Dune: Part Two (A or 4/4 stars)
I'm kinda gobsmacked right now. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve + his magnificent cast & crew have fashioned a colossal cinematic achievement with 'Dune: Part Two'. This is the 2nd half of the director's 2021 sci-fi epic Dune: Part One; both of which are based on Frank Herbert's 1965 novel & David Lynch's ambitious, if messy 1984 movie. Though Dune involves a plentitude of characters & subplots, the story is engrossing & easier to follow than you might think. This sci-fi adventure picks-up where 2021 film left off, following the extreme circumstances surrounding Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), the murder of his father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), & the massacre of House Atreides by the nefarious House Harkonnen.
Paul & his pregnant Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), are seeking refuge in the harsh desert of Planet Arrakis with leader of the sand-dwelling Fremen people, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), & fierce Fremen warrior, Chani (Zendaya). While Stilgar is convinced that Paul is their prophesied messiah, Paul's lover, Chani, disagrees, and Paul chooses to focus on avenging his father's murder; though, he realizes that the enormous ramifications of his actions could cause future collateral damage. Nevertheless, it is crucial for Paul that he prove himself to the Fremen. Thusly, Stilgar puts him through a series of demanding tests. i.e., to master the art of riding a sandworm {this sequence is a wonder of production design, sound & visual effects}.
All the while, war commences btwn. the Fremen & the invading Harkonnens, led by the disgusting Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skargard) & his nephews, the beastly Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista) & the psychotic Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). At stake is control of the planet & its most valuable, sought-after resource, 'spice', which the Harkonnens are mining in the undulating sands of Arrakis. When Harkonnen victory is in question, the Emperor (Christopher Walken) decides to become directly involved, traveling from afar to Arrakis with his daughter, the beautiful Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), along with the stoic leader of the Bene Gesserit, Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). Portentous drama & mind-blowing action ensues.
For me, there has not been anything quite like this since Peter Jackson tackled The Lord of the Rings 25 yrs. ago. Yes, there are Jim Cameron's visually astounding Avatar movies, but those don't quite approach the uncommonly intelligent script acuity that LOTR & Dune accomplish. Unwilling to condense his Dune into a single film, director Villeneuve spreads the storytelling over 5 hours to properly allow for the dense plot, character, & thematic complexities that might otherwise have been truncated. Like Part One, Part Two does a great job of taking the otherworldly fantastical components of the novel & translating them to the big screen in a way that seems wholly organic to the story at hand and, when handling elements like prophecies, religion, faith, mysticism, & even hallucinogenic visions ... this is no small feat.
The returning actors reprise their roles with relish & conviction and, everyone - including the new actors - has moments to shine. But perhaps best of all {for whose role has a high degree of difficulty} is Timothee Chalamet, whose character faces a variety of life-altering & identity-shifting changes. Chalamet's portrayal not only emphasizes Paul's impulsive & heedless nature, but also his innate charisma, and the threat of tragedy that predisposes the acceptance of his destiny. Chalamet's nimble on-screen presence has matured and, some of his thespian feats here are astounding. I also liked his chemistry with Chani -- who loves Paul but fears for who he may become. Zendaya infuses the soulful Chani with her own allure and, watching her eyes seethe in the final act emboldens the potency of the climax.
Rebecca Ferguson goes from protective mama to fulfilling the Bene Gesserit's duplicitous plans, but in a way that SHE controls -- boy, ya don't mess with her. Javier Bardem exudes warmth, levity & passion as the devoted Messiah-worshipper, Stilgar. Christopher Walken brings mercurial gravity to the role of the Emperor who is 'hanging on by a thread'. Both Florence Pugh & Lea Seydoux {in small, but pivotal roles} entrance us. And Austin Butler is simply electric as Feyd-Rautha, breaking out of his Elvis persona with a charismatic performance as sleek & lethal as a knife blade. His black-&-white shot 20 min. introduction in the gladiator ring is stunning; as is his eventual fight with Paul. To call Butler's Feyd-Rautha deranged & demented is an understatement and, I leaned forward in my seat every time he appeared; never before has such an insane person come across, dare I say: seductive.
As a big screen spectacle, this movie is astounding. For the duration, I was fully engrossed because of the world that Villeneuve & his craft team built for us. Hans Zimmer's music thrillingly bombasts. Everything has a tactile look to it. Every futuristic design, every ornate costume, every contraption, every vessel ... all looked, for lack of a more sophisticated word: incredible. Even something as seemingly simplistic as the poisonous Water of Life is marvelous due to us finding out the origin of how it is made. Greig Fraser's cinematography is grand & beautiful, with elegant & expansive compositions. The action is scintillating {the Harkonnens gliding up a mountain - WOW; Paul watching the approaching sandworm, then executing the wild ride atop of it - UNREAL}. The battles are enormous & raw -- you feel the stakes at every moment. And the rippling, menacing desert is a character in-&-of itself.
I can nitpick the deadly serious tone, a slow scene here, a wonky plot point there -- and maybe I wasn't as emotionally involved as I was for, say, a Lord of the Rings movie. But the 'whole' of this filmic endeavor is overwhelmingly positive, and this film's 'particulars' will forever be etched in my mind. With Dune: Part One & now 'Dune: Part Two' {with Dune: Messiah destined to be} ... Denis Villeneuve makes a compelling case for why movie theaters are still important and how they can transport us to other worlds in a way that the small screen can't. I love movies. And this one reminds me of their intangible, transfixing power. For 166 minutes, I was on Arrakis. Villeneuve took me there. 'Dune: Part Two' is more than entertainment ... it is Cinema.
Paul & his pregnant Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), are seeking refuge in the harsh desert of Planet Arrakis with leader of the sand-dwelling Fremen people, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), & fierce Fremen warrior, Chani (Zendaya). While Stilgar is convinced that Paul is their prophesied messiah, Paul's lover, Chani, disagrees, and Paul chooses to focus on avenging his father's murder; though, he realizes that the enormous ramifications of his actions could cause future collateral damage. Nevertheless, it is crucial for Paul that he prove himself to the Fremen. Thusly, Stilgar puts him through a series of demanding tests. i.e., to master the art of riding a sandworm {this sequence is a wonder of production design, sound & visual effects}.
All the while, war commences btwn. the Fremen & the invading Harkonnens, led by the disgusting Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skargard) & his nephews, the beastly Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista) & the psychotic Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). At stake is control of the planet & its most valuable, sought-after resource, 'spice', which the Harkonnens are mining in the undulating sands of Arrakis. When Harkonnen victory is in question, the Emperor (Christopher Walken) decides to become directly involved, traveling from afar to Arrakis with his daughter, the beautiful Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), along with the stoic leader of the Bene Gesserit, Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). Portentous drama & mind-blowing action ensues.
For me, there has not been anything quite like this since Peter Jackson tackled The Lord of the Rings 25 yrs. ago. Yes, there are Jim Cameron's visually astounding Avatar movies, but those don't quite approach the uncommonly intelligent script acuity that LOTR & Dune accomplish. Unwilling to condense his Dune into a single film, director Villeneuve spreads the storytelling over 5 hours to properly allow for the dense plot, character, & thematic complexities that might otherwise have been truncated. Like Part One, Part Two does a great job of taking the otherworldly fantastical components of the novel & translating them to the big screen in a way that seems wholly organic to the story at hand and, when handling elements like prophecies, religion, faith, mysticism, & even hallucinogenic visions ... this is no small feat.
The returning actors reprise their roles with relish & conviction and, everyone - including the new actors - has moments to shine. But perhaps best of all {for whose role has a high degree of difficulty} is Timothee Chalamet, whose character faces a variety of life-altering & identity-shifting changes. Chalamet's portrayal not only emphasizes Paul's impulsive & heedless nature, but also his innate charisma, and the threat of tragedy that predisposes the acceptance of his destiny. Chalamet's nimble on-screen presence has matured and, some of his thespian feats here are astounding. I also liked his chemistry with Chani -- who loves Paul but fears for who he may become. Zendaya infuses the soulful Chani with her own allure and, watching her eyes seethe in the final act emboldens the potency of the climax.
Rebecca Ferguson goes from protective mama to fulfilling the Bene Gesserit's duplicitous plans, but in a way that SHE controls -- boy, ya don't mess with her. Javier Bardem exudes warmth, levity & passion as the devoted Messiah-worshipper, Stilgar. Christopher Walken brings mercurial gravity to the role of the Emperor who is 'hanging on by a thread'. Both Florence Pugh & Lea Seydoux {in small, but pivotal roles} entrance us. And Austin Butler is simply electric as Feyd-Rautha, breaking out of his Elvis persona with a charismatic performance as sleek & lethal as a knife blade. His black-&-white shot 20 min. introduction in the gladiator ring is stunning; as is his eventual fight with Paul. To call Butler's Feyd-Rautha deranged & demented is an understatement and, I leaned forward in my seat every time he appeared; never before has such an insane person come across, dare I say: seductive.
As a big screen spectacle, this movie is astounding. For the duration, I was fully engrossed because of the world that Villeneuve & his craft team built for us. Hans Zimmer's music thrillingly bombasts. Everything has a tactile look to it. Every futuristic design, every ornate costume, every contraption, every vessel ... all looked, for lack of a more sophisticated word: incredible. Even something as seemingly simplistic as the poisonous Water of Life is marvelous due to us finding out the origin of how it is made. Greig Fraser's cinematography is grand & beautiful, with elegant & expansive compositions. The action is scintillating {the Harkonnens gliding up a mountain - WOW; Paul watching the approaching sandworm, then executing the wild ride atop of it - UNREAL}. The battles are enormous & raw -- you feel the stakes at every moment. And the rippling, menacing desert is a character in-&-of itself.
I can nitpick the deadly serious tone, a slow scene here, a wonky plot point there -- and maybe I wasn't as emotionally involved as I was for, say, a Lord of the Rings movie. But the 'whole' of this filmic endeavor is overwhelmingly positive, and this film's 'particulars' will forever be etched in my mind. With Dune: Part One & now 'Dune: Part Two' {with Dune: Messiah destined to be} ... Denis Villeneuve makes a compelling case for why movie theaters are still important and how they can transport us to other worlds in a way that the small screen can't. I love movies. And this one reminds me of their intangible, transfixing power. For 166 minutes, I was on Arrakis. Villeneuve took me there. 'Dune: Part Two' is more than entertainment ... it is Cinema.