Dune Part Two: A Worthy Follow-Up

The decision to split Dune into two movies was a smart one considering just how much material there is in the book. This allowed them to not only split the cost to make the film across multiple entries but also allowed them to see what worked in the first half and make adjustments in the second half so the end result can be something truly great. Dune Part Two nails this and as a result delivers one of the most memorable science fiction films of the last 20 years.

Dune Part Two continues the saga of Paul Atredies (Timothée Chalamet), now living among the Fremen in exile after Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) plotted with Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) to wipe out the entire Atredies family. As he becomes one with the Fremen including Chani (Zendaya) and Stilgar (Javier Bardem), he attracts the attention of the Harkonnen family, now back in control of Spice production on Arrakis, putting him on a collision course with both his destiny and the new governor of Arrakis Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista also star.

Probably the strongest case for adapting this novel into two books comes from the fact that it gave Villeneuve the ability to course correct following the first movie. The novel (and part one) are more subtle when it comes to what the message of the story is, which led to some confusion in the discussion of Dune Part One following its release, of note the narrative was dismissed by some as a stereotypical “white savior” narrative (a narrative like Avatar or Dances With Wolves where the protagonist is a white person who joins with the natives, becomes better than them at everything they do, and then leads them to drive out the settlers who are threatening their existence) when this is not the case at all. Dune is, at its core, a cautionary tale about the dangers of blind belief in organized religion and the dangers of fanaticism and following leaders who are a cult of personality. The ability to see what happened last time allows the opportunity to be less subtle about it which should (ideally) lead to no ambiguity about the film.

The other really interesting part of the film is how much changes from the novel to the screen while simultaneously feeling like it is a straight adaptation. The timeline is greatly condensed and certain character arcs are modified to accommodate that. Of note, the performances of Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Timothée Chalamet really shine through because of this, allowing them to have room to showcase each of their tremendous range. It does leave a potential sequel in a weird place because (without spoilers) one character is left in a place that is diametrically opposed to where they are in Dune Messiah which would probably require a movie set between this one and the next one to explain.

Dune Part Two is a visual spectacle that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. The production design, scale of battles, and sound design is all built from the ground up to create a cinematic experience that will be difficult to replicate when the film ends up on home media. This entry is an early frontrunner for best film of 2024 and, if it manages to be unseated from that top spot, it will be a great year for movies.

Final Rating: 10/10