Dune: Part 2 Review: A Glorious, Gigantic Epic

Everything about the years 2021 Dune was colossal, except for its conclusion. Closing on a cliffhanger just as its story began, Denis Villeneuve's 155-minute epic couldn't escape the fact that, for all its breathtaking strengths, it was a prologue in need of a sequel . This is happening now with Dune: part two (March 1, in theaters), a dense, action-packed sequel that significantly expands this titanic adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 historical science fiction novel. Boasting a gargantuan aesthetic design that demands to be experienced on the bigger screen if possible, as well as an ambitious and exhilarating story that suits his style, this is not only the best thing Villeneuve has directed, the 2024 film to beat for sci-fi spectacle disproportionate. .

Don't expect a definitive ending.

Dune ended with Paul Atreides (Timothe Chalamet) heading to the deserts of Arrakis with Chani (Zendaya), the literal woman of his dreams, and his native Fremen pals. After the assassination of his father (Oscar Isaac), House Atreides fell at the hands of the perfidious Harkonnen led by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgrd). Although raised by his witch mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) to be the long-prophesied messiah (a status she believes will protect him), Paul cares little about being the chosen one, except insofar as this reputation allows him to stay with the Fremen. He lusts after him not only because of his budding feelings for Chani, who doubts his divinity, but also because he teams up with true believer Stilgar (Javier Bardem) to attack the Harkonnen spice harvesting apparatus. The hope is that this will spark a conflict that lands him in a confrontation with Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), who rules alongside his daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling).

Prophecy is both a power in itself and a tool to manipulate. Dune: part two, but it is also something that cannot be easily controlled. Villeneuve's film (co-written by Jon Spaihts) stands out from the pack of previous adaptations of Herbert's book by anchoring itself in the thorny questions of sovereignty, exploitation and the various ways (serious and treacherous) by which religious beliefs are formed, propagated, and used and, ultimately, made real. Until his climactic passages, Paul repeatedly rejects claims that he is a holy savior. However, even if these protests are sincere, they are only partially so; he is simultaneously guided by his visions, the most terrifying of which indicate that if he follows a mysterious female figure south, destiny awaits him.

A lot of Dune: part twoThe opening hour concerns Paul's efforts to train with the Fremen and, in doing so, gain their trust and respect – a difficult process given their view of outsiders, and one which only ends when he rides successfully one of Arraki's giant sandworms. This feat is the first of a handful of shows staged with muscular electricity by Villeneuve, who also establishes himself as one of the master mediums of massiveness. It creates a deft interplay between gigantic scale and close-up intimacy as well as light and dark, heat and cold, and anxious silence and thunderous cacophony – the latest courtesy of the breathtaking score of Hans Zimmer and his sinisterly euphoric main theme. In doing so, the director maintains the tension at its peak throughout the film, whether he orchestrates immense battles between armies, clashes between individuals or more discreet exchanges between Paul and his Fremen comrades, whose love and loyalty to him are as dangerous as they are comforting.

Paul recognizes that to become what his mother and Stilgar (and countless fundamentalist Fremen) want is to court a dangerous authority, and Dune: part two draws its central tension from various intertwined ideas: Paul's deification is a ploy by forces with their own agendas; that it could cause suffering and annihilation; and that this may be inevitable, regardless of Paul's or Chanis' feelings about embracing such a dark destiny. Baron Harkonnen, however, is less conflicted about the throne. Following multiple failures to eliminate the Fremen by his enraged nephew Glossu Rabban Harkonnen (Dave Bautista), he turns his sights to his young nephew, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler). Feyd is a psychotic murderer who the Baron and Mohiam, who pulls many of these strings, believe would make an exceptional new emperor, should Shaddam IV perish in a future conflict with Paul.

Such intrigue fuels Dune: part twos while its IMAX-quality sets deliver its thrills, from Paul and Chani collaborating on an initial assault on a giant Harkonnen convoy of insectoid vehicles, to Feyd-Rautha demonstrating his villainy in a gladiator coliseum, to Paul leading a charge. on the Emperor's Mirror Pyramid Fortress during the home stretch. On a few occasions, Villeneuve and editor Joe Walker's transitions feel a little awkward, hopscotching forward somewhat abruptly. Yet overall the film is both light (as when the soldiers float silently to and from their boats) and terribly heavy, crashing and roaring from one masterful spectacle and skirmish to the next . It's a silent, loud, silent beast that rattles the nerves and overwhelms the senses.

Led by a commanding Chalamet, who despite his physical flexibility manages to exude an impressive degree of fierce and zealous intensity as Paul evolves from a wounded boy to a determined warrior king, Dune: part two is full of superb performances. It's Ferguson, however, who proves he has an ace up his sleeve. A complicit figure who accepts her prophesied role as the new Reverend Mother of Fremen by drinking the water of life obtained by the sandworm, and who regularly communes with the unborn (now mutated?) daughter who carries in her womb, Lady Jessica is a devious schemer. the intention to keep your finger on the proverbial scale. Ferguson exudes a wary menace that ultimately characterizes much of these prodigious proceedings.

There are fearsome fights galore Dune: part two, as well as reunions with long-lost friends, struggles of heart and conscience, and troubling questions about altruism, aspiration, leadership, and retribution, not to mention faith, and whether God creates believers or if it's the other way around. Transforming his tradition-laden source material and its many Middle Eastern flourishes and dynamics into a magnificent, gigantic portrait of liberation and conquest, sacrifice and vengeance, Villeneuve continues to bring Herbert's beloved stallion to a brilliant life, the focus continues, because no matter how satisfied it is. To conclude, his latest notes are far from absolute. Add to that La Seydoux's tantalizing appearance as a Bene Gesserit witch and brief appearance on the A list this in itself serves as proof of Villeneuve's forward-looking designs, and it is clear that Dune: part two is only a prelude to a real finale. Given how excellent the franchise payouts are, that future can't come soon enough.