DUNE: PART TWO -- Epic Sci-Fi Sequel Is Bigger, More Thoughtful, Slower

Review by Sean Boelman

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was one of the biggest successes of the pandemic era — a sci-fi epic so massive and good that it became a theatrical event despite a simultaneous release on HBO Max. After the success of the first film, Villeneuve was given a bigger budget and more creative free rein, allowing him to make Dune: Part Two into something more grand, more ambitious, and more epic than the last, even if it’s occasionally a bit long-winded.

Dune: Part Two picks up with Paul Atreides on the run with the Fremen, plotting a way to get revenge against the Harkonnen and the Emperor who killed his father. Although Lynch’s 1984 adaptation showed this portion of the story, it crammed it into around 45 minutes — meaning much of the two hour and 46 minute runtime of Villeneuve’s sequel feels completely different.

From a purely technical standpoint, Dune: Part Two is a masterpiece. Everything from the production design to the CGI and the cinematography is on point. A few scenes can be difficult to see, but these decisions feel very deliberate. And as with the first movie, the MVP of the below-the-line team is Hans Zimmer, whose booming score is incredible and transports you to the world of Arrakis.

Something that was missing from the first film was the political context of Herbert’s writing. While Villeneuve doesn’t explore the anticolonialist elements as much as one might like, he does go into a lot of depth into the property’s religious themes. Frequently, this subplot is just as — if not more interesting — than the bids for power among these various groups.

(L-r) TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Paul Atreides and ZENDAYA as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise.

The one area in which Part Two is a step back from its predecessor is its pacing. There are a handful of really incredible action sequences in this sequel, but all in all, it feels somewhat anticlimactic. The finale, which we have spent two movies building up to, feels particularly unsatisfying — like it is holding back the level of battle we have been teased with.

In the first movie, Timothée Chalamet was the weak link in an otherwise astounding cast. Chalamet has thankfully stepped up his game for this second entry, likely owing to the much meatier role he has here. However, nearly everyone else in the cast has also taken their performances to the next level. Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, and Josh Brolin all add new layers to their roles. No one quite takes their role to the next level like Javier Bardem, though, whose turn is gripping and humanistic beyond what a movie like this should require. The weakest link here is Zendaya, who is fine but feels like she is trying too hard.

In terms of newcomers to the cast, the biggest splash is made by Austin Butler, whose performance is shockingly sinister and unhinged. After his very first line, which has lingering shades of Elvis, he goes fully chameleonic in a horrifyingly effective way. Florence Pugh and Léa Seydoux are solid, but don’t have large enough parts to make much of an impression. Christopher Walken does stick out negatively, though, as it feels like he’s phoning it in most of the time. 

Dune: Part Two is one of the most impeccably-crafted blockbusters in years from a technical standpoint. It truly is a feat of filmmaking. Even if it is almost held back by some pacing issues, this is such an undeniably epic, visionary achievement that it’s hard not to be astounded by the level of artistry on display.

Dune: Part Two hits theaters on March 1.

​Rating: 4.5/5