paul (Timothée Chalamet) – to the great disappointment of her seniors.

Years later, one of the Sisters visits Jessica to test Paul’s pain threshold and see if he comes up to scratch as the mighty lass he should have been. Away from this torture, Jessica blubs like a leaking faucet, entirely contrary to her sisterhood training and that of most other females in the movie/series of books. But was I wrong?

Was Jessica, as an empathic/telepathic woman, actually absorbing her son’s pain to keep him safe and ensure he passed the all-important test?

It’s an interesting point raised by a friend as we pootled around Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire waiting to see the IMAX version of director Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, imaginatively called Dune: Part Two.

I don’t wholly agree with my friend. Wouldn’t the more perceptive Mother Superior have noticed this subterfuge? Why would a emotionally controlled woman suddenly exhibit a torrent of ‘unnatural’ feelings? I could debate this point forever, but, on with the review!

Villeneuve’s Dune sequel, like many first installments in movie series, suffers from the weight of character introduction and exposition. For this reason I found myself yawning at points throughout Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), but Villeneuve’s sequel – like parts two and three of LoTR – doesn’t need to worry too much about who each person is.

For the uninitiated, Dune: Part Two will be, understandably baffling, something I have mentioned before in my reviews of Marvel Universe productions. Marvel films leave me totally perplexed and I guess half of my battle with them is they don’t sufficiently ignite my interest. The Dune universe does, however, so I found Part Two engrossing and easy to follow, even though the storyline – warring planetoid aristos wanting to control an intergalactic drug cartel – is convoluted and complex.

The sound design and editing here is impeccable. The whole aural experience felt like I was lifted out of my seat and rocked senseless. Listening to Dune: Part Two was like being on an aural rollercoaster. Amazing, a veritable advert to only have IMAX cinema screenings.

The entire movie is neater and tighter than part one that introduced a lot of character and exposition, but – and it was a fabulous, lavish piece – to no clearly discernable end. It did seem like a long, desert day’s journey into night.

Technically, the movie sweeps the board. It’s ravishing to the ears and the eyes. Visually, it’s all lush and nothing beats the sweep and thrill of the characters ‘worm riding’ like pro surfers, scenes that have created umpteen TikTok take offs.

Elements of the casting wobble the movie – Lady Jessica is a woman whom planets and societies will fight over. You get that with Francesca Annis in David Lynch’s 1984 version, but does Rebecca Ferguson cut the mustard? – and Austin Butler, a brilliant performer, is one-dimensionally nutty as Feyd, a murderous sociopath without a shred of nuance.

Florence Pugh – a talented British actress who has made a mark in Midsommer and Little Women (both 2019) – is an interesting addition to the series as Princess Irulan. Likewise Léa Seydoux as a dangerously seductive aristocrat.

Given the mighty takings of this sequel just a few days after general release, we look set to see a third installment of the Dune universe from Villeneuve and, it is prophesied, other movies from other movie teams.

For more, see the official website.

Cast & credits

Director: Denis Villeneuve. 2hrs 46m (166 min). Legendary Entertainment/Villeneuve Films/Warner Bros./ Warner Bros. Entertainment. (12a).

Producers: Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick, Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve.
Writers: Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts.
Camera: Greig Fraser.
Music: Hans Zimmer.
Sets: Patrice Vermette.

Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling.