When David Lynch made his 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, it ended up being a troubled production where the director did not get final cut and tried to encompass the whole source material into one movie. In this age of blockbusters where the narrative is suddenly split into multiple parts, director/co-writer Denis Villeneuve’s decision to split his favorite book from childhood into two parts was the correct choice. While Part One served as an excellent introduction to a distant future where two houses are on the brink of war over the possession of “spice”, Dune: Part Two sets the stage for battle.
Picking up where Part One left off, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) seek refuge with the Fremen following the destruction of House Atreides at the hands of House Harkonnen. As Paul learns the ways of the Fremen, where he develops romantic feelings towards Chani (Zendaya), some of the people believe in a prophecy of Paul being a messiah that will bring prosperity to Planet Arrakis. In conflict with where his destiny lies, Paul hopes to unite the Fremen people of the desert planet to wage war against House Harkonnen.
Whereas the predecessor streamlined Herbert’s dense narrative to focus on the rivalry between the two Houses, while giving us teases from the native Fremen people to the intergalactic politics, Dune: Part Two goes bigger on showing what Paul is to the allies and foes he makes along the way. Watching Part One prior to Part Two is essential, and although the new additions to the story bring more density than what came before, the film has a very clear goal and that is the journey of Paul.
When you look at known sci-fi franchises like Star Wars and Avatar, they have a very black-and-white approach to the hero’s journey, specifically how they present the theme of the Chosen One. Upon reading Herbert’s Dune – a book that precedes all those franchises – the author was interested in what it means to be a leader from the challenges Paul confronts and how much great power causes him to lose himself. This is something that Dune: Part Two’s script and Chalamet’s performance captures, with Paul wanting to fight alongside the Fremen who start to see him as the prophet of which he initially rejects, only for outside forces and his own ambiguous visions shift him towards a dark fate.
While Timothée Chalamet delivers a performance that changes throughout the course of Dune: Part Two, there are two other performers who are as important to the main narrative. One of which is Rebecca Ferguson, who continues to shine as Lady Jessica, who has always been in conflict as both a loving mother and a member of the Bene Gesserit, and her arc here shows a sinister side that encourages Paul as the prophet. The other performer is Zendaya, who serves as the beating heart of the movie as Chani, a warrior who fights for her people and yet her love for Paul complicates things, given her disbelief of the prophecy.
As for the new characters, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan and Christopher Walken as her father, the Padishah Emperor, have limited screen-time, but leave enough of an impression, at least a glimpse into the other worlds beyond the desert landscapes of Arrakis. Anytime to visit Geidi Prime, the home of House Harkonnen, is a cause for celebration in how it relishes in its HR Giger-inspired aesthetics, as well as featuring the film’s most visually striking sequence, which is a gladiatorial match shot in monochrome. It is also here where we are introduced to the psychotic, murderous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, played by Elvis himself Austin Butler, who goes through the transformation that is freakish but captivating to watch.
Going back to the titular planet of Arrakis, this is where the action takes place, and considering that its predecessor had some incredible set-pieces, the sequel adds more weapons, more ornithopters and most importantly, more giant sandworms. With Greig Fraser’s stunning cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s sweeping score, the grand spectacle is there for us to awe at, but Villeneuve never loses sight of the characters who might lose their lives during a time of war, even if some of them are riding on sandworms to achieve victory.
Like Part One, fans of Herbert’s books may question Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts’s handling of the source material, whether it is certain liberties or the abrupt ending. Considering this film covers the remainder of Herbert’s first book, Villeneuve has expressed interest in making a third film based on Dune Messiah, the second novel in the series. Dune: Part Two certainly leaves things open-ended, which may frustrate some, but should Part Three get made, not only will we see the actual conclusion to Paul’s story, but possibly the end of one of the greatest sci-fi film trilogies in recent years.
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