Dune part 2 is no Star Wars…. And that’s a good thing

 

 

Dune part two is out now, if you have not had the chance to see this, share it with someone who does not mind spoilers.

From this point on, you’ve been warned, SPOILERS AHEAD.

This will be my review and there is a lot to talk about. I will be giving my movie rating at the very end so read until the end.

The movie adapts the rest of the first book in the Frank Herbert Dune saga, and they came back with a vengeance. Many will compare this to Star Wars episode 5, the Empire strikes back. But this film puts to bed any comparisons to Star Wars in the best possible way. The comparison itself is ironic, being as though George Lucas borrowed heavily from the Dune books when writing the original trilogy of Star Wars movies.

Before I jump into Dune 2 let me catch you up in 100 words or less.

Paul Atreides, played by Timothée, Chalamet is thought to be dead after The Emperor and house Harkonnen secretly conspire to genocide the house of Atreides and they almost succeed.

The Duke, Leto Atreides and his best men are all dead while Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica escape and take refuge amongst the Fremen; natives to Arrakis, later known also as Dune. It is on Arrakis where Paul meets Chani, a Fremen.

Forced into battle to earn the Fremen allegiance and to protect his mother who is with child, Paul kills Jamis which sets off the path his visions have been showing him.

Paul, a male Bene Gesserit is believed to be the fulfillment of prophecy as the Kwisatz Haderach. (A messiah figure, the Bene Gesserit hopes to control to give them direct control over the universe.)

Let’s recap, the first Dune Paul discovers his place in the saga of Arrakis.

The universe begins to seize Paul’s destiny, setting up his conflict and convictions that will inform his character’s arch.

While the first Dune movie was more of a tone poem with some action in it, a very world-building contemplative movie.  Mostly in service of setting up for a lot of the major wars to come on Arrakis and across the universe. Wars Paul had visions of, the wars that would be eventually fought in his name and the wars that he himself would fight.

Unlike the 1984 Dune film directed by David Lynch. That saw Lynch try to cram the entire first book into one film, Denis Villeneuve wisely breaks the book into two parts.

Dune part 1 only adapted the first half of the first book, which is why the second movie is called Dune Part two. Not just Dune two. It’s part two of the first book.

While Dune’s influence on Star Wars makes it easy to draw those comparisons. I liken the first two installments of the Alien Franchise to be a more accurate one.

The first Alien film is pure sci-fi with Alien 2 delivering much more of that big action tone. Dune 2 delivers on everything that made the first one a thoughtful, and visual spectacle but dialed up the action to 11. It’s much more of a big action film.

 

 

 

 

Strengths of the movie

Deni’s decision to break up the first book into two parts. It helped avoid them having to speed run through a lot of it and skip over a bunch of book material that gives deeper value to the film.  Dune 2 is 2 hours and 45 mins long. And it used every minute of it to exceptional levels.

Truer to the source material. They took a lot less liberties with the story with minimum changes to the original book. And the changes that were made were in service to deepened the character development of all the characters. Especially Princess Irulan, played by Florence Pugh. Overall the film is a closer adaptation of the book itself.

The performances from all the actors are phenomenal. Starting with Stellan Skarsgãrd, as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Dune 1 introduced us to the villainous monster as the main Antagonist to the Atreides. Dune 2 further explores his twisted ways and we get a WTF moment I will share later in this article when I mention the biggest wtf moments of the film.

Timothée is amazing as Paul, this may be a role that 10 years from now we will be saying, no one else could have played that role. How we do with Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

Josh Brolin is amazing as Gurney Halleck, who we learned survived the attack on House of Atreides. Florence Pugh was great and new comer and stand out, Austin Butler as Feyd Rautha Harkonnen. Butler played the sadistic character much closer to the character in the book than the 1984 portrayal of the character. Both visually and in his personality.

The visuals. Usually these big sci-fi films can feel like an over usage of CGI.

Dune 2 finds a perfect balance, though there is a lot of CGI. The film still sticks the landing on making everything feel real, practical and lived in.

This film is clearly designed from the ground up visually and the sound design wise to be play best on massive screens with a massive sound system.

Anything less just doesn’t quite do the movie justice. This is a movie that you want to watch on the biggest IMAX screen you can find.

Dune 2 has officially set the bar for films in 2024.

The fight scenes

The physical close up fights were great. And they needed to be, for the classic face to face final boss fight taken directly from the books between Paul and Feyd was crucial to the climax of the film. If the MTV movie awards had a category for best hand to hand knife fights of all time, Dune part two would win.

Lastly, one of the strengths of this film is, you did not have to see Dune part one or even read the book to be able to fully enjoy this film. This is one of the few sci-action films with a more than satisfying third act.

Dune 2 introduces us to The Emperor played by Christopher Walken. The emperor is meant to be a very shrewd and paranoid. The Emperor is the father to princess Irulan, Florence Pugh’s character. His involvement with the genocide of House Atreides is a serious matter, so when he hears the possibility of Paul still being alive, he is greatly concerned. He would lose his throne if this was brought to light.

This adds to the escalation on Arrakis, not only from the Harkonnens robbing the land of its spice but trying to conquer the land for themselves.

The princess strategizes to save her father’s seat, while the Baron has plans to overthrown him and sit Feyde on the throne.

Though Baron Harkonnen, is the main villain of the story just like he was in the first movie. You could technically make the argument The Emperor is the real villain as he is the one pulling the strings in all this.

To make a Star Wars comparison, like Episode 2 Attack of the clones, there is a great deal of war politicking, scheming, between the houses but is balanced out well within the machinations of the books with the grander scale and action set pieces, and big battles.

Back on Arrakis, Lady Jessica, now the official Reverend Mother to the Fremen, has been stirring Paul’s legend as the chosen one much to Paul’s distain. Chani, played by Zendaya is a much bigger character in this film as in the books and her and Paul are now together. Like Together, together.

This poses true conflict for Chani, as her free is that the now Duke of Atreides will use his power to enslave the Fremen, but she loves Paul and wants to trust him. But the prophecy of the Chosen one, is making it difficult.

Paul, loves Chani and his visions are becoming more violent and invasive.

He is afraid of all the blood that will be shed in his name and tries to avoid becoming a messiah figure to the Fremen people. But the word of a religious figure spreads quickly across the universe and all interested parties in claiming Arrakis, is pressing the people to their ends wit.

Lady Jessica plays her hand as well, devising a plan to prove Paul to be the Kwisatz Haderach.

So, let me drop the WTF moments of the film that shape the film and raises the stakes.

Gurney returns 

Gurney Halleck’s return reminds us that Paul is not only Paul Muad’Dib, a leader in the fremen, but the rightful Duke of House Atreides. This comes up significantly as Paul sends word to the Emperor that he is, indeed still alive.

 

 

 

 

Paul Drinks the Water of life

The Water of life is a poisonous blue liquid that unlocked the powers of Reverend Mothers. Lady Jessica, forbid by a local fremen, to allow Paul to drink of it. However, the Reverend Mother was adamant! Demanding that they let him try when he comes seeking to do so.

The danger in this was in the fact that no man, has ever been able to learn how to do so without dying of agony from the poison.

Paul dies, and Chani, against her will is told to use her tears to fulfill the prophecy. It works and Paul arises with his abilities unlocked, the power of perfect prescience.

Paul takes princess Irulan hand in marriage

Though Paul’s heart is truly with Chani. Paul made the decision to marry the princess to save his people, the Fremen. In hopes of starving off a religious war in his name and keeping the peace. Marrying the princess makes Paul the legal son-in-law of the ruling Padishah Emperor. After getting his revenge by killing the Baron and his would ne successor in Feyde. Paul forces Shaddam, the Emperor to surrender his daughter, leave Arrakis and abdicate the throne.

Paul’s sister is revealed

In Dune Part two, Alia Atreides is not yet born but will play a major role in the coming films. She is revealed to be played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

This movie is a must see in theaters. I rate Dune part two a 9.7 out of 10.