Dune: Part Two – Film Review
I was in the minority with my lukewarm reaction to the first Dune and I had hoped Dune: Part Two would change that but I felt exactly the same – it’s beautiful but emotionally distant.
Denis Villeneuve‘s film picks up exactly where the first left off, with Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) now living with the Fremen, the indigenous people of Arrakis, following the obliteration of House Atreides. Paul learns the ways of the Fremen warriors, helping them sabotage House Harkonnen’s spice-harvesting operation. Many of the Fremen, particularly Stilgar (Javier Bardem), believe Paul to be the Lisan al Gaib, or the chosen one destined to save the Fremen and turn Arrakis into a green paradise. Paul, who is in love with Chani (Zendaya), insists he is not special but things keep happening to suggest the prophecy is coming true.
Part One was visually impressive but Part Two is on another level altogether. It is a staggering technical achievement and a stunning spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. This is a mind-blowing cinematic event on an epic scale and there is nothing else like it around right now. You can’t deny Villeneuve’s imaginative world-building, gripping action scenes and unparalleled vision. What he has achieved in terms of visuals and scale is awe-inspiring; there is so much going on in one frame sometimes. If cinematographer Greig Fraser doesn’t win an Oscar next year, I will be shocked.
If I was just reviewing Dune from a technical perspective, I would give it a full five stars. But it loses a star because it failed to connect with me emotionally. Like the first film, it feels emotionally hollow and detached. The only performance that had any sort of resonance was Zendaya’s Chani. The story might be Paul’s but Chani is the film’s beating heart. Her closeup reactions to his decisions help bring some grounded emotion to the spectacle. She also offers an alternative perspective – she doesn’t think the Fremen should be saved by a white man.
Villeneuve has assembled an insane star-studded cast filled with hot in-demand actors. Zendaya was easily my favourite but I was also seriously impressed by Austin Butler as villain Feyd-Reutha Harkonnen. His transformation into this psychotic and sadistic character freaked me out and I wish he did more. The third standout was Bardem as Stilgar, who was surprisingly funny. Who would have expected some light relief in this film?!
The director has openly expressed his desire to adapt Dune Messiah into a film. This hasn’t been confirmed yet but it is surely inevitable given that this film has an underwhelming ending that merely sets up a third one.
Dune: Part Two has the mind-blowing scale, the stunning visuals and the cool setpieces in its favour but there really needed to be more emotional weight under the surface.
In cinemas from Friday 1st March