Dune: Part Two
Dune: Part Two is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13.
STORY: B
A riveting dive into the messiah myth.
Paul Arteides and his mother are the only survivors of the Harkoneen attack on Arrakis. Set on revenge, Paul must decide the best way to persuade the Fremen to help him.
Can he prove his worthiness by fighting side by side with them? Or will he convince them he’s the savior they’ve been waiting for (which he just might be)?
THE SCOOP: Check out Dune: Part Two’s IMDb page, here.
PEOPLE: A-
Great actors acting greatly.
As we’ve seen before, the Dune novels can be read as cheesy sci-fi. Solid performances up and down the line lift this version of the epic space saga to Shakespearean levels.
CAST PARTY: Check out Buzzfeed’s interview with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler, here.
FILM NERD STUFF: A-
Every frame is a work of art.
The outstanding production design and cinematography combine to create an Arrakis that feels real and textured. That makes the Fremen’s struggle feel genuine, and it pulls in the audience on an emotional level.
FILM SCHOOL: Learn more about how cinematographer Greig Fraser shot Dune: Part Two, here.
IT’S THE JOURNEY (Elective Class): B-
For all of its majesty, the film offers few twists or surprises.
The film is full of conflicts, but most of them are fairly predictable. It’s true in any movie that when we’re able to guess where a scene is going, the filmmaker has to make sure the way we get there is either extremely exciting or entertaining or interesting or epic or … you get the idea.
Director Denis Villeneuve definitely makes that happen. Sometimes.
For example, there’s not much fear in the theater when Paul tries to ride the sand worm for the first time. We all know he’s going to make it. But Villeneuve cranks up the tension, dials up some dazzling visuals, and drags us to the edge of our seats. We don’t mind that we know what will happen because we love getting thrown around by this sandy, thrilling roller coaster ride.
But a lot of times in this movie, we know what “Point B” is. And too often, the journey from Point A to Point B isn’t captivating enough to make us forget we know exactly where we’re going.
FINAL COMMENTS:
It’s apparent that Villeneuve wants to honor the original 1965 novel. And honor it he does by evoking tremendous performances, building spectacular worlds, and blazing breathtaking pictures across the silver screen.
The honor is there for all to enjoy, but the story itself can’t always keep up.