Dune: Part Two Movie Review
Denis Villeneuve's epic sci-fi sequel is finally here! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re reviewing “Dune: Part Two.”
Transcript
00:00 -Nothing fancy. -I understand.
00:02 [Explosion]
00:04 [Glass shattering]
00:06 [Train whistling]
00:08 -Nothing fancy.
00:10 [Screaming]
00:14 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're reviewing Dune Part 2.
00:18 Although we will touch upon a few plot points already revealed in the trailers,
00:22 we'll otherwise be keeping this review spoiler free.
00:26 -He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.
00:29 [Explosion]
00:31 Part 1 might have been omitted from the title,
00:34 but Denis Villeneuve's first Dune picture was only the beginning.
00:38 -This is only the beginning.
00:41 -Splitting up the source material was integral to adapting Frank Herbert's dense novel,
00:45 yet Dune didn't feel like an incomplete picture.
00:48 It immersed us in the universe Herbert created,
00:50 juggling world-building, character introductions, and a grand story.
00:54 -Bless the maker and his water.
00:57 -Bless the coming and going of him.
00:59 -May his passage cleanse the world,
01:02 and keep the world for his people.
01:04 That said, Villeneuve was indeed just dipping his toes in the sand.
01:08 With Dune Part 2, he summons the Sandworm and hooks us in for a spectacular ride.
01:14 Despite not drastically changing the setting,
01:16 Villeneuve has made a follow-up that's every bit as visually invigorating as its predecessor.
01:21 It's in the narrative where Part 2 exceeds Part 1,
01:24 taking us to deeper, more complex places.
01:27 -If you dive in, you can't reach the bottom.
01:30 -You dive in?
01:31 -Yes, it's called swimming.
01:32 -I don't believe you.
01:34 The film picks up where we left off,
01:36 as Paula Traides, Timothee Chalamet, and Lady Jessica, Rebecca Ferguson,
01:41 seek refuge with the Fremen.
01:43 -You're one of us now. A life for a life.
01:46 -Come with us to Sitstable.
01:48 Some, like Javier Bardem's Stilgar, see Paul as a messiah.
01:52 Others see a false prophet whose life will inevitably be claimed by the desert.
01:56 We've seen the Chosen One archetype in countless stories,
01:59 with Paul Atreides sometimes being a go-to example.
02:03 Many have grown tired of this trope,
02:05 especially when it runs the risk of venturing into white savior territory.
02:09 -It's not a prophecy. It's a story.
02:11 Dune Part 2 fortunately avoids these pitfalls,
02:14 developing Paul into an antihero of sorts rather than a clean-cut savior.
02:19 This amounts to a more compelling journey for those who haven't read the books,
02:23 leaving them to question if Paul is the one.
02:26 -I don't care what you believe. I believe.
02:29 Even if the prophecies are true,
02:31 Dune Part 2 takes a page from Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ,
02:34 showing that even a Chosen One can have the imperfections that come with humanity.
02:39 We could see why people would follow Paul into battle.
02:41 -Do you believe in Paul?
02:44 -Bitter science.
02:46 Even as he comes into his power, though,
02:48 we understand why others would remain doubtful.
02:50 The story spotlights Paul's merciful and diplomatic side,
02:53 but something darker lurks underneath.
02:56 It's not a question of whether Paul will accept his role as Messiah.
02:59 -I see possible futures all at once.
03:02 And in so many futures, our enemies prevail.
03:06 But I do see a way. There is a narrow way through.
03:11 It's whether he'll lead his followers to prosperity,
03:14 misuse his influence over others,
03:16 or land somewhere in the middle.
03:18 Chalamet does an exceptional job of capturing Paul's nuanced facets
03:22 in a performance that ranges from quiet to commanding.
03:25 -Consider what you're about to do, you poor, letreaded...
03:27 -Silence!
03:29 This is just as much Zendaya's show.
03:31 -It's okay. I'm here. I'm here.
03:35 It's been a while since you've had one of those nightmares.
03:38 Tell me, what was it about?
03:42 -It's only fragments.
03:44 Despite being teased in the first picture,
03:46 Zendaya stands tall as Chani,
03:48 who is elevated above simply being Paul's love interest.
03:51 Paul and Chani do have a natural chemistry,
03:53 leading to some of the film's most likable exchanges.
03:56 Romance isn't the only thing at stake, however.
03:59 Zendaya turns in some of her most layered work
04:01 as a woman torn between the one she loves and her unyielding beliefs.
04:05 -I won't be fighting for him. I'm fighting for my people.
04:11 While Chani isn't afraid to speak her mind,
04:13 there are some equally powerful moments
04:15 where she forces herself to hold her tongue.
04:17 These characters might find themselves in extraordinary situations,
04:21 but Dune Part II is surprisingly genuine in its portrayal of relationships,
04:26 especially when religion and politics enter the mix.
04:29 -Your blood comes from dukes and great houses.
04:34 Here, we're equal.
04:37 What we do, we do for the benefit of all.
04:42 -I'd very much like to be equal to you.
04:44 -Maybe I'll show you the way.
04:46 Although Chalamet and Zendaya are at the movie's core,
04:49 Dune is the definition of an ensemble piece.
04:52 Ferguson, one of our most underrated actresses,
04:54 takes Lady Jessica to increasingly fascinating places.
04:58 -We gave them something to hope for.
05:00 -That's not hope!
05:02 Stellan Skarsgård continues to have a ball as the Baron,
05:05 while Dave Bautista reminds us there's much more to him than Drax.
05:09 Part II also makes way for newcomers like Austin Butler,
05:12 who erases all traces of his Elvis voice
05:15 to play the sinister Faye de Rauther-Harkonnen.
05:17 -Faye de Rauther? -He's psychotic.
05:23 The film may leave you wanting more of certain players,
05:26 namely Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan,
05:29 although that's what we have sequels for.
05:31 -In the shadows of Arrakis lie many secrets,
05:36 but the darkest of them all may remain.
05:38 For now, virtually everyone fits the bill.
05:40 Even Christopher Walken restrains some of his usual Walkenisms,
05:44 delivering an effective performance as Emperor Shaddam IV.
05:47 -Your father...
05:49 ...was a weak man.
05:55 Once again tying it all together is Denis Villeneuve.
05:58 With Dune Part II, Denis brings his full vision to life.
06:03 "Visionary director" is a phrase that's often tossed around too liberally.
06:07 Although it's hard to think of a better way to describe Villeneuve.
06:10 Herbert's novel has been called "unfilmable" for various reasons.
06:14 Villeneuve not only puts that debate to rest,
06:17 but he's molded Arrakis into a locale that feels inhabitable.
06:21 -You can see there's so much joy in him every time he comes to work.
06:24 That passion invigorates us all.
06:28 We've now spent two movies on a planet dominated by sand with limited colors.
06:34 On paper, you wouldn't think that would lend itself to a visually interesting experience.
06:38 The characters even talk about how they'd like to escape Arrakis in pursuit of paradise.
06:43 While Villeneuve doesn't shy away from Arrakis' bleak, unforgiving nature,
06:47 every shot is breathtaking, unearthing the desert's unusual beauty.
06:52 -It's breathtaking.
06:54 Will Villeneuve receive a Best Director nomination from the Academy
06:57 after shockingly going overlooked last time?
07:00 -He's so lucky. -I got that. Thanks.
07:05 If Villeneuve is ignored again,
07:07 it'll only intensify his reputation as the next Christopher Nolan,
07:11 Dune being his Dark Knight trilogy.
07:13 Like Nolan, the Academy may be slow to fully embrace Villeneuve,
07:17 but he's among the few modern directors making movies
07:21 that need to be experienced on the biggest screen possible.
07:24 Dune Part II is sure to draw parallels to sequels
07:27 like The Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers.
07:30 -So it begins.
07:32 The discussion shouldn't be restricted to the sci-fi and fantasy genres.
07:39 Villeneuve has made a film in the tradition of classic Hollywood epics,
07:42 a genre thought to be extinct until now.
07:45 -The blue sea is our god!
07:47 Certain moments warrant comparison to the chariot race in Ben-Hur
07:53 or the parting of the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments.
07:57 [Screaming]
08:00 Lawrence of Arabia is another inevitable example,
08:03 and not just because both films have the desert in common.
08:06 We often talk about how movies exist to transport us.
08:09 Whether watching T.E. Lawrence trek across a desert
08:11 or Paula Trahity's ride a sandworm,
08:13 both films practically invite the viewer into the screen
08:16 with their massive scope.
08:18 [Speaking Japanese]
08:20 With a large scale comes a lengthy runtime,
08:22 but even at just under three hours,
08:25 the tune part two doesn't feel overstuffed.
08:27 The screenplay, which Villeneuve co-wrote with John Spates,
08:30 keeps the plot moving with a balance of spectacle
08:33 and conversations that are just as absorbing.
08:36 -It's bigger and better than I'd ever imagined.
08:38 Although ultimately faithful to the source material,
08:42 a handful of notable plot points are absent.
08:45 As promised before, we won't give away anything major.
08:48 Let's just say that while some elements may be missed,
08:51 Villeneuve knew what to cut for the most part.
08:53 As much as we make fun of David Lynch's Dune,
08:56 it's not like Herbert's novel was without a few goofy ideas
08:59 that worked well enough on the printed page
09:01 but just don't translate well to film.
09:03 -My brother is coming with many Fremen warriors.
09:07 Dune Part 2 does what every adaptation should,
09:12 remaining true to its roots without being bound to every word
09:15 as if it were sacred text.
09:17 In that sense, this is the best Dune adaptation
09:20 we could have asked for, even if it's only the beginning.
09:23 -This is a form of power that our world has not yet seen.
09:28 The ultimate power.
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09:44 While Villeneuve has done the first book justice,
09:48 you can sense an eagerness to dig into Dune Messiah.
09:51 -Because all my visions lead to horror.
09:54 -Because you lose control.
09:59 -Because I gain it.
10:00 Only time will tell if Villeneuve returns to direct a third Dune picture,
10:04 although he's reportedly been working on a script.
10:07 Until then.
10:08 Villeneuve has more than satisfied our appetites
10:10 with two of the most awe-inspiring and thought-provoking blockbusters
10:13 of recent years,
10:14 elevated by Hans Zimmer's all-encompassing score.
10:18 -I owe Egypt.
10:23 -This to you.
10:24 Dune Part II outdoes Part I,
10:26 while leaving room for Villeneuve to take this material
10:29 to even more ambitious places.
10:31 If this momentum is sustained,
10:33 Dune will go down as one of cinema's most treasured franchises,
10:37 with this second chapter standing out
10:39 as another essential silver screen watch.
10:41 WatchMojo is giving Dune Part II a 9.5 out of 10.
10:46 Are you excited for Dune Part II?
10:51 -You are not prepared for what is to come.
10:54 Are there any other upcoming movies you'd like us to review?
10:56 Let us know in the comments.
10:58 Did you enjoy this video?
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